World music and jazz giants Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita in Montreal on March 14

Tranquen’ Art is a Montreal concert promoter that specializes in World Music concerts, and they are bringing three world-class musicians to the elegant Theatre Outremont on March 14.

Transparent Water is the new studio collaboration between 7-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist-composer-bandleader Omar Sosa and London-based Senegalese kora master and singer Seckou Keita. The project idea grew out of Sosa’s impromptu addition to a mid – 2012 date with drummer Marque Gilmore at the CLF Art Café in London, in what was Sosa and Keita’s first musical encounter. Profoundly moved by the experience, Omar told Seckou he wanted to invite him to work together on a future recording project.

In April 2013, another chance meeting contributed to Transparent Water when Galician bagpiper pianist-composer Cristina Pato invited Omar to Santiago de Compostela. Pato hosts an annual residency frequented by associates of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. There Omar met Silk Road charter member and sheng master Wu Tong, whom Omar also asked to join the recording sessions.

Transparent Water’ is the epitome of World Music, perfectly limpid and evanescent, its constituent elements rapidly passing through like cirrus clouds”.     

…Roger Farby, AllAboutJazz

Tokyo-born, Paris-based koto player Mieko Miyazaki came to Omar’s attention via her recorded work with French jazz guitarist Nguyên Lê. When Omar finally had the chance to meet her, Mieko’s creative spirit greatly impressed him, and he enlisted her distinctive voice for Transparent Water. For percussion, Omar turned to long-time collaborator Gustavo Ovalles, who divides his time between France and his native Venezuela. Ovalles (who can be heard on three prior Sosa projects—Sentir, Ayaguna, and Eggun) brings the polyrhythmic soul of the African Diaspora to Transparent Water. Paris-based drummer-producer Steve Argüelles crafted the mix with Omar, having previously worked on Sosa’s award-winning Mulatos and Afreecanos CDs.

Transparent Water is the latest example of Omar Sosa’s transcendent determination to seek new combinations, a manifestation of improvisatory freedom wherein the musical destination is subordinate to the extemporaneous joy of shared artistic expression. Omar observes that, as he did with Sentir, “What I wanted to do was create something totally improvised.” Transparent Water (suggestive of translucence and flowing light) is a deeply spiritual recording that reveals its inspiration in the close and compassionate listening of artists engaged in a genial and captivating musical conversation, liberated from time itself, reaching across five continents to probe the collective spirit of the human condition.

The concert on Thursday, March 14^th will take place at the lovely Outremont Theatre. For tickets, please visit www.theatreoutremont.ca or call: 514-495-9944.