The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts will host an evening of cross-cultural collaboration when the Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita SUBA Trio takes the stage March 13th at 7:30pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall.
The trio unites four-time Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, Senegalese kora virtuoso Seckou Keita, and Afro-Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles. Together, they blend jazz, West African traditions, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and Venezuelan percussion into a sound that is both intimate and expansive.
The Vancouver performance will feature music from their 2020 album SUBA, whose title means “sunrise” in Mandinka, Keita’s native language. Written largely during the global lockdown and later developed in Menorca, Spain, the album serves as a musical meditation on hope, unity, and renewal. Critics have praised its atmospheric quality, with Jazz Weekly describing it as evoking “a serene sunset in the Sahel desert.”
Sosa, known for fusing jazz with Afro-Cuban roots, has released more than 30 recordings and received a lifetime achievement award from the Smithsonian Associates for his contributions to Latin jazz in the United States. Keita, descended from a long line of West African griots (historians, storytellers, praise singers, and musicians), was named Folk Musician of the Year by BBC Radio 2 in 2019 and is celebrated for his fluid, hypnotic kora playing. Ovalles, widely respected for his mastery of traditional Venezuelan instruments, has appeared at major international festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Tickets and event details are available at chancentre.com.
Last modified: February 21, 2026
