Songwriting Master Class: Gema Corredera

This master class offers a fascinating window into the world of musicians. Ms. Corredera shares her feedback to the performances offered by piano students. Always informative, these sessions give audience a chance to share in the process and get to know the artist, and what goes on behind the scenes of every performance.

Raised on a hearty dose of Cuban Rumba, Son,"Filin" Bolero and Afro Caribbean rhythms, Gema’s sound is as much influenced by her Cuban roots as it is by Jazz, Brazilian music, Opera, and Flamenco. Her voice moves fluently across these genres creating a rich contemporary fusion of jazz and Cuban music that stands on its own, unsubordinated to any specific genre. With a stage presence that is unassuming yet captivating, Gema is an earthy, yet sophisticated singer with an amazing vocal range and versatile interpretative style that is intimate, smooth, funky, playful and seductive.  Using her voice as her ultimate instrument, she masterfully integrates song, scat and improvisation. Gema is the quintessential Cuban vocalist of the post Cuban-Filin generations.

Gema’s musicality and singing prowess began to unfold early on. At age seven, Gema made her debut singing performance at the Hubert De Blanc Theater in Havana, and at age ten she began studying classical guitar.  Her first introduction to jazz came at age 12 when her music teacher told her that there were traces of Ella Fitzgerald’s voice in her singing– a distinctive quality organic to Gema, and which later audiences have come to know and love. Indeed, Gema was scatting before she knew what scatting was.

Following her relentless passion for music and the arts, Gema graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Música de La Habana with a degree in Music, specializing in Guitar.  She went on to earn a degree in Musicology from Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana, with a core concentration in contemporary Cuban composition; folkloric Cuban music (emphasizing rumba); and the works of classical composers Bach, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky.  During this time, she also pursued studies in Bel Canto with the distinguished Cuban Professor Carmen Godoy. 

As a teenager in Cuba she met singer/songwriter and guitar virtuoso Pavel Urquiza, with whom she later formed the duo Gema y Pavel.  After leaving Cuba in 1992, Gema moved to Madrid, from where she launched a new era in her professional career. 

During that time she toured extensively throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America, performing at such prestigious festivals and venues as: Frankfurt Opera House; Arezzo Wave Festival in Italy; Nice Jazz Festival; International Skopje Jazz Festival; Le Printemps de Bourges in France; Festival de Guitarra de Córdoba; and Festival Pirineo Sur.  She has shared the stage with an extensive range of international artists and Grammy-award winners of diverse genres, including: Andy Montañez, Alejandro Sanz, Angelique Kidjo, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jarabe de Palo, Lenine, Ketama, Pablo Milanés, Tito Puente, and Willy Chirino. 
When Gema is not on stage performing she is teaching: passing a legacy of excellence to the next generation of artists.  She has given master classes, combining lectures and performances in the United States and Spain, at such institutes as: Casa de América de Madrid, Universidad Menendez Pelayo de Santander, Academia del Arte, Escuela de Nuevas Músicas de Madrid; Universidad de Cáceres, Miami Dade College, University of Georgia, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Rutgers University, New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. In 2010, Gema successfully launched El Curso de Canto, an on-line voice studio using Skype® technology, offering singing lessons, vocal coaching and improvisation to students from all over the world.

Discography with Gema y Pavel | and co-producer*
    •    Trampas del tiempo | Nubenegra (1995)*
    •    Cosa de broma | Nubenegra (1996)*
    •    Síntomas de fe | Manzana (1999)*
    •    Art bembé | El Europeo (2003)
    •    La fiesta de la ardilla | Tierra (2008)*
    •    Desnudos | Tierra (2009)*
    •    Ofrenda a Borinquen | Imolé (2010)*

Co-Producer:
    •    Homenaje a María Teresa Vera | Nubenegra (1995)
    •    Palabras – Omara Portuondo | Nubenegra (1995)
    •    Habana Oculta | Nubenegra (1995)
    •    Habana Abierta | BMG Ariola (1997)
    •    Habana Abierta 24 Horas | BMG Ariola (1999)
    •    Dentro y fuera – Luis Enrique | Respek records (2006)
    •    Sentir así – Salva Martín |Pasarela (2007)

Recording Artist: Movie Sound Tracks, TV and Videos
    •    Guantanamera (1995)
    •    Perdona bonita, pero Lucas me quería a mi (1997)
    •    Historias de un croissant (2004)
    •    Malas Temporadas (2005)
    •    Lo mejor que le puede pasar a un cruasán (2005)

Special Projects
Alfonsina, La Mujer en el Mar is a Flamenco filin concert based on the work of recognized Argentinean poet, Alfonsina Storni, Flamenco in the Sun Festival in Florida.
Recorded “El Ultimo Habitante Del Planeta”, included in CD titled “Euro Lounge” a compilation under Putumayo World Music label which includes artists from various countries including, Belgium and Spain. The song highlights delicately fused sounds of world, chill-groove and electronica.