Magos Herrera

Magos Herrera (born 1970s) is a Mexican jazz singer who sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and has an international following, especially in Latin America, the USA, Japan, and beyond. She has recorded 7 solo albums. She is a singer, songwriter, musician, actress, vocal teacher, and recording artist who performs with her groups in concert halls, jazz clubs, TV shows and at music festivals around the world and has host and produced TV and radio shows to promote jazz.

Early life

Born in Mexico City, deep and captivating performer Magos Herrera is considered one of the most beautiful voices and one of the most active vocalists on the contemporary Latin American jazz scene.

Immensely popular throughout Mexico and Latin America, a dazzlingly accomplished singer-songwriter known for her beguiling rhythmic scatting, inflected with soulful Latin-Andalusian phrasings, Grammy nominee, Magos Herrera owns a uniquely poignant vocal signature that elegantly blends her classic jazz styling with Latin-American melodies. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, her repertoire is filled with the yearning romance, intimacy and enchantment of Mexican and Cuban sones and boleros, and sultry, languid Brazilian beats.^[1]

Music career

Her career started in Italy in 1988 where she decided to become professionally involved with music, and then graduated from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California.

Back in Mexico City in 1998, Magos started performing as a solo artist in festivals around Mexico with a duet piano and voice project recording her first album Cajuina. In 2000, Magos released her second album Whispering Orchids (Opcion Sonica) in Mexico and in the USA. This album became the “CD of the week” of vanguardist radio station 90.5 FM and Horizonte Radio 107.9 FM.

In 2002, Magos Herrera started a tour in US and Mexico promoting the “Mexican Divas Project”, that culminated in the Lincoln Center concert in New York City.

In 2003, Magos toured in Mexico, Japan and Spain presenting her third album “Pais Maravilla”/ Suave records. This album became the “Top Ten” of Jazz sales in Mexico along with Norah Jones.

In 2005 Magos released her fourth album Todo puede inspirar (EMI) music touring around Mexico and Brazil, leading the “top ten” jazz sales in the country for six months. Circulo Mix Magazine wrote the following about this release: ”Todo puede inspirar reveals a new time for one of the most important artists in our country but a new era for jazz in Mexico.”

In 2006 JM Distribuidores released the acclaimed jazz CD Soliluna, featuring the two most outstanding vocalists in Mexico, Magos Herrera and Iraida Noriega.

In 2007, Magos moved to United States where she became part of the New York scene promptly with her successful debut in January 2008 at The Winter Jazz Festival. She participated in recordings such as The Rolling Stones Project II by Tim Ries and Travelling Songs "VIA project" for contemporary composer Paola Prestini.

In 2009 she released her sixth album “Distancia”(Sunnyside), highly acclaimed by the critics, which became the #1 iTunes in Jazz category and was nominated for the short list for the International Grammys for best jazz vocal album. After this success in 2011, produced by Tim Ries, recorded with a top NY band including John Patitucci, Adam Rogers, Tom Hagans, Luis Perdomo, Alex Kautz and Rogerio Bocatto, Magos released “Mexico Azul”(Sony Music) a tribute to Mexican composers from the golden cinema era evoking the “third mexican root” the African influence that permiated the stetics of the 30s and 40s of last century. This album was higly acclaimed by the critics:.." Herrera is without a doubt the best jazz singer out of Mexico, and with México Azul she is establishing herself among the best singers in jazz".Wilbert Sotre / jazztimes July 2011

Currently Magos Herrera is a recipient of Mexico National Grant Program for performing Artist 2010-2013 given by National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA)and supports as a spokesperson the UN campaign “UNITE” to stop violence against women.

For over 12 years Magos has performed in international performing arts centers, festivals, concert halls such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall Neighborhood series, Knitting Factory and Jazz Standard in New York, Millennium Park in Chicago, Jazz Festival in Montreal, International Jazz Festival at the Ribiera Maya, Teatro de la Ciudad de México and Sala Galileo Galilei in Madrid, among many others. She was nominated in 2006 for Lunas del Auditorio Nacional in Mexico for the Best Jazz Concert among Bobby McFerrin and Bill Frisell. She has six CD recordings including Cajuina, Orquídeas Susurrantes, Pais Maravilla, Todo Puede Inspirar, Soliluna and Distancia; plus two international compilations for Brazil and Japan, and is part of the acclaimed “Mexican Divas” cd series.Through her pro-active love for music, she produced and hosted two TV show that promoted music for Mexico’s TV, channel 22, and featured guest stars like Ute Lemper, Jerry González, Diego el Cigala, Francisco Céspedes, among many others. From 2012 she host a weekly radio show for Mexican public radio IMER horizonte 107.9FM from New York featuring today's jazz scene greatest artists like Aaron Goldberg, Miguel Zenón, among others.

Teaching

Since 2000 Magos teaches vocal technique, improvisation on Jazz, Brazilian and Latin repertoire privately and in music schools such as Fermatta (Berklee associated school in Mexico City), DIM music school in Mexico City. Has been invited to teach master classes and clinics at Berklee College in Boston, Central College in Pella, Iowa, Miami Dade College, Kula Lumpur Music Academy, Escuela Superior de Música in Mexico City and academic residencies in Swarnabhoomy Academy of Music in Tamil Nadu, India.

In 2012 Magos Herrera started a teaching project collaboration with Carnegie Hall Musical Exchange program.

Nominations and grands

• Shortlist nomination for the International Grammys for best jazz vocal album with “Distancia”.
• Nominated twice 2006-2009 as the “best jazz performance” by the “Lunas del Auditorio Nacional” in Mexico City along with Bill Frisell y Bobby MacFerrin.
• Recipient of Mexico National Grant Program for performing Artist 2010-2013 given by National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA)
• Magos Herrera selected as one of the most important women in 2011 among Michelle Obama and Michelle Michelet by “Siempre Mujer” magazine

TV & Radio shows

Over the past 4 years, through her pro-active love for music, Magos produced and hosted two TV shows that promoted music for Mexico’s TV, channel 22: Acustico and Jazz desde el Bajo Centro and featured guest stars like Ute Lemper, Jerry González, Diego el Cigala, Francisco Céspedes, among many others.^[2]

From 2012 she host a weekly radio show for Mexican public radio IMER horizonte 107.9FM from New York.

Theater

Magos performed in the play Modelo para armar by director; Pablo Mandoki. Centro Cultural Universitario Mexico City / 2005

Discography

Studio albums

• 1997: Cajuina
• 2000: Orquideas Susurrantes
• 2002: Pais Maravilla
• 2005: Todo Puede Inspirar
• 2006: Soliluna
• 2009: Distancia
• 2010: Mexico Azul

Other albums

• 2004: Magos Herrera (Japanese Compilation album)
• 2007: Minha Historia (Brazilian Compilation album)
• 2012: Lo Mejor de Magos Herrera (Mexican Compilation album)

Recording collaborations

• 2007: Iraida Noriega Viaje de Mar
• 2008: Tim Ries The Rooling stones project II
• 2008: Paola Prestini Traveling Songs
• 2008: Beat Kaestli Far from home
• 2013: Arturo Stable Crosshatching
• 2013: Eugenia León Ciudadana del mundo 2

Main venues

• Carnegie Hall Neighborhood series, NYC / 2012
• Jazz at Lincoln Center/ 2010-2012
• New Delhi Jazz Festival / 2012
• Albuquerque Journal Theatre, Roy E.Disney Center for Performing Art /2012

Festival Almas / 2012

• San Miguel International Jazz Festival / 2010-2011-2012
• No Black Tie jazz club, Kuala Lumpur / 2012
• Festival Internacional Cervantino/2011
• Montreal Jazz Festival / 2009-2011
• Winter Jazz Festival / New York / 2008
• Shanghai International Arts Festival / 2008
• Millennium Park / Chicago / 2007
• Sor Juana Festival / Miller Outdoor Theatre Houston / 2007
• Jazz Standard / New York / 2008-09-2010
• Lunario del Auditorio Nacional / Mexico City /

2004-05-06-07-08

• Teatro de la Ciudad de México / 2003/05/07/09
• Zocalo, Mexico City, FCH / 2005
• Espacio Santander / Porto Alegre, Brazil / 2007
• SESC / São Paulo, Brazil / 2005, 2007
• Museo Tamayo / 2006, 2007
• Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico / 2005/06/07
• Snugs Harbour Jazz Club / New Orleans / 2005
• Sky Building / Osaka Japan / 2004.
• Dazzles Jazz Club / Denver Colorado / 2004
• Sala Galileo Galilei / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Anson Amphitheatre / LA, Cal / 2003
• Mexican Festival in New Delhi / India / 2003
• Lincoln Center / New York City / 2002
• Mayan Amphitheatre / LA, Cal / 2002
• Queens Festival / New York / 2002
• Makor / NYC / 2002
• Ryles Jazz Club / Boston, Mass / 2001, 2002
• FNAC Callao / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Suristan / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Berklee College of Music / 2002
• Festival Cervantino / Guanajuato, Mexico / 2001
• Centro Nacional de las Artes / Mexico / 2001-

02-04-06-09

• Festival Internacional de Jazz / Ribiera Maya
• Among many other hundreds of festivals and venues in Mexico and abroad.

References