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Alexis Baro
Cuban-Canadian trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Alexis Baró is an internationally recognized artist at the forefront of contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz. Combining virtuosic trumpet performance with sophisticated large-ensemble writing, Baró has built a global reputation for delivering high-impact concerts that bridge the energy of Latin music with the precision and depth of modern jazz.
Born and trained in Havana, Baró studied at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and the Instituto Superior de Arte. He began his professional career performing with leading Cuban ensembles, including the National Radio and Television Orchestra, and collaborating with internationally acclaimed artists such as Omara Portuondo. This foundation continues to inform his authentic approach to Afro-Cuban music and improvisation.
Since relocating to Canada, Baró has emerged as a significant voice on the international jazz scene, with multiple critically recognized recordings. His album Sandstorm received a Juno Awards nomination for Jazz Album of the Year, while Guilty Pleasure earned a Global Music Award Gold Medal. His projects have been featured across major venues, festivals, and broadcast platforms, positioning him as a compelling artist for international audiences.
His latest project, Afrokando, performed by his 19-piece ensemble Alexis Baró Y La Big Band, is a powerful revival and modernization of the Cuban big band tradition. Inspired by the golden era of 1940s–50s Havana orchestras, the project reimagines this historic sound with contemporary arrangements and original compositions. Afrokando has received a 2026 Juno Award nomination for Jazz Album of the Year (Group), and is designed for major festival stages and concert halls.
Baró’s live performances are distinguished by their energy, precision, and audience engagement. Whether leading a full big band or appearing in reduced touring formats (large ensemble, octet, or quintet configurations available), he offers flexible programming suitable for festivals, concert series, and cultural institutions. His work also lends itself to cross-cultural collaborations, residencies, and educational activities, including masterclasses and workshops.
Gear
Trumpet; ZeuS; Olympus AGX and Sizzle AG
Tags
Kiki Valera: Vacilón Santiaguero
by Richard J Salvucci
In Cuban Spanish (and, for sure, there is no generic Spanish in Latin America), vacilón means, well, one hell of a good time. And that is what you can expect from this punchy collection, a great time a la Santiago de Cuba, the capital of one of Cuba's southeastern provinces. It is the land of Bacardí rum and the origins of the 1959 Revolution. A Cuban patriot will tell you about the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba, which more ...
Continue ReadingKiki Valera: Vacilón Santiaguero
by Paul Rauch
Son Cubano, the music and dance from the hill country of eastern Cuba, may be a mystery to some readers of these pages. Though the form is rooted in both Spanish and Bantu traditions, its modern day practitioners, embodied and popularized by the music of Buena Vista Social Club, have broadened the music's view. In the United States, particularly in this case, the Pacific Northwest, there are pockets of enthusiasm for Latin music of all sorts. Yet upon attending a ...
Continue ReadingAlexis Baro: Guilty Pleasure
by Angelo Leonardi
Trombettista cubano emigrata in Canada nel 2001, Alexis Baro s'è fatto apprezzare in vari contesti: dalle musiche latine al jazz, fino al rhythm & blues, al funk e alla pop music. Dal 2005 al 2007 è stato nominato miglior trombettista dal canadese National Jazz Award e nella sua recente carriera ha collaborato con Paquito D'Rivera, Omara Portuondo, David Foster, Gino Vannelli, Tom Jones, il gruppo dei Temptations. Nel suo quarto album da leader conferma le doti di strumentista ...
Continue ReadingAlexis Baro: Havana Banana
by Jerry D'Souza
Over the years, Toronto has opened its arms to Cuban musicians. Among them is Alexis Baro, who came to the city in 2001. Baro has wide musical interests which include, quite naturally, traditional Cuban music and jazz. The latter derives much of its soul from his native land and the wider spectrum of Latin jazz.
Baro who wrote eight of these tunes, ropes in the past to add dimension. This bodes well on “Hasta Cunado, where the flighty ...
Continue ReadingIt was Latin Funk heaven at the Cellar last nite. Cuban trumpet sensation Alexis Baro's sextet took over the place. Drove Baro's tenorman, Jeff King, back to his hotel. On the way, he told me that Alexis has become first call lead player in Toronto - filling the vacuum left by Chykoski. No wonder. He's got chops like Maynard and flies around the horn with the ease of a pajaro Mosca. Cook? This guy never leaves the kitchen. Bassist Paco Luviano, keyboarder Luis Guerra, drummer Rosendo Leon and percussionist Alberto Sanchez all helped stoke the fire that threatened to burn the place down
Arturo Sandoval
trumpet
Dizzy Gillespie
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Roy Hargrove
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Freddie Hubbard
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Nicholas Payton
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Music
Day of Change
From: Into the daybreakBy Alexis Baro
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