Resonancia Project
After the explosive celebration of rhythm in Nova Concerts’ previous event — where Eliel Lazo and Machito paid tribute to the African roots of Afro-Cuban music — Resonancia shifts the focus to melody, lyricism, and the emotional core of the genre.
Abel Marcel, described by The Guardian as “a phenomenal, dynamic, imaginative. An outstanding pianist,” is known for his ability to bridge European and American jazz traditions with his Cuban roots. His musical language is both structured and free, grounded in Caribbean and Latin American rhythmic traditions and informed by the classical legacy of Bach, Mozart, Cervantes, Tania León, and Ernesto Lecuona.
A tireless collaborator and lover of movement, Abel has composed for choreographers like Carlos Acosta, Jan Linkens, and Judith Sánchez Ruíz, and worked with artists such as David Murray, Changuito, Lucas van Merwijk, Jonas Johansen, Yuri Buenaventura, Saul Williams, Nasheet Waits, David Binney, and many others.
Carlos Sarduy is one of Cuba’s most acclaimed trumpet players and a Latin Grammy Award winner. He has performed and recorded with Chucho Valdés, Esperanza Spalding, Buika, Omar Sosa, and many others — appearing at major venues and festivals from Montreux and Vienna to Tokyo and Dakar. His albums Luz and Inner Dialogue reflect a rich fusion of Yoruba spirituality, flamenco, funk, and jazz.
Together, Abel and Carlos crafted a sound journey that was both intimate and expansive, rooted in Afro-Cuban tradition and reaching far beyond it.
“Following up on the previous concert, marking the role of Africa in the fabric of Afro-Cuban Jazz, we continued this journey through the melodic landscape that covered that rhythmic foundation — creating the fusion between Africa and European traditions shaping the sounds known today as Latin Jazz in the hands of these two incredible Cuban musicians.”
— Abel, Artistic Director, Nova Concerts
This was not just a performance — Resonancia, it’s music that breathes, burns, and resonates.
Date
Sept 12th, 2025
Venue
Xenon, Huset i Magstræde
Resonancia
ON SEPTEMBER 12TH AT XENON, SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENED. WE WATCHED AS CARLOS SARDUY AND ABEL MARCEL TRANSFORMED A SIMPLE STAGE INTO A PLACE OF CONNECTION, WHERE MUSIC WAS NOT JUST HEARD — IT WAS FELT DEEPLY.
The music took over us
AT NOVA, WE SPEND WEEKS PREPARING, PLANNING, AND HOPING EVERYTHING WILL FALL INTO PLACE. BUT WHEN THE FIRST NOTES STARTED TO FILL THE ROOM, WE FORGOT ALL OF IT. WE WERE SIMPLY PART OF THE AUDIENCE, CARRIED AWAY BY THE TRUMPET’S FIRE, THE PIANO’S TENDERNESS, AND THE SILENCE BETWEEN THE NOTES THAT HELD US ALL TOGETHER.
