Jazz Journalists Association - Member public profile

First name

Thomas

Last name

Pena

City

Teaneck

Country

United States of America

I am a jazz

writer
other

"Other" means. . .

Editor, Contributor, Founder: Puerto Rico Project

website/blog URL 1

jazzdelapena.com

My interests in jazz are:

MUSIC JOURNALIST, EDITOR, CONTRIBUTOR AND FOUNDER: PUERTO RICO PROJECT
CONTACT: jazzdelapena67@gmail.com, www.jazzdelapena.com
For more than two decades, Tomas Peña has dedicated his journalism to covering and documenting the crossroads between Jazz and Latin music, seeking out new trends, and spotting yet-to-be-recognized artists. His work began in 2000, as co-editor and contributing writer for the Toronto-based LATIN JAZZ NETWORK, which include CD and performance reviews, artist profiles, interviews, historical pieces, and commentary. Over the years, he conducted over 100 interviews with the most prominent and emerging artists in the world of Jazz, Latin jazz, Salsa, and World Music. Tomas has served as panelist and moderator on topics related to Puerto Rican contributions to jazz, and as contributing writer for All About Jazz, Jazz.com, the Latin Jazz Corner, Chamber Music America magazine and Hot House magazine; and was the host of the radio show, Under the Radar WFDU (89.1 FM) as part of Vicki Sola’s long-running QUE VIVA LA MUSICA.
In 2014, he established JAZZDELAPENA.COM, an online publication that offers up-to-the-minute coverage of the New York music scene, breaking music news, and much more. As Editor-in-Chief, he built it into a hub for what’s happening in New York. Three years later, in 2017, he created THE PUERTO RICO PROJECT, in response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria on the Puerto Rico music scene and its artists. His conversations and interviews with musicians broadened the Project’s vision to include artist profiles, reviews, and in-depth analysis of Puerto Rico’s music, art, and culture. His BORICUA PIONEERS segment explores Puerto Rican icons across three centuries who made – and continue to make—a local and international impact on the Latin and Jazz world.
The PUERTO RICO PROJECT has become his mission and response to the wise words of musician, author, and historian Ned Sublette, who wrote: “Any history of jazz that doesn’t mention Puerto Ricans is leaving something out.”

More about what I do:

See above

I support the JJA because

I support the arts.

Thomas Pena

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