ABOUT US
Five musicians, one rhythm. The group "Cinco en Clave" combines the perspectives of five different cultures and languages to deliver an iridescent picture of their passion: Latin music. The band members got to know each other at Codarts Conservatory of Rotterdam, where they brought together their influences ranging from Cuban and Antillean music to Western classical music and jazz. Their playing allows each individual voice to shine through composing, arranging and improvising, meshed together in vibrant rhythm, be it through exhilarating Latin jazz, elegant danzón or sensual bolero.
Cinco and Clave are a Latin-jazz quintet that navigate through own compositions to fresh arrangements of Latin jazz standards. If they say that there are kinds of music that move the body, other than the heart or mind, they touch all of them. They pursue one thing: search for tunes, harmonies and rhythms that are extremely beautiful but rather unknown. Lotophagos is the hit of the band. Stefan Brunner’s (bass player) composition, reflects the classical touch, with Latin groove and the jazz improvisation through chords and spontaneity. Walkin’ a Beat with a Peg-Legged Policeman, composed by their first teacher Thomas Böttcher, is in a 7/4 clave where you feel moved by a contemporary touch. Or Un Domingo, a slow danzón composed by Evelyn Vera Gallardo (pianist), favourite for the lovers of elegance.
Lucas Zegri (drums), Evelyn Vera Gallardo (piano), Stefan Brunner (bass), Oriol Marès (clarinet), Lidrick Solognier (percussion)
ORIOL MARÈS
Oriol Marès is a clarinet player born in Barcelona and currently based in Rotterdam. His work is centred in the sound of the clarinet, aiming to showcase the richness of the instrument. He recently graduated in Latin Clarinet with a Cum Laude in Latin Clarinet at Codarts – University for the Arts under the guidance of Alex Simu, and now he is now doing a Master. He collaborated with the artist Antoni Miralda, in Santa Eulalia 175 and co-composed the sound installation for El Bulli Foundation, in the context of Saint Stomak Project. He was a member of Ricciotti Orchestra during the RadioTour Holland 2019, and he has toured with Amsterdam Klezmer Band, performing in Czech Republic, Germany, France, and The Netherlands. He is a co-founder of Cinco en Clave, a Latin-Jazz quintet with whom they recently recorded for Dutch National Television, and performed in GrachtenFestival Amsterdam.
His biggest inspirations in the Latin and clarinet scene are Paquito D'Rivera, Eddie Daniels and Jimmy Guiffre. Combined with his delight for Silvio Rodríguez and Compay Segundo, he aims to portray through his own prisma, the rich heritage of beauty and unknown territories for the clarinet.
EVELYN VERA GALLARDO
Evelyn Vera Gallardo is a world music pianist born and raised in the Netherlands, but of Ecuadorian origin. She graduated Cum Laude from the Conservatory of Rotterdam (Codarts) where she did a bachelor in latin music.
Over the past years Evelyn has shared the stage with artists such as: Gerardo Rosales, Alex Matos, Bart van Lier and Lee Towers. She's been performing in several big places and festivals in the Netherlands: Tivolivredenburg, De Doelen, Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw aan het ij, Beatrix Theater, North Sea Jazz Festival and more. In addition she's been performing and sharing music with very distinctive music groups in genres such as salsa, flamenco, middle-eastern music, jazz, pop, rock.
Evelyn is a versatile pianist and ready to accept a musical challenge. With Cinco en Clave she can explore more the latin side of her and bring new music to the table. Because of the difference of cultures in this group and different way of thinking, Evelyn feels that every bandmember is bringing little pieces of their own identity which helps Cinco en Clave develop their own sound, something that she can appreciate a lot.
LIDRICK SOLOGNIER
Lidrick Solognier is an Aruban born percussionist. He started to play the wiri at the age of 5. In his teenage years he was part of different projects and bands on the island. After a while he decided that it was time to broaden his horizon by moving to the Netherlands and studying music. Coming from a multicultural island Lidrick came in contact with different kinds of music and rhythms. He learned how to combine them with the folkloric music of Aruba to create a distinctive Caribbean sound. Some of his biggest aspirations are Giovanni Hidalgo, Pedrito Martinez, Poncho Sanchez and many more.
STEFAN BRUNNER
After three years’ bass studies at the Music College Regensburg in Germany, Stefan Brunner played bass in several big bands in the Bavarian region, most notably the Landes-jugendjazzorchester Bayern, and expanded his skillset by joining musical theatre projects (Jekyll and Hyde, Little Shop of Horrors, 9 to 5).
His interest in exploring new music styles eventually compelled him to leave Germany to study at Codarts Rotterdam, majoring in Latin American music. During his time there, he worked on finding ways to combine his main subject with Western classical music through his own compositions and arrangements. In his final recital at Codarts, he was able to showcase the results of his effort to great effect, graduating summa cum laude.
In Cinco en Clave, Stefan Brunner contributes his idiosyncratic playing and writing style, fusing the Latin American music genres that form the core of the group’s repertoire with his own influences from Western classical music ranging from J.S. Bach to Josquin des Prez.
LUCAS ZEGRI
Lucas Zegrí is a percussionist and drummer from Granada, Andalucía. Since he is 7 years old, he is playing and walking through the music to understand the cultures from this perspective.
From the classical background, he started some years ago to go into other styles trying always to involve the music he is learning with how he understands and feel it.
Lucas was part of bands as Yahlé (cuban music), Astronotas (afro-jazz-caribbean music), Tlön (electronic-jazz trio), etc. and currently he is playing with Ripa Na Tulipa (Roda du Samba), Berzeg (piano and percussion duo), Cinco en Clave (Latin Music), Xaloq (valencian-jazz), etc. With all of these bands and people he is growing and learning differents perspectives of the music, culture and life. What he more likes is that in each band, everybody has the freedom to bring ideas and to express and reflect in the music theirself and their own paths. Making, understanding and integrating all of these words and concepts.