Cuban Jazz Artists Omar Sosa and Yilian Cañizares Bring 'Aguas' to Kuumbwa Jazz

The duo's spiritually grounded jazz project combines Cuban, African, and global influences.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Cuban-born jazz artists Omar Sosa and Yilian Cañizares will perform their acclaimed 'Aguas' project at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz on March 2. The duo's album, released in 2018 on Otá Records, blends jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and classical and global influences, grounded in the Lucumí spiritual tradition. Sosa, a seven-time Grammy nominee, is the Resident Artistic Director for the 2026 San Francisco Jazz Festival, while Cañizares, born in Havana, is making her first appearance in Santa Cruz.

Why it matters

The performance by Sosa and Cañizares highlights the vibrant and diverse jazz scene in the Bay Area, with the duo's unique fusion of Cuban, African, and global sounds resonating with the region's multicultural audience. Their 'Aguas' project also reflects a spiritual and humanistic approach to music-making, emphasizing themes of peace, love, and unity.

The details

Sosa and Cañizares' 'Aguas' project combines jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and classical and global influences, grounded in the Lucumí spiritual tradition. The duo will be joined by Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles for the Kuumbwa Jazz performance. Sosa, a resident of Mallorca, Spain, is a seven-time Grammy nominee, while Cañizares, who now lives in Switzerland, was born in Havana and has followed in Sosa's footsteps of bringing Cuban music to the world.

  • Sosa and Cañizares will perform at Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Monday, March 2, 2026.
  • Sosa will also have performances at the 2026 San Francisco Jazz Festival from March 5 - 8.

The players

Omar Sosa

A Cuban-born pianist and percussionist, Sosa is a seven-time Grammy nominee and the Resident Artistic Director for the 2026 San Francisco Jazz Festival.

Yilian Cañizares

A Cuban-born violinist and singer, Cañizares now lives in Switzerland and is making her first appearance in Santa Cruz with the 'Aguas' project.

Gustavo Ovalles

A Venezuelan percussionist who will join Sosa and Cañizares for the Kuumbwa Jazz performance.

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What they’re saying

“It's a beautiful opportunity to bring back a project that had a really good acceptance in the world. Yilian is going to play in Santa Cruz for the first time. For me, Santa Cruz is like my second home!”

— Omar Sosa (Goodtimes.sc)

“Yes, it will be my first time there! After many years, Omar and I performed the music of Aguas in France last summer and for me it was like this; when you do a piece of art that is timeless, you can play it whatever year you like! We can play Aguas in 2050 and it will still have the spirit and soul!”

— Yilian Cañizares (Goodtimes.sc)

“We need to see that these things happening in America happened before. We may complain about what's happening now, but like James Baldwin said, 'We are the result of what we've done. We carry our history with us. We are our history.'”

— Omar Sosa (Goodtimes.sc)

“I just came from Cuba last week, playing in a festival in Havana. The situation is so sad because I can see people there feeling hopeless for the first time. I can see some kind of anxiety, too. I've never seen Havana in the way I saw it in the last few weeks.”

— Yilian Cañizares (Goodtimes.sc)

What’s next

Sosa will have performances at the 2026 San Francisco Jazz Festival from March 5 - 8.

The takeaway

Sosa and Cañizares' 'Aguas' project exemplifies the power of music to transcend borders and cultures, blending Cuban, African, and global influences to create a spiritually grounded and humanistic jazz experience. Their performance at Kuumbwa Jazz Center underscores the Bay Area's vibrant and diverse jazz scene.