Cross-Cultural Harmony: Corina Bartra on Honoring Carlos Santana Through Afro-Peruvian Jazz

When New York-based Afro-Peruvian artist Corina Bartra decided to honor Carlos Santana with a tribute album, she wasn't simply covering classic rock hits—she was engaging in a deeper musical conversation about cultural fusion, artistic interpretation, and the shared roots that connect Latin American musical traditions. Her latest release, "Tribute to Santana," features six dynamic interpretations of iconic Santana pieces, showcasing Bartra's unique ability to blend Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian music with modern jazz sensibilities.

As the founder and director of the Afro Peruvian New Trends Orchestra and owner of Blues Spiral Records, Bartra brings decades of experience and a Master's degree in Vocal Performance from Queens College to this ambitious project. Having performed at prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage and the United Nations, and earned recognition through Grammy acoustic showcase appearances and Independent Music Award nominations, Bartra has established herself as a leading voice in global Latin jazz.

Working with arrangements by Norico Mendez and personally arranging "Black Magic Woman" herself, Bartra collaborated with an impressive ensemble of musicians including pianist Jerry Korman, bassist Dave Lowenthal, saxophonist Dave Morgan, drummer Adam Weber, guitarist Richard Robinson, and percussionist Perico Diaz. The result is what she describes as a reflection of admiration, interpretation, and shared musical roots with the legendary guitarist.

We spoke with Corina Bartra about her tribute to the living legend, her approach to cross-cultural musical interpretation, and what it means to honor an artist whose work has always been a meeting point of cultures.

Interview Questions

1. You've described Carlos Santana's music as "a meeting point of cultures" that resonates with your own journey as a bicultural artist. Can you elaborate on how your Afro-Peruvian heritage and New York experience influence your interpretations of these Santana classics?

Corina Bartra. There are in my interpretation of Santana Classics, not only jazz and pop elements but also Afro-Peruvian grooves.

2. The album features arrangements by Norico Mendez, but you personally arranged "Black Magic Woman." What was your creative process for that particular piece, and how did you decide which elements to preserve from the original while making it distinctly your own?

Corina Bartra. I preserved from the original elements to the Santana Classics stylistic elements in Santana covers and original music while I incorporated not only afro Peruvian grooves, but also my unique inspiration, also, added a couple of new Coros and harmonies, lyrics and solos.

3. You've released several critically acclaimed albums including "Afro Peruvian Jazz Celebration," "Son Zumbon," and "Cielo Sandunguero." How does "Tribute to Santana" fit into your broader artistic journey, and what did this project teach you about your own musical identity?

Corina Bartra. This is the second tribute CD I have recorded. I also recorded , Tribute to Chabuca Granda, a popular music songwriter from Peru. This particular project not only allows me to share my love for this iconic band of the 60s but has also expanded my artistic and musical palette by incorporating new styles into my adventurous musical journey. In this tribute I incorporate elements of pop and rock music while being loyal to my fusion of jazz, Afro-Peruvian music, and new Latin trends.

4. Working with such accomplished musicians like Jerry Korman, Dave Lowenthal, and your ensemble, how did you approach the collaborative process of reimagining these well-known pieces? Were there any particular challenges or surprising discoveries during the recording process?

Corina Bartra. This recording was challenging in many ways. Foremost, it was a new palette of sounds and styles to newly incorporate into my music while at the same time preserving a lot of the essential elements of Santana's interpretation of the compositions of Carlos Santana and other songwriters. I love working with musicians such as cajón player Perico Dias, piano player Jerome Korman, and other great musicians such as Dave Morgan, who also plays at my Afro-Peruvian New Trends Orchestra project and also recorded my vocal CD, Amber light. I had recorded two of my CDs, Bambu Sun with his brother Cliff Korman, who now lives in Berlin. Not only that, but I contacted Cliff to find out if he would be in town for this recording, but he told me he was traveling to Australia, but his brother Jerry was in New York.

5. As someone who has performed internationally at venues like the Kennedy Center and the United Nations, and who founded the Afro Peruvian New Trends Orchestra, what do you see as the role of tribute albums in preserving and evolving musical traditions? How do you balance honoring the original artist while asserting your own creative voice?

Corina Bartra. I always express my own creative voice when I interpret other artists. I also include my personal approach when I interpret Brazilian music by Brazilian composers such as Ivan Lins, Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, and others. Furthermore, I have also composed Brazilian songs such as " Bahia, Come on and Dance, Far and Near" and "Aruhe," which ends in a festive samba. In composing or interpreting my personal touch comes out in the music. Part of a genuine musical journey is discovering and expressing one's own distinctive voice. This is how we uniquely enhance whatever music we are dealing with, and this way we inspire the audience.

Conclusion

Corina Bartra's "Tribute to Santana" represents more than just an homage—it's a testament to music's power to transcend borders and connect cultures across generations. Through her lens as an Afro-Peruvian artist navigating between Peru and New York, Bartra has created something that honors Santana's legacy while asserting her own distinctive voice in the global Latin jazz landscape. As she continues to shape the soundscape of Afro-Latin music on the world stage, projects like this remind us that the most meaningful tributes don't simply recreate—they reimagine, reinterpret, and ultimately extend the conversation that great music begins.

For more information, visit: www.corinabartra.com