Oskar Cartaya, during the course of a full career playing bass, composing, arranging and acting as musical director for an amazing array of Artists, has soaked up the influences of his homes in Puerto Rico, New York and Los Angeles. Now with his debut solo release on OYE Records My Music, My Friends, My Time Oskar brings it all home.
A long prolific career working with the likes of Spyro Gyra, Herb Albert, Jennifer Lopez, Celia Cruz, Rubn Blades, Tito Puente, Robbie Robertson, Willie Colon, Nestor Torres and more has given Oskar a long list of friends who collaborate with him on the new album.
Some of Oskars credits include the production of Passion Dance by Herb Alpert (Almo Records) and Plenarriquea for Jennifer Lopez, a live concert on DVD (Sony Music). Touring with a plethora of Artists including Steve Winwood, Spyro Gyra, the late Tito Puente, and recently double Grammy nominee Obie Bermudez. Add in to the mix a stint in the band for TVs ShowTime at The Apollo, composing and arranging for projects such as Jodie Fosters movie Contact, Producing the soundtrack for the movie Wedding Bell Blues and playing on Grammy Winning albums for Arturo Sandoval, Willie Colon and Spyro Gyra.
When playing his own music live he is surrounded by the Enclave which Oskar describes as a musical play on words, the voice of a culture from within the boundaries of America, and a musical expression played en clav. Our sound is a gumbo of jazz and funk, Afro-Caribbean percussion and urban street soul attitude.
Other recent projects include playing on albums with Humberto Ramirez, Tito Nieves and Pete Escovedo, the fun collaboration between Puerto Rican compadrs Rumbantela, and playing live behind such varied Artists as Arturo Sandoval and Nick Lachey and on the 2003 Tito Puente Tribute Tour. Now with the release of his innovative solo album a whole new chapter in this varied career is about to begin.
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