Born in Havana, Cuba, Estrella Acosta grew up singing the folksongs of her country. When she was eleven her family relocated to Texas. There she continued her involvement with music, while obtaining a degree in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Texas in Austin, and started her first band, playing a blend of Brazilian- and jazz music.

She traveled to Brazil and New York, where she worked with trumpeter Claudio Roditi, and eventually to Europe, performing with musicians like harmonica-virtuoso Mauricio Einhorn and guitarist/composer Toninho Horta. Later she renewed her involvement with the music of her country of birth and got the opportunity to sing with Cuban top musicians. In the music she presents today all the past influences can be found: Cuban, Brazilian and Latin jazz.

Settling in Holland she formed her own groups, 'Estrellas de Ahora' and 'Estrella's Jazz a la Cubana'. With these groups she played at major festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Curacao Jazz Festival, the Brussels "Viva Brasil" Festival, the Heineken Jazz Festival and the Dunya Multicultural Festival, as well as many well known clubs.

Estrella is also active in other projects: with harpist Ernestine Stoop she sang music by Manuel de Falla and other Spanish and Latin American composers, she recorded with the European Danzón Orchestra and has given workshops such as "Voices and Rhythms from Latin America" during the Festival Nieuwe Muziek in Middelburg, the Netherlands. For a while, Estrella led the weekly vocal jam sessions at the Amsterdam jazz club, the BIMhuis.

Her working band included musicians from Amsterdam (saxophonists Jasper Blom and Praful) , Uruguay (bassist/pianist José Luis Lopretti, drummer Enrique Firpi and guitarist Leonardo Amuedo), Argentina (pianist Juan Pablo Dobal) and Denmark (Claus Tofft on percussion).

Often the group was expanded by musicians like flutist/saxophonist Alex Coke (US), tres-player Lucio Garcia (Cuba) and trombonist David Rothschild (US). When he spent time away from his hometown Rio de Janeiro, pianist/arranger Luizão Paiva joined the band. Luizão and Estrella together are responsible for most compositions on her first CD, Navegando de La Habana a Rio, which is available here (eStar 131).

Click for more about Estrella's first cd, Navegando de La Habana a Rio

CD review: "... a sampler of the musical world talent that can be found in Amsterdam... eleven varied latinjazz-pieces that charm by her light and clear diction and the driving arrangements by Paiva..." - Erik van den Berg, De Volkskrant, Amsterdam.

 

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Below are some samples from pieces on the cd Navegando:
This one is from Luizão Paiva's La Habana, towards the end, and takes you from Samba into Rumba
Besides Estrella's lyrics and singing, everything on Comienza a Girar is by composer Leonardo Amuedo on guitars and tablas Vou Navegar has a nice piano solo by Luizão, who dedicated this piece to Dizzy Gillespie - check out this picture!

Chorinho del Corazón

Jobinaçoes, a ballad dedicated to Tom Jobim

Flight Of The Birds is a fast Samba in 3/4 time, dedicated to Toninho Horta

 

In September 2002 Estrella performed for a week at Ronnie Scott's in London with Craig Handy's Latin Explosion:

left to right: Ramon Valle (piano), Estrella Acosta (vocals), Mick Paauwe (baby bass), Lucas van Merwijk (drums), Craig Handy (saxes, flute), Armando Vidal (percussion).

 



The Malecon, overseeing the port of Havana.

 

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