Gabriel Alegria is a prominent figure in the Peruvian jazz music scene. By combining Afro-Peruvian music with American jazz music, Alegria is developing an Afro-Peruvian style of jazz music. Gabriel’s music reflects the rich heritage of black music from coastal Peru. This approach is comparable to the Brazilian and Cuban musical contributions which changed jazz music in 20th-century. Gabriel’s Nuevo Mundo is Gabriel’s most recent recording. It features the collaborations of jazz stars Tierney Shew, Bobby Shew and Russell Ferrante as well as Peru’s legendary artists Freddy ‘Huevito’Lobaton and Hugo Alcazar. This recording was inspired by the locations and circumstances along the mysterious and rich Peruvian coast. Jazz Peru Internacional (JPI) was established by Gabriel in 2000 as Peru’s leading jazz arts and cultural exchange organisation. Gabriel has a doctorate in jazz studies from University of Southern California. He also holds a master’s from City University of New York. from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu
