Yilian Cañizares
radiant world musician
With her charismatic lightness of being, violinist, composer, and singer Yilian Cañizares blends Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, and classical music to create a global sound that transmits a message of love, freedom, and unity. Born in Havana in 1983, she was awarded a violin scholarship in Caracas at the age of 14 and went on to pursue her classical training at the conservatory in Freiburg. After discovering jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli and finding her own voice, Yilian Cañizares developed her distinctive musical identity. In 2008, she joined forces with Cuban pianist Abel Marcel, Venezuelan contrabass David Brito, and Swiss percussionist Cyril Régamey to found Ochumare, an ensemble carried by Creole groove, violin improvisations, and her enchanting vocals in French, Spanish and Yoruba. The quartet won the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition that same year. The world musician, who has made Lausanne her home, has shared the stage with numerous orchestras, ensembles, and luminaries of world music, including Ibrahim Maalouf, Chucho Valdés, or Omar Sosa. "Aguas" (2018), the album recorded with jazz pianist Omar Sosa, combines the perspectives of two generations of Cuban musicians. In 2019, she released "Erzulie", an album named after the Haitian goddess of love and freedom.
