David Virelles is the heir to the great school of Cuban pianists and an avant-garde jazzman. Born and raised in Santiago and the son of two musicians, he started studying piano as a child and, of course, knew all the genres that make the island’s musical heritage rich and unique. Virelles has focused on the African roots of Caribbean music and its ritual and folkloric aspects in a setting that fits into contemporary jazz music. He moved to Canada and then definitely to New York in 2009. The cities let him enter the American jazz scene. In 2014, ECM released Virelles’ leader debut for the label. The collaborations with musicians such as Henry Threadgill, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Andrew Cyrille and Steve Coleman describe the artistic identity of an innovative and creative jazzman who did not loosen the ties with his cultural background as a performer and composer.
