Vincent Hsu & Soy La Ley Afro-Cuban Jazz Band

Afro-Cuban rhythms, Taiwanese folk influences and jazz improvisation converge in a cross-cultural performance led by bassist and composer Vincent Tsung-Yu Hsu. Doors open Friday, August 7, at 7 p.m., with the concert beginning at 8 p.m. in WDNA’s Jazz Gallery. The evening serves as a fundraising event for the listener-supported Miami radio station.

Hsu and the Soy La Ley Afro-Cuban Jazz Band will perform selections from his forthcoming release, Spirits From Both Sides. The project explores parallels between Taiwanese folk culture and Afro-Latin spiritual traditions, alongside new works inspired by Hsu’s recent musical research in West Africa.

The ensemble features Hsu on double bass, Reinaldo Melian on trumpet, David Fernandez on saxophone, Shih-Chun Lee on guitar and Kuan-Liang Lin on drums. The concert is presented with support from the Taipei Cultural Center in New York and Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture.