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    • Complete 2025-2026 season
    • Serie Estivale De Concerts Au CCFM
    • St. James Infirmary Blues
    • 2025-26 Ticket options
  • Education
    • WJEC Summer Jazz Camp
    • Pre-concert performances
    • Canadian Jazz Composers Workshop
    • WJO Honour Jazz
    • Big Band Workshops
    • Play-along charts
    • Jazz Skills Videos
    • Community Jazz Bands
  • Recordings
    • WJO CDS >
      • CD Details - Connections -East Meets West
      • CD Details - Tidal Currents -East Meets West
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      • CD Details - Twisting Ways
      • CD Details - Suite 150
      • CD Details - Suite Messiah
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WJO ​Safe at Home Concerts
Latin Connection 
- stream release date March 29, 8:00-8:30 pm

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​Free Streamed Big Band Concerts

Note: Preservation Hall is opening its kitchen to provide a meal to accompany the premiere broadcast of this concert. Order at preservation-hall-eatery-wine-bar.com for pickup between 5:30 and 7:30 on March 29.
The Concert link for Latin connection will be aVAILABLE HERE from March 29 to April 12
Latin Connection 
- stream release date March 29, 8:00-8:30 pm

Featuring Rodrigo Munos, Amber Epp, Marco Castillo

Manitoba is home to people from all over the world! With this program the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra celebrates our Chilean and Brazilian connection through guests Rodrigo Muñoz, Marco Castillo, and vocalist Amber Epp. Songs include Marco’s Brazilian Season, Rodrigo’s Cumbia Retro, and Rodrigo/Amber’s Oye Dime Que Paso. This program will be sure to warm you up for spring!
Thanks to Safe at Home Manitoba and the Assiniboine Credit Union for making this program possible. The 30-minute concert can be accessed through: winnipegjazzorchestra.com from March29 (8:00pm) until April 12.

Program: 
Cumbia Retro (5:00)                          Rodrigo Muñoz       
Hoy Brindo Por Ti (4:00)                    Rodrigo Muñoz
Oye Dime Que Paso (4 :00)               Rodrigo Muñoz & Amber Epp

Brazilian Season (5:00)                    Marco Castillo; arr. Richard Gillis
What Do You Want to Do? (4:00)    Don Amero; arr. Rodrigo Muñoz
Vera Cruz                                               Nascimento & Borges; arr. Marco Castillo
A Felicidade                                          Jobim; arr. Neil Watson
Divino Maravhiloso                            Veloso & Gil; arr. Neil Watson


Director – Richard Gillis
Saxes – Neil Watson, Lauren Teterenko, Paul Balcain, Tristan Martinuson, Ken Gold
Trombones – Joel Green, Jeff Presslaff, Stormy Allen, Isabelle Lavoie
Trumpets – Shane Hicks, Richard Gillis, Matt Walden, Andrew Littleford
Piano – Will Bonness; Bass – Gilles Fournier; Drums – Rob Siwik; Guitar – Marco Castillo
Percussion - Rodrigo Muñoz, Amber Epp
Vocals - Amber Epp, Marco Castillo, Rodrigo Muñoz
Writers/Arrangers –  Marco Castillo, Rodrigo Muñoz, Amber Epp, Neil Watson, Richard Gillis
Sound engineer – Larry Roy; assisted by Joel Green & Mark Chaplin
Recorded at the Park Theatre

Latin Jazz vocalist Amber Epp brings her signature style as a guest with the WJO. A connoisseur of musical genres, Epp leaves listeners with a heart pumping out the rhythms of the world. Known for her award-winning work with Trio Bembe as well as Papa Mambo, she's also garnered acclaim for her solo work, including her "Canadiana" project that features new arrangements of songs from the Great Canadian Songbook. Enjoy the uplifting vocals of Amber Epp!
 
Composer, arranger, guitarist, percussionist, bassist Rodrigo Muñoz has been active in Winnipegʼs musical scene for over 35 years. He is the leader of the popular Latin Jazz ensemble Papa Mambo, and as a percussionist he has performed with Latin legends Tito Puente and Jose Luis "Changuito" Quintana and Canadian jazz stars Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran.
Rodrigo studied Classical Guitar under Harold Micay at the University of Manitoba, and Afro Latin Percussion in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has taught and given master classes at the Manitoba Music Conservatory, University of Manitoba Jazz Department, and presented clinics at the Canadian Mennonite University, Brandon University, Norway House, Long & McQuade Music, and numerous high schools in the province. Rodrigo has been a member of The Manitoba Chamber Orchestraʼs outreach sextet for the past 12 years, and has served on music-related juries for The Manitoba Arts Council, The Canada Arts Council and The Canadian Juno Awards. Rodrigo has toured across Canada with different musical groups including his own band Papa Mambo, he won the WCMA with Trio Bembé and has recorded numerous CDs including 3 that he has produced with his label "Uncontrollable Records"

Multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer and arranger Marco Castillo specialized in Brazilian guitar and Latin music. Marco was born in the city of Samba, graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Estácio de Sá University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1994. As an educator he has presented Brazilian music workshop at the University of Manitoba for the faculty of music, Long and Mquade as well as teach private lessons and coaching for Spanish and Portuguese.  Castillo has 35+ years of experience in the music industry; toured and performed in many festivals in North America and around the globe, recorded and produced many musical projects, collaborated with great names locally and abroad such as the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (recently with special guest from Brazil , Kiko Freitas), Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra do Maestro Guio de Moraes, Ron Paley Big band, Trio Irakitan, Rosa Marya, Claudya (Evita), Luiz Carlos Batera (Banda Black Rio), Marcio Montarroyos (Ney Mato Groso, Elis Regina, Jobim), George Coligan (American Jazz Pianist), Rubão Sabino (Gilberto Gil) and Kiko Freitas (João Tosco  among others. In 2015 Marco was a finalist with his original “Forró no Canadá” for the Viña del Mar music festival in Chile, one of the most important music festivals in Latin America, which is broadcasted and seen by over millions fans around the world.   http://www.marcocastillo.ca/ 

The recordings will be available for two weeks. 
Taped at the PARK THEATRE. 

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The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is Generously Funded by:

Funding assistance provided by the Manitoba government. Aide financière accordée par le gouvernement du Manitoba.
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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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Education Sponsors:

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The Play-Along App project is supported by the Government of Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative.
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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada. 

Concert Sponsors:
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Hotel Sponsor: 

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Radio Sponsors
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Special Event Supporters
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Supporters
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The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra welcomes and shares its performance and creation of music - a universal language to all people irrespective of culture, race, sexuality, ability, language and gender.
Music is an agent of hope. A dynamic and valuable device that helps us to heal and to bring us together. The First Peoples of Canada understood this and used music to reunite, resolve and reconcile.  In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that WJO activities take place on Treaty Territory – land that was maintained and earnestly cared for by Indigenous peoples before European settlement.  Manitoba is the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and is the homeland of the Métis Nation.  We acknowledge that Winnipeg benefits daily from Treaty 3 water that comes from Shoal Lake 40.  It is with sincere sentiment that we recognize the mistakes of our recent and distant past.  In working towards a Canada that benefits us all, we commit to seeking a greater understanding of Canada’s diverse cultural relationships through continued work with Indigenous communities; we commit to live in ways that honour and respect the treaties that were made on these territories; and we commit to stewarding the land in harmony for all who will come after us.
- Please refrain from wearing any fragrances or scented products as other patrons are allergic to them.
- Your likeness may be captured at this event. Attending this event implies your permission for your image to be used in marketing or promotional purposes.
- Please do not attend if you do not feel well. Call the box office at 204-632-5299 to arrange to go to another concert.

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra  / Box 68114, RPO Osborne Village, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 2V9
Main: 204-421-9398 / [email protected]     Box Office: 204-632-5299 / [email protected]