- This event has passed.
Rudi Mwongoz
July 7, 2017 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Free
Free, live music at the Riis Park Bazaar!
FINTRODUCING RUDI MWONGOZI
Rudi Mwongozi is a pianist, composer, and vocalist. The name Mwongozi means “leader” in the Swahili language. Rudi Mwongozi is the founder of SONWA, a collective of artists, musicians, and business people in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area and now the name of his music ensemble. Since August of 2008 Rudi has been a resident of New York City.
As well as being a serious composer of jazz Mwongozi speaks fluently in a multitude of music styles including ragges, calypso/soca, blues, hip-hop and gospel. Mwongozi’s career began during his college years in Portland Oregon where he began to make a name for himself as an outstanding jazz pianist. He moved back to Oakland in 1977 where he was part of a number of exciting music and theater ensembles. At the same time he was conducting jazz and vocal workshops at bay area schools and cultural centers. He taught music in jails and prisons through programs funded by California Arts Council and others.
Some of the musicians Mwongozi has worked with include Billy Higgins, Rasul Siddik, Steve Turre, John Handy, Calvin Keys, and vocalist Diane Witherspoon.
Since 2008 Mwongozi has called New York City home. His New York credits are as follows…He is pianist and featured composer in two working New York ensembles. The RLJ Trio a tradition jazz piano trio performing jazz standards, jazz classics and Rudi Mwongozi originals. Their new album is entitled Glory and Grace after the Mwongozi original composition of the same name. Mwongozi is also pianist, percussionist, vocalist, and composer for SONWA and ensemble whose music is described as “jazz and world”. In addition to this work in his own groups Rudi is also the musical director of two other ensembles. Brown Liquor Sounds the back up band for blues singer Beareather Reddy and The Echoes of Our Ancestors band which backs up gospel and jazz singer Tami Tyree. Rudi Mwongozi is a member of the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium and has appeared at the CBJC jazz festival. Rudi has been a featured at the Staten Island Jazz Festival and has performed at Jazz Mobile in Manhattan, The Jazzy Jazz Festival in Brooklyn, and the Johnny Hartman Jazz Festival in Harlem.
ounder of SONWA (the Sound Of New World Afrikah)