Two giants of contemporary world jazz, Ray Lema and Laurent De Wilde will participate in Cuba in the upcoming 37th Jazz Plaza 2022 International Festival, which will take place from 18 to 23 January.

Ray Lema is described as innovative and creative, an exceptional multi-instrumentalist and a great pianist, who has drawn from different cultures, from European classics to the richness of African music, from The Beatles to experiences with Bulgarian composer and conductor Kiril Stefanov, in one of the most beautiful albums of the last century. At the age of 75, Ray Lema is a milestone in World Music and continues to show a brilliant artistic career.

Laurent De Wilde is currently a reference in French culture, alternating his excellent performance in music with literature and journalism, such as collaborations with the magazine Dow Beat, the co-production of two documentaries about Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, and the production of a radio program on TSF Jazz.

With a considerable amount of experience on international stages and in recording studios, these jazzmen will present a program not to be missed:

Laurent de Wilde's lecture on the musician Thelonious Monk is scheduled for Friday 14 January at 2:00 p.m. at the University of the Arts of Cuba.

De Wilde is the author of a volume devoted to one of the great myths of jazz. Monk penetrates and dissects the themes and peculiarities of the founder of bebop, and is considered by critics to be essential reading and a valuable legacy for delving into the life and work of this immense figure in the history of music.

In the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, on Sunday, January 16, at 11:00 a.m., Ray Lema will perform, together with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestros Joao Mauricio Galindo from Brazil and the principal conductor of the main symphonic group Enrique Pérez Mesa.

The Museum of Africa in the Historic Center of Havana will host Lema's lecture on the theme of The Music of Central Africa with recorded musical demonstrations at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 17.

Meanwhile, Laurent De Wilde will share the stage of the Tito Junco Hall of the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center on Tuesday 18, at 6:00 p.m., with percussionist and composer Emilio Vega and his group Paso al Frente, and the Mezcla group, directed by Pablo Menéndez.

The last performances will be on Wednesday 19, in the Sala Avellaneda of the Teatro Nacional, with the concert of these exceptional pianists, who will give us pieces from their most recent album Wheels, their second collaboration, presented last July under the French record label Gazebo.

According to experts, the recording is "an exciting trip around the world that impressively combines jazz with blues, tango, ragtime, reggae, and waltz."