Berklee Six-Piece Cuban Band Dayramir and Habana Entrance Performs at Detroit Jazz Festival September 2-5 September 2, 2011

Acclaimed Berklee College of Music ensemble Dayramir and Habana Entrance are headed to the Detroit Jazz Festival, recently voted one of the top three jazz festivals in North America in a Jazz Times Critics’ Poll. Led by rising Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez, the group, a six-piece band that mixes Latin jazz, Cuban rhythms, and rap, will give several performances from September 2 to 5.

Friday, September 2 at 10:30 p.m., Dayramir and Habana Entrance plays the official festival jam session at Volt Lounge in the Detroit Marriott. Saturday, September 3 at 11 a.m., they'll conduct an interactive student workshop at the Education Stage, and at 5:30 p.m., perform an hour set on the Pyramid Stage. Sunday, September 4 at 7:30 pm., Gonzalez will sit in with the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet. Monday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m., Gonzalez will join the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra to perform the music of Christian McBride with special guest Ernie Andrews.

Havana-born pianist Dayramir Gonzalez has been a member of master percussionist Oscar Valdes' Diakara jazz band, and was the winner of Cuba's prestigious JoJazz competition in 2005. He has performed at the Havana Jazz Festival, and at festivals throughout Europe with artists such as Diego el Cigala, Bebo Valdes, Chucho Valdes, Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter, Harry Connick Jr., Gary Burton, Michel Camilo, and others. Since his arrival at Berklee in 2010 on full scholarship, Gonzalez has performed with Larry Harlow, Ignacio Berroa, Eddie Palmieri, Raul Pineda, Jimmy Branly, and Chad Sexton.

Dayramir and Habana Entrance features Gonzalez (piano), Zachary J Brown (bass), Carlos Averhoff (saxophones), Marcos Torres (percussion), Roberto Giaquinto (drums), and Edmar Colon (saxophones). Visit myspace.com/dayramirhabanaentrance

The Detroit Jazz Festival is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. Recently voted one of the top three jazz festivals in North America in a Jazz Times Critics’ Poll, the Detroit Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in the world and a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 23 percent of its audience coming from out of state. Fans are encouraged to become Rhythm Section members by making donations of any size online in support of the festival’s “KEEP IT FREE” campaign. For more information visit detroitjazzfest.com.