Mozart y Mambo: A Cuban Journey with Sarah Willis | Music Documentary

Join Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis in Havana for a unique musical collaboration combining classical music with Cuban rhythms!
“Mozart should have really been born in Cuba!” This sentiment is at the core of a project combining Mozart and Cuban music. Sarah Willis had the idea years ago, and in 2020, she was able to make her dream a reality.
Sarah Willis is a horn player with the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. She originally travelled to Havana in 2017 to teach a master class. Once on the island, she encountered music everywhere, from salsa, to mambo, to son cubano. There’s hardly a house or street in Cuba that isn’t filled with music. But in the middle of Havana’s old town, there’s a monument commemorating a musician you wouldn’t normally associate with Cuba: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His compositions are known for their playful ease, joie de vivre, and exceptional musicality - and indeed, there are important commonalities between Mozart and Cuban musicians.
Saxophonist Yuniet Lombida Prieto is one of those musicians. He plays chamber music, jazz and salsa on the most important international stages. Then there is the Havana Lyceum Orchestra under the direction of José Antonio Méndez Padrón. Sarah Willis describes him as having a musical soul, and that he could be a sought-after world-famous conductor. But Padrón chose to stay in Cuba. He has directed his orchestra for decades, and tries to offer talented young musicians new prospects in their home country. Indeed, many young people opt to leave Cuba. Living conditions are difficult due to shortages of goods and problems with infrastructure. Good instruments are hard to come by, and even more difficult to keep in good condition because of high humidity. Performances are rare or difficult to schedule. Those are all challenging conditions for a career as a professional musician.
Sarah Willis has visited Cuba four times to teach master classes. She was deeply impressed by the great skill of the musicians, the joy they exude while playing, and their mastery of the art of improvisation-despite or perhaps as a result of their current circumstances.
And so the project “Mozart y Mambo” was born: a one-time musical experience that combines Mozart’s horn concertos with traditional Cuban music-and includes a mambo version of “A Little Night Music.” An album was recorded in January 2020 and released a few months later. With “Mozart y Mambo,” Sarah Willis wants to increase awareness of the skill and talent of her Cuban musical colleagues. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the recording will also go where they’re desperately needed: acquiring new instruments for the Havana Lyceum Orchestra. The orchestra had planned to travel to Germany in the summer of 2020 to present the project live at large-scale German classical music festivals. But the concerts had to be rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now set to take place in 2021, when the orchestra will show the world why Mozart should have been Cuban.
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Thumbnail: production photo (c)Monika Rittershaus

[@ivanoporrino2553]

The joyfull Sarah Willis it is like a spring time sunbeam!

[@adriansuarez9337]

CUBA🇨🇺 es un país de gente culta .. que aprecian el arte, la música, el baile, la pintura, el cine, la tv la radio los libros , el circo etc 🎵🎶🖼💪🎸🎻🥁🎼🎙

[@shkafishkafnjakboz4196]

Cuba is magnificent in its authenticity and the obstacles people of Cuba are facing every day and yet keep their spirits so uplifting . They have very little in material world but so much in everything else.That's why I keep going back.

[@tiellochridge]

So inspiring to hear this woman talking about a few of her insecurities and overcoming them. What an example to some of us who sometimes think these people are just perfect and untouchable.

[@gabriellaoakley2465]

This video makes me want to Dance Visit Cuba Listen to Mozart It is joyful, positive and truly inspiring To Sarah, the musicians and all the Cubans. Thank you

[@erikgardetemps9708]

Music breaks borders. I love Sarah Willis with her Mozart Mambo project and Daniel Barenboim with his West-eastern Divan Orquestra. Music saves us from ourselves!

[@CAHUEZA]

Hermosa combinación. Un excelente trabajo musical.

[@fredpegley8748]

I love the unadulterated joy you bring to the music you play and the people around you. Musicians can take a page from the book of "Sarah" on how to smile and play at the same time.

[@annebizcoach]

I absolutely loved this. Thank you so much for sharing your Cuban journey. Mozart and Mambo: fantastic!

[@aileegallego3645]

Quel plaisir voir a tous ces musiciens si magnifiques !! Jose Antonio Mendez, tu est le lider de cette merveilleuse orchestre !!! Merci pour donner à tous ses musiciens la chance de vivre

[@DWClassicalMusic]

👍

[@victorbgarcia6685]

DW es mi televisora favorita, trato de ver todos sus documentales porque son hermosos. Un abrazo enorme para los cubanos, los alemanes y al resto del mundo desde México. La música es el lenguaje universal y no nos queda más que bailar y tratar de ser felices. ♥️

[@fortissimoX]

Beautiful... thank you all!

[@brahmsforever4313]

I watched and joined you in tears, Sarah. What a beautiful production. I love that you found a way to bridge the two souls of music.This is important work. Much like El Systema. Reach into the hearts of different cultures and bridge the gaps through music. Thank you for your dream which you brought to fruition. Brava!

[@RamonAntonioRiveraTrinid-sx7oh]

La verdad que son una gran agrupación me fascina poder escuchar su música son espectacular ,me gustaría verlo en persona un día aquí en República Dominicana,Dios los bendiga a todos 😊

[@normthebaker7305]

This was perfect and thoroughly uplifting during these difficult times. This is one CD that I'll be adding to my collection. Thanks for this, I hope you can sense the joy in sharing this.

[@aileegallego3645]

Merci Sarah willis pour le permettre à nous musiciens de montrer sont talent !

[@DWClassicalMusic]

👍

[@giuseppefrancescomanunta3060]

Fantastici. Grande Sarah.

[@lisashirtz7224]

Lovely. Lots of great music.

[@MM-111]

Wunderbares Projekt Sarah Willis ! 🙂 Gratuliere ! 💐

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Vielen Dank für Ihr positives feedback!

[@nildest]

Hermoso! Gracias! 🌹🌹😍

[@risaprameswari]

This is so beautiful and inspiring👍 I could feel the joy and passion of all the musician, and it is such an uplifting moment in times like this. Thank you for making a great music ♥️

[@jonasdesenaoliveira5066]

Assistindo hoje na tv BR e agora acompanhando no KZbin viva a música

[@DWClassicalMusic]

👍

[@iliassakalak]

Full of joy and Life!! ❤ well done!!

[@Quilicuratelevision1]

Simplemente Maravilloso

[@Dan5482]

Sarah Willis is a wonderful human being.

[@frankadvanced4137]

Me encantaría que Que Sarah bajara todos sus vídeos de encuentros en Español que es el segundo idioma del mundo. 👍👍🌞

[@CelesteMatute-Husler]

So inspiring!!!

[@GeraldLaTouche]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Gracias! Just came to this after listening to promotion on BBC Radio 3 this morning. Joyous, joyful, life! Now how do I support the arts in Cuba?

[@shkafishkafnjakboz4196]

This is fantastic

[@alvaromasmela]

Excelente!!!

[@theopaopa1]

great, great, great !!

[@giorgiopoltronieri5769]

Bellissimo!!!!!

[@harrynieves-barber8605]

I even love what others would call "your imperfections".

[@baldoglock5010]

¡Cuidao - y mucho! Tal impresión de "pueblo alegre y bailando". ayudará a que seguirá el régimen político tremendo por más tiempo. No os hagáis ilusiones: los cubanos están sufriendo un montón. Ojalá esto cambie pronto.

[@MarioSanchez-ng8ug]

Sarah Willis...felicitaciones! Pero queda con deuda con los demás países Latinoaméricanos ... C/u tenemos ritmo..contoneo..y solo nos falta tu toque clásico. Saludos desde la avenida de los 100 volcanes: Ecuador.

[@Hermes1548]

‘Mozart should have been a Cuban; the joy of his music, his dancing rhythms’ (min. 0:30). Exactly. I told a colleague who did not like Mozart (mutatis mutandis): ‘But of course. You always listen to the music seated when socializing, never dance to it.’ He is the kind of audience that moves his leg while seated but is incapable of moving the whole body on the floor.

[@nouraddinezouaoui6803]

hi sarah w also cuba from algeria

[@cek6359]

Хорошее исполнение получилось

[@edwardbrown1072]

BRAVISSIMA, PARA SARAH Y TODOS LOS CUBANOS TAN TALENTOSOS, TRABAJADORES Y SIMPÁTICOS!.........(SARAH PARECE LATINA, YA)....."EL "GRINGO"....EDWARD BROWN.

[@IhsanTehmen]

🙏🙏🙏🍀🍀🍀🧿🧿🧿

[@okonh0wp]

how do you get the cd?

[@scorpion19142001]

I would wonder Mozart what thinks of his rendition of how this tune played out?

[@harrynieves-barber8605]

I would really like to meet you.

[@iamthefreestateproject]

As uplifting as this brief videographic travelogue is, it's just as depressing to see how the people of Cuba were swindled by evil collectivism and can't pull themselves from under the stomping boot of dictatorial authoritarianism...

[@ConcertGrande]

I'm sorry to say that this German musician is showing off with the Cubans! Why be so demonstrative instead of keeping it simple? The CD that is on sale concerning her performances and concerts with classical Cuban musicians I won't be buying after all. Mozart and Mambo are totally different and this association is purely commercial !

[@MM-111]

You didn't understand anything about this project. You do not have to buy this CD. Sarah Willis travels to very far Cuba from her little free time. She does it for her passion for music. She helps the musicians there with advice, she play with them. She brings them instruments from Germany because they do not have the opportunity to by good instruments. Were you happier if she stayed home? Make sure she definitely had other things to do. Just read a little in the video description.

[@jkarrdnd]

Most hardcore Mozart and classical can't relate to remix or whatever. I didn't like her comment of the original Caribbean instruments as "ugly" yet these people are genius as they created these handmade and authentic. Impressive

[@arturocastillo9187]

Los comentarios que ustedes DW provocan, son francamente mal intencionados y despreciables. LA VIEJA EUROPA SE DESMORONA EN TODOS LOS FRENTES.

[@nelsongarzon7939]

Bueno. Voy a dar mi opinión sobre este documental. Es el documental más malo que he visto en mi vida. Sin faltar al respeto! Pero de verdad esto no sirve.

[@natesmith7947]

a little offended by 'awful instruments', this lady needs to see/heard STOMP the musical.

[@melissasueferrin3409]

I'm torn, I love the project, the music produced, but she has some really "colonist" moment in this making of clip.