About
Lise Gilly, a native of Washington DC and dual citizen of France, came to Chicago via Miami, Florida, in 1994. She quickly began performing Classical music with chamber groups and local symphonies.
Seeking a different musical outlet with a flute focus, she founded Grupo Cha Cha in 1998. Since then ...
Latin | World Music/Contemporary | Jazz
Contact
The Lovely Ladies of Latin Jazz, Grupo Cha Cha in Chicago. Mujeres Unidas!
Grupo Cha Cha fills the air with tropical sounds of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil that delight the ears and gets you up to dance! Their newest CD, ‘This is the Life’, released in 2013, has been received with glowing reviews and enthusiastic live audience response. They have been called the “Sly and the Family Stone” of Latin Jazz bands because of their multi-gender and multi-cultural make up.
The group’s current project is a series of live concerts featuring only female Latin Music composers. Grupo Cha Cha’s line up also consists of predominantly female musicians: Diana Mosquera, vocals; Lise Gilly, flute/sax; Madeline Molinedo, trumpet; Adrian Ruiz, piano; Stacy McMichael, bass; Jean Leroy, drums and Janet Cramer, percussion. They are planning to record the project in Fall 2015 for their next CD release.
The group easily flows in between styles ranging from Bolero, Cha Cha Cha and Cumbia up to Salsa, Merengue and Latin Jazz. Classic Latin tunes from Consuelo Velasquez and Olga de Blanck will be represented as well as tunes from current female composers Eliane Elias, Andrea Brachfeld and Rebecca Mauleon. Originals from their very own Chicago ladies round out the bill. Mujeres Unidas indeed!
Grupo Cha Cha will present three “Lovely Ladies of Latin Jazz—Mujeres Unidas!” shows this Spring. Two shows at regional libraries: April 26th at the Oak Park Library and June 19th at the Round Lake Library. Their featured gala event is part of the Jazz Series at the famous Ravisloe Country Club on Thursday, May 18.
Legendary Latin Jazz flutist, Andrea Brachfeld, joined Grupo Cha Cha in August 2014 as they were selected to perform for the National Flute Association(NFA) Convention in Chicago—a very prestigious honor.
Andrea and Lise also traveled together on a study group to Havana, Cuba in December of 2014 where Andrea performed at the Havana Jazz Plaza Fest and they both took classes with Los Munequitos de Matanzas. They are teaming up again for this year’s NFA Convention 2015 in Washington, DC as their workshop: “Discovering your Inner Composer in Global Music” was selected to present this coming August. They are on a roll!
Notable recent shows: Chicago Hispanic Heritage Festival, Chicago Latin Jazz Festival, Chicago Botanic Gardens Summer Concert Series, Museum of Science and Industry: Latin Voyage for Chicago Youth, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago’s Cultural Mile Festival, National Flute Convention.
National Airplay: NPR stations:Charlotte, Durham, Ann Arbor, Chicago,Wichita, Belligham, WA, San Diego, Petaluma, Los Angeles CBC stations: Ottawa, ON , Vancouver, BC. Internet radio stations: Bordeax, France; Cali, Colombia.
Their music has swept through America and Canada on NPR and CBC stations respectively and crept up the popularity charts on Latin Jazz Public Radio Shows. Internet stations around North America and from Cali, Colombia, to Bordeaux, France, have played Grupo Cha Cha’s newest music.