One of the big announcements that took place during the Panama Jazz Festival was the release of a commemorative CD celebrating five years of Jazz in Panama; a nifty album performed by the Danilo P�rez Big Band and produced by Billy Herron and the Berklee College of Music called “The Panama Suite.” The name fits the record brilliantly, as it’s only three tracks long and features jazz versions of famous Panamanian compositions (or “movements,” as the record itself calls them). I didn’t think much of it while working in the festival as the whole endeavour left little room to think about anything else, but as things died down that Saturday night at the Cathedral concert I enquired about getting a copy. It wasn’t until after the festival that I’d hear how several friends and volunteers got copies of the album given to them for free… so I began searching. And I searched, and searched and searched some more until I finally resigned to find it anywhere.

Thanks to my lucky stars, Flip happened to have scored a copy and lent it to me. The album is fantastic; the whole deal doesn’t go past the 15-minute mark but it’s a great look into Panamanian music from a different angle. From the foreword written by Danilo P�rez:

The Panama Suite is a three-movement composition that combines urban sounds with Panamanian folkloric elements in a big band setting. It embodies the sound of the next generation of Latino musicians that represents the opening of geographical borders and the opening of the new mind. This state of mind demands both innovation and respect for tradition, with the hope that by exercising creative freedom the human species will find peace, truth, and justice.

The rest is from the record’s event page on Facebook, with information on how you can buy the record:

The recording of The Panama Suite was made possible by a collaboration between two of the world’s most renowned musical institutions and Boston neighbors: Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. On June 9th of 2006, led by Danilo Perez, music professors and students, recording engineers and assistants all joined forces in Berklee Studio A to perform and record this challenging composition.

PRECIO: B/.10.00
Lugar: Oficinas de la Fundacion Danilo Perez
Via Espa�a con Via Argentina, edificio Tula(Edif.deBlockbuster) 2do piso oficina #5
Horario:
9.00am - 5.00pm de lunes a viernes
8.30 am - 1.30pm sabados
Telefono:399-8874

Now, kids, on to the track listing:

Movement I - Awakening/El Despertar

Movement II - The Quest/La Busqueda

Movement III - The Celebration/Quiero Amanecer (my personal favorite)

Finally, and because I love you, dear reader, click here to download a sample of the Panama Suite. You’ll be happy you did, but I urge you to purchase a copy because you’d be helping a foundation that aids Panama’s cultural ills in a way that demands respect for better or worse.

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