Musician Juan Posso: Jazz has taught me to have more sensitivity

The producer, composer and performer Juan can He is clear about the challenge of playing his own music, especially when it comes to jazz. “Many times people don’t bet on that, they always bet on playing things that are already playing …”, expresses the artist in an interview with this newspaper. However, he knows that when the product is good and projects a type of energy, it achieves a natural reception in the listeners. “Many times the people who have listened to us live react to the energy they are receiving at that moment”, argues Posso, 30.

He currently plays in a trio with Miguel Gallardo, on the piano, and Fernando Alvarado, on the bass; his lifelong friends, with whom he performs his album Cycles This one, which was released in May of this year, is made up of six contemporary jazz songs that emerge, in turn, from influences from various genres and musical elements, for example, the rhythm of jazz, the energetic of rock and the Afro-Ecuadorian music congregate in his material. He states that playing these pieces live is to connect between the musicians and create synergy where they build their own language.

“The element that stands out is the interaction that exists when we play with the musicians live, that interaction is quite similar to the phenomenon that occurs in African music, that several musicians are playing their part, but at the same time that each one is playing its part is formed somewhat larger, it is formed as a more complete sound … a sound environment, which goes beyond each instrumentalist “, explains the Quito musician.

“In the improvisation sections that exist in the compositions, they will never sound the same, each time they will be different even though they are in the same structures, even though they are in the same harmony, every time they sound or we we present in different places it will never be the same, every time we touch that moment it will be special ”, he adds.

He says that the name of his album responds to the stages that are opening and closing in life. “The way I see it, I feel that everything in life has a cycle, I think that we are human beings, we are cyclical beings. At that time, when I wrote the songs, I basically felt like finishing a stage … “,

In fact, it is a name that is carried over to the stage. “Every time we play an improvisation we are playing on a harmonic cycle ”, dice.

Posso confesses that this musical genre, like jazz, has given him a series of life lessons. “Jazz has taught me a lot of discipline, it has taught me to have more sensitivity to be able to listen or be more expressive in the way of playing, to have a much greater dynamic range … It has been a space or a style of music that It has helped me understand how other styles of music work, how metal works, how Latin music, salsa or symphonic music works ”, holds.

He admits that there is still a long way to go, as it is a genre that has historically been related to foreign countries. But the good news is that Ecuador has its own jazz musicians who are increasingly delivering new material.

“Many times that we have played there are people who think that we are not from here … but I think that spaces are gradually opening up, for example, in La Suculenta or the Sánchez Aguilar Theater. I think it also depends on one to knock on doors, not wait for things to happen but rather to search, try ideas and propose “, defiende I can.

He mentions that among his future projects is a new album, of which he already has his compositions ready; a concert with the Guayaquil Philharmonic Orchestra and a tour in Bogotá, Colombia, for September. (I)