Veracruz

Veracruz,( beɾaˈkɾus ) formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Spanish pronunciation: [beɾaˈkɾus ðe iɣˈnasjo ðe la ˈʝaβe]), officially Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is Xalapa-Enríquez.

This state is located in Eastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo to the west, Puebla to the southwest, Oaxaca and Chiapas to the south, and Tabasco to the southeast. On its east, Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.

The state is noted for its mixed ethnic and indigenous populations. Its cuisine reflects the many cultural influences that have come through the state because of the importance of the port of Veracruz.

In addition to the capital city, the state's largest cities include Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, Córdoba, Minatitlán, Poza Rica, Boca Del Río and Orizaba.

Larry Coryell

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Larry Coryell (born April 2, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist.

Biography

Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands the Jailers, the Rumblers, the Royals, and the Flames. He also played with the Checkers from nearby Yakima, Washington. He then moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. He played in a number of popular Northwest bands, including the Dynamics, while living in Seattle.

Dori Caymmi

Dorival Tostes "Dori" Caymmi (born 26 August 1943) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and producer who is a two-time Grammy Award winner (Best Latin Song and Best Latin Samba Recording).

Biography

Dori is the son of Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris, both famous Brazilian musicians. He began playing piano at age eight, studying under Lúcia Branco and Nise Poggi Obino. He studied music theory at the Conservatório Lorenzo Fernandez, and in 1959 made his professional debut accompanying his sister, Nana. In 1960 he became a member of the "Grupo dos Sete", who wrote music for plays aired on Brazilian television. He co-directed and played violão in the play Opinião (1964), a transitional work between the styles of bossa nova and MPB. He directed Arena Conta Zumbi in 1966, and worked as a producer during this time as well, for Edu Lobo, Eumir Deodato, and Nara Leão (all recording for Philips Brazil). He and Nelson Motta wrote the song "Saveiros", which, performed by Nana Caymmi, won the national prize and came in second for the international prize of the IFIC (International Song Festival) held by TV Rio. They continued to partner as songwriters for several years, writing some of Brazil's biggest hits.

La Venta

La Venta is a pre-Columbian archaeological site of the Olmec civilization located in the present-day Mexican state of Tabasco. Some of the artifacts have been moved to the museum "Parque - Museo de La Venta", which is in nearby Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco.

Overview

The Olmec was one of the first civilizations to develop in the Americas. Chronologically, the history of the Olmecs can be divided into the Early Formative (1800-900 BCE), Middle Formative (900-400 BCE) and Late Formative (400 BCE-200AD). The Olmecs are known as the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica. "Mother culture" meaning, that the Olmec civilization was the first culture that spread and influenced Mesoamerica. The spread of Olmec culture eventually became the cultural features found throughout all Mesoamerican societies. Rising from the sedentary agriculturalists of the Gulf Lowlands as early as 1600 BCE in the Early Formative period, the Olmecs held sway in the Olmec heartland, an area on the southern Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, in Veracruz and Tabasco. Prior to the site of La Venta, the first Olmec site of San Lorenzo dominated the modern day state of Veracruz (1200-900 BCE).

Billy Cobham

William Emanuel "Billy" Cobham (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who permanently relocated to Switzerland during the late 1970s.

Coming to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with Mahavishnu Orchestra, and on countless CTI releases. According to AllMusic's reviewer, Cobham is "generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer". He has an influential style that combines explosive power and exacting precision. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1987.

Biography

Early life and career

Born in Panama, Cobham moved with his family to New York City during his early childhood. A drummer from his youth, Cobham attended New York's High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1962.

He played in a U.S. Army Band from 1965 to 1968. Following his discharge, Cobham joined an ensemble led by pianist Horace Silver for about a year, also playing or recording with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, organist Shirley Scott, and guitarist George Benson.