Magela Herrera

Magela Herrera grew up between two worlds: one her family’s deep ties to a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by Afro-Cuban music; the other the years she spent learning and studying classical music at the Conservatory of Music in her native Havana. Praised often for her unique background that also includes Latin jazz and Nordic jazz, Herrera developed her instincts and musical chops from 2004 through 2011 as a member of Mezcla, a Cuban fusion band.

Towards the end of her tenure, in 2010, she was nominated for Best Solo Flute by the New York-based magazine Jazz Corner for the tune “Quien tiene el ritmo” (who’s got the rhythm) on Mezcla’s album I’ll See You in Cuba. The recording was also nominated for Best Album.

Her road from Mezcla to solo performer and bandleader included living in Norway for a number of years, learning jazz improvisation and freer forms of expression while gigging there, and earning Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Jazz/Improvised Music from the Norwegian Academy of Music — a major shift from her classical beginnings in Havana and her first Bachelor’s degree in classical music from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA).