KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 3, 2020

Singer, songwriter and percussionist combines Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban influences

Performer Brenda Navarrete  was scheduled to perform at Kennesaw State University on Saturday, March 21 as part of ArtsKSU Presents and KSU Division of Global Affairs' Year of Cuba but the show has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

The Afro-Cuban singer, songwriter, and percussionist combines a foundation of Latin jazz and Afro‐Cuban influences with elements of contemporary world music, originality, and relentless energy to form her unique sound.

An emerging flagbearer among the vanguard of female Cuban musicians, Navarrete tours internationally and frequently collaborates with Cuba’s notable music elite. The award-winning jazzista is perhaps best known for her skill on the batá, a drum that women were once forbidden to play, and traditionally used in spiritual practices in Yoruba. 

Navarrete describes her music as “transmitting positive energies into human beings. It's another form of communication, a conversation that transmits love and joy.” Her philosophy is reflected in her debut solo album, “Mi Mundo,” released in January of 2018, and she recently toured internationally with a collaborative production called “Havana Meets Kingston” in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. The performer is also scheduled to present masterclasses to School of Music students during her time at Kennesaw State.

Tap your feet to the jazzy, energetic sounds of Brenda Navarrete on Saturday, Mar. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center at KSU on the Kennesaw campus. Tickets are available online at ticketing.kennesaw.edu or by calling the box office at 470-578-6650.