Greg Burrus and Rutgers IJS Presents Latin Vocalist Manuela Zapata

FEATURING RODRIGO ROMERO , GABRIEL QUINTANA, VICTOR ORTIZ, & RAUL HUAMAN

ABOUT MANUELA ZAPATA

Manuela Zapata is a 24-year-old Colombian singer whose passion for music dates back to her beginnings in the church where she grew up. From a young age, she discovered in singing a way to deeply connect with her emotions and her faith, which drove her to forge a path in the musical world.

Originally from Cartago, Columbia, Manuela has exhibited her musical prowess at various venues and festivals across her home country. Manuela has performed three years in a row at the national and international festival “familias que cantan”, also at the Festival “Pedro Morales Pino” Parque arte in Cartago Universidad tecnológica de Pereira Rayo Museum and the La fiesta de la música at Pereira Festival de la neblina at Versalles along with other local venues in and around Columbia, South America such as Mercado El Virrey.

Manuela’s music career has taken flight and she has journeyed to America, where she has captivated audiences at top venues across the greater New York, New Jersey area such as Paramus NJ Eddie’s V Prime Seafood, Brightside Tavern and Jersey City’s Moore’s Lounge jazz jam run by renowned drummer Winard Harper.

More recently her talent has propelled her to perform at even more renowned locations like the widely popular Clements Place Jazz, run by the prestigious Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies’.

Her multitalented skills and her internal motivation to strive for the best will make Manuela’s star shine brighter than ever as a serious vocalist on the Greater New York and New Jersey live music scene.

With a deep-rooted love for Latin music, jazz and Brazilian rhythms, Manuela has managed to combine these influences to create a unique and authentic style. Her voice, full of nuances and emotion, is the reflection of a career marked by dedication and commitment to her art.

Today, Manuela continues to explore and expand the limits of her creativity, bringing the essence of her roots and the diversity of the genres that inspire her into each performance. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of music and the passion to share a message that transcends borders and cultures.

Rodrigo Romero is a Peruvian saxophonist and educator based in East Orange, NJ. As a performer, Romero keeps a busy schedule playing as a sideman in the NYC/NJ area with different artists such as Radam Schwartz Organ Trio, Carrie Jackson Quintet , Eddie Allen’s Salongo and Jeffrey Lopez’s Swing Combo to name a few. He also develops his skills as an arranger, working with Willwallz and Manuela Zapata, producing their music and performances. As an educator, he has been part of the staff of Jazz House Kids since 2022, and Paterson Music Project since last year, teaching Middle and High School students from Montclair and Paterson, as well as having his own private studio. Rodrigo is a graduate from Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music, where he studied under Bruce Williams and Mike Lee.

Eric Dupont is a talented multi-genre drummer, composer, and educator based in the New York area. He began his musical journey in New Hampshire, receiving his first drum set at the age of 12. Throughout high school, he honed his craft and earned titles such as the NHMEA Jazz All-State drummer and the Woody Herman Jazz Award.

Eric studied European classical percussion at the University of Massachusetts before transferring to the jazz program at William Paterson University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2016 with a major in Jazz Studies and Music Management. He has had the opportunity to study under renowned drummers like Billy Hart, Winard Harper, Horacee Arnold, and Bill Goodwin..

Eric has performed at various venues in New York and beyond, and he has been involved in teaching students of all ages and playing levels. He has also received scholarships and grants from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the Music Business Association.

Gabriel Balado is a Peruvian bass player and composer based in New Jersey. He spent part of his formative years in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he studied at the prestigious Conservatorio Manuel de Falla.

In Argentina, he collaborated with renowned local artists and had the opportunity to share the stage with world-class musicians such as Antonio Hart, Rodney Jones, and Donald Harrison. His versatility and domain of the bass have allowed him to participate in various projects, blending influences from Jazz, African, and Latin American traditions.

Always in search of new sonic explorations, Gabriel continues to evolve as a performer and composer, bringing his vision and creativity to every project he takes part on. He is currently working as a sideman in the greater NYC/NJ area.

Vic Ortiz was born in DR and learned how to play the flute when he immigrated to the United States. He received the Carollo Scholarship where he studied with Aki Kasuga in Newark School of the Arts. He graduated from Montclair State University with his bachelors in Music Education. During his time there, he had studied under Allison Loggins-Hull, Bruce Williams and Alice Jones. He had the privilege to travel to Czech Republic, Germany and Austria with the MSU wind ensemble for the WASBE 2022 conference. He also created and led the Afro-Caribbean Ensemble with the help of Oscar Perez. Currently, he is a middle school general music teacher in Paterson as well as part of the staff in the Carollo program of Newark School of the Arts.

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Check out the livestream on the Clement's Place Jazz and IJS Facebook pages and on our YouTube channel -

https://www.facebook.com/events/407513298157352/?ref=newsfeed

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf8W7q1qlz0yt5Ebcn4tkSQ

https://www.facebook.com/InstituteJazzStudies

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