Magos Herrera

Magos Herrera
Born	October 24 Mexico City, Mexico
Genres	Jazz, Latin pop, Latin Jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Sunnyside Records (2009–present) EMI (2005-2008) Mecca Records (2004) Suave Records (2002–2004) Opcion Sonica (2000–2002)
Associated acts	Tim Ries, Alex Kautz
Website	www.magosherrera.com

Magos Herrera is a Mexican jazz singer who sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and has an international following, especially in Latin America, the USA, Japan, and beyond. She has recorded with saxophonist Tim Ries for “The Rolling Stones Jazz Project II” and for contemporary composer Paola Prestini for Traveling songs “VIA project”. She is a singer, songwriter, musician, actress, vocal teacher, and recording artist who performs with her groups in clubs, on TV shows, in concert halls, and at music festivals around the world.

Early life

Born in Mexico City, deep and captivating performer Magos Herrera is considered one of the most beautiful voices and one of the most active vocalists on the contemporary Latin American jazz scene.

Immensely popular throughout Mexico and Latin America, a dazzlingly accomplished singer-songwriter known for her beguiling rhythmic scatting, inflected with soulful Latin-Andalusian phrasings, Grammy nominee, Magos Herrera owns a uniquely poignant vocal signature that elegantly blends her classic jazz styling with Latin-American melodies. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, her repertoire is filled with the yearning romance, intimacy and enchantment of Mexican and Cuban sones and boleros, and sultry, languid Brazilian beats.^[1]

Music career

Her career started in Italy in 1988 where she decided to become professionally involved with music, and then graduated from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California.

Back in Mexico City in 1998, Magos started performing as a solo artist in festivals around Mexico with a duet piano and voice project recording her first album Cajuina. In 2000, Magos released her second album Whispering Orchids (Opcion Sonica) in Mexico and in the USA. This album became the “CD of the week” of vanguardist radio station 90.5 FM and Horizonte Radio 107.9 FM.

In 2002, Magos Herrera started a tour in US and Mexico promoting the “Mexican Divas Project”, that culminated in the Lincoln Center concert in New York City.

In 2003, Magos toured in Mexico, Japan and Spain presenting her third album “Pais Maravilla”/ Suave records. This album became the “Top Ten” of Jazz sales in Mexico along with Nora Jones.

In 2005 Magos released her fourth album Todo puede inspirar (EMI) music touring around Mexico and Brazil, leading the “top ten” jazz sales in the country for six months. Circulo Mix Magazine wrote the following about this release: ”Todo puede inspirar reveals a new time for one of the most important artists in our country but a new era for jazz in Mexico.”

In 2006 JM Distribuidores released the acclaimed jazz CD Soliluna, featuring the two most outstanding vocalists in Mexico, Magos Herrera and Iraida Noriega.

In 2007, Magos moved to United States where she became part of the New York scene promptly with her successful debut in January 2008 at The Winter Jazz Festival. She participated in recordings such as The Rolling Stones Project II by Tim Ries and Travelling Songs "VIA project" for contemporary composer Paola Prestini.

In spring 2009 Magos released her newest CD Distancia (Sunnyside Records), produced by Tim Ries, featuring guitarist Lionel Loueke, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Ricky Rodriguez and drummer Alex Kautz. This album portraits a new perspective for Latin-American jazz singing. This CD has received rave reviews.

For over 12 years Magos has performed in international performing arts centers, festivals, concert halls such as Lincoln Center, Knitting Factory and Jazz Standard in New York, Millennium Park in Chicago, Jazz Festival in Montreal, International Jazz Festival at the Ribiera Maya, Teatro de la Ciudad de México and Sala Galileo Galilei in Madrid, among many others. She was nominated in 2006 for Lunas del Auditorio Nacional in Mexico for the Best Jazz Concert among Bobby McFerrin and Bill Frisell. She has six CD recordings including Cajuina, Orquídeas Susurrantes, Pais Maravilla, Todo Puede Inspirar, Soliluna and Distancia; plus two international compilations for Brazil and Japan, and is part of the acclaimed “Mexican Divas” cd series. Over the past four years, through her pro-active love for music, she produced and hosted two TV show that promoted music for Mexico’s TV, channel 22, and featured guest stars like Ute Lemper, Jerry González, Diego el Cigala, Francisco Céspedes, among many others.

Based in New York since 2007, Magos Herrera promptly became part of the scene since her successful concert at New York Winter Jazz Festival in 2008. Has recorded with Saxophonist Tim Ries for The Rolling Stones Jazz Project II and for contemporary composer Paola Prestini for Traveling Songs “VIA project”. The CD Distancia features Lionel Loueke on guitar, Aaron Goldberg on piano, Ricky Rodriguez on bass and Alex Kautz drums.

Teaching

Since 2000 Magos teaches vocal technique and vocal improvisation privately and at music schools such as Fermatta (Berklee associated school in Mexico City), DIM music school in Mexico City.^[2]

TV shows

Over the past 4 years, through her pro-active love for music, Magos produced and hosted two TV shows that promoted music for Mexico’s TV, channel 22: Acustico and Jazz desde el Bajo Centro and featured guest stars like Ute Lemper, Jerry González, Diego el Cigala, Francisco Céspedes, among many others.^[3]

Theater

Magos performed in the play Modelo para armar by director; Pablo Mandoki. Centro Cultural Universitario Mexico City / 2005

Discography

Studio albums

• 1997: Cajuina
• 2000: Orquideas Susurrantes
• 2002: Pais Maravilla
• 2005: Todo Puede Inspirar
• 2006: Soliluna
• 2009: Distancia
• 2010: Mexico Azul

Other albums

• 2004: Magos Herrera (Japanese Compilation album)
• 2007: Minha Historia (Brazilian Compilation album)

Main venues

• Montreal Jazz Festival / 2009
• Winter Jazz Festival / New York / 2008
• Shanghai International Arts Festival / 2008
• Millennium Park / Chicago / 2007
• Sor Juana Festival / Miller Outdoor Theatre Houston / 2007
• Jazz Standard / New York / 2008-09
• Lunario del Auditorio Nacional / Mexico City /

2004-05-06-07-08

• Teatro de la Ciudad de México / 2003/05/07/09
• Zocalo, Mexico City, FCH / 2005
• Espacio Santander / Porto Alegre, Brazil / 2007
• SESC / São Paulo, Brazil / 2005, 2007
• Museo Tamayo / 2006, 2007
• Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico / 2005/06/07
• Snugs Harbour Jazz Club / New Orleans / 2005
• Sky Building / Osaka Japan / 2004.
• Dazzles Jazz Club / Denver Colorado / 2004
• Sala Galileo Galilei / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Anson Amphitheatre / LA, Cal / 2003
• Mexican Festival in New Delhi / India / 2003
• Lincoln Center / New York City / 2002
• Mayan Amphitheatre / LA, Cal / 2002
• Queens Festival / New York / 2002
• Makor / NYC / 2002
• Ryles Jazz Club / Boston, Mass / 2001, 2002
• FNAC Callao / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Suristan / Madrid, Spain / 2003
• Berklee College of Music / 2002
• Festival Cervantino / Guanajuato, Mexico / 2001
• Centro Nacional de las Artes / Mexico / 2001-

02-04-06-09

• Festival Internacional de Jazz / Ribiera Maya
• Among many other hundreds of festivals and venues in Mexico and abroad.

References

1. ^ http://www.magosherrera.com/index.php?fuseaction=home.content&contID=1&lang=en&
2. ^ http://www.magosherrera.com/uploads/press_kit/curriculumEN.pdf
3. ^ http://www.myspace.com/magosherrera

Persondata
Name	Herrera, Magos
Alternative names
Short description	Jazz singer
Date of birth
Place of birth	Mexico City, Mexico
Date of death
Place of death