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B i o g r a p h y

Long Bio

Venissa Santi is a Cuban-American vocalist and composer whose artistry is deeply rooted in her heritage. Born in Ithaca, NY, she comes from a long line of Cuban artists—her father’s side includes sculptor Mario Santi, creator of the José Martí tomb in Santiago de Cuba, while her mother’s side is filled with musicians. Her grandfather, composer Jacobo Ros Capablanca (nephew of chess champion José Raúl Capablanca), instilled in her a lifelong passion for music.

 

Growing up, she was immersed in an eclectic mix of Ravel, Celia Cruz, Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, jazz, and musical theater. She developed a strong ear for harmony, singing with her mother and best friend, and honed her skills at the Hangar Theatre. Initially drawn to theater, she soon realized she belonged in the band. After high school, she picked up the guitar, began composing, and pursued jazz vocal performance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied under Reggie Pindell, JD Walter, Ron Kerber, Don Glandon, and Evan Solot.

 

Immersing herself in Philadelphia’s Latin and jazz scenes, she became a vocal instructor at the Asociación de Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) and collaborated with artists including Elio Villafranca, Suzette Ortiz, Lynn Riley, and Donna Bostock (of Ella’s y Amigos), as well as Rich Crawford, DJ PE, Alo Brasil, and Sonic Liberation Front. She studied under Elizabeth Sayre (bata expert) and Orlando Fiol (tabla, bata, conga, and piano prodigy, and a protégé of Barry Harris). Inspired by this community, she embarked on life-changing research trips to Cuba, where she studied Afro-Cuban song, dance, and percussion under Master Gregorio “El Goyo” Hernández and dancers from Yoruba Andabo, Clave y Guaguancó, Afro-Cuba de Matanzas, and Irosso Obá. She also studied canto Yoruba and fell in love with rumba.

 

In 2006, after marrying and having a son, she recorded her debut album, blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with pop and jazz influences. Her bold interpretation of Columbia—a rumba style traditionally sung by men—was a defining moment in her career. In 2008, she won the Pew Fellowship in Folk and Traditional Arts, submitting songs from this record. The success led to her signing with Sunnyside Records, and in 2009, she released Bienvenida, engineered by the late Daoud Shaw, featuring Mike and Robert Rodríguez (trumpet and piano), Yunior Terry (bass), Jef Lee Johnson (guitar), and others. The album reached #3 on Bob Parlocha’s Top Ten jazz list and was praised by Rubén Blades and Danilo Pérez, who called her interpretation of Como Fue “audacious.”

 

In 2013, she was invited to perform at the Kimmel Center’s Billie Holiday Tribute concert series, which led to the development of her next album, Big Stuff: Afro-Cuban Holiday, also recorded by Daoud Shaw with Jef Lee Johnson on guitar (see discography for full credits). Her notable performances include Jazz Standard and Cornelia St. Café (NYC), Red Clay Jazz Festival (Hawai’i), Yoshi’s (Oakland, CA), The Blue Whale (LA), La Peña Cultural Center (Berkeley, CA), Fillmore Jazz Festival (San Francisco), Chris’ Jazz Café (Philadelphia, with Brian Lynch), and Art After Five (Kimmel Center, with Jane Bunnett, Larry Kramer, and the late Yesenia Selier). Most recently, she performed at Festival Jazz Plaza in Havana, Cuba.

 

She later participated in the Kimmel Center Jazz Residency, collaborating with the late legendary guitarist Monnette Sudler and her dear friend, vocalist Joanna Pascale, alongside Josh Lawrence on trumpet, to create an original jazz musical.

 

Since the pandemic, Santi has been honing new repertoire with the Venissa Santi 3rio and is currently promoting new material while preparing her next album with longtime collaborator Michael Stark (piano) and Olive Mitra (drums).

 

 

Short Bio 

Venissa Santi is a Cuban-American vocalist and composer whose sound blends jazz, Afro-Cuban traditions, and original songwriting. A Pew Fellow in Folk and Traditional Arts, she has studied in Cuba and released two acclaimed albums, Bienvenida and Big Stuff: Afro-Cuban Holiday (Sunnyside Records), earning praise from Rubén Blades and Danilo Pérez. She is currently developing new music with her trio and preparing her next album with Michael Stark (piano) and Olive Mitra (drums).

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Daoud Shaw
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Alyssa Maloof Photography

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