By Brooks Geiken

Part of what makes pianist Omar Sosa such a fascinating (and successful) musician is how his complex music constantly dances back and forth, between charming the mind and charging up the body.

There is no single way to properly describe the music of Omar Sosa. He amalgamates a wide range of divergent global influences — African, flamenco, classical, electronic, rap and jazz, Afro-Cuban/Caribbean — into a distinctive form of personal musical expression. The best, most accurate, description of what he does would probably be Duke Ellington’s words about the music he lived — it is “beyond category.”

Born 59 years ago in Camagüey, Cuba, pianist Sosa has been performing to audiences all over the world for more than 30 years, generating international fame. For Record Store Day this past April 20, Otá Records put out a special limited edition album with the soundtrack for the new film Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums. The record contains three tracks from Sosa’s Grammy-nominated albums Sentir (2002), Eggün (2013), and Across the Divide (2009). Soren Sorenson’s documentary covers Sosa’s life from his days scuffling for an existence in Cuba to his fast-paced, jet-setting present.

Writing adequately about Sosa’s sound is an enormous challenge. His music is constantly changing, ever evolving. The soundtrack of the documentary serves as but a snapshot of the breadth of Sosa’s work. The tracks range from the achingly beautiful solo piano on“Sunrise” to the NDR big band super swing supplied by “Cha Cha du Nord.” Sosa cannot be pinned down. With the ballad “Para Ella,” the album provides moments of sublimely pastoral elegance. Then Sosa changes the mood up and throws down with the eight-piece band bursting with energy on “So All Freddie.” The Freddie referred to here is the same one that inspired the title of Miles Davis’s 1959 composition “Freddie Freeloader.” Sosa was commissioned to write a companion piece to the classic Miles record Kind of Blue. Careful listeners will be delighted to hear echoes of the original track.

The soundtrack also contains a haunting piece that dives into the history of Black people who came to the United States, as explorers, before the advent of slavery. The tune, “Promised Land,” was recorded live at the Blue Note in New York, with spoken word parts including a section of a Langston Hughes poem, “The Struggle.”

Pianist Omar Sosa. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Of course, the lineup includes some excellent Cuban-influenced selections as well, in particular, “ToriDanzón” and “Angustia with Tumbao.” Sosa puts his own spin on the Danzón song with light percussion and some superb vocals by Martha Galarraga. Sosa first recorded “Angustia with Tumbao” on the album Omar Omar, his 1997 debut disc for Otá Records. The rendition of the tune on the soundtrack contains a heartfelt tribute to Cuba in every note.

The multiaward-winning documentary Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums presents a wide-ranging portrait of the musical master, reaching back into his past along with letting him present some of his views on what contemporary life is like for performers. Interviews with fellow musicians reveal him to be a  sweet, good-natured man who happens to play piano, as Dizzy Gillespie titled one of his compositions, “Con Alma” (with soul). Amazingly, while Sosa tours frenetically all over the world, he remains securely grounded in his music.

Sosa’s current path as a musician can be traced back to the turmoil of his days as a soldier in Angola. After he experienced death up close, the traumatized Sosa decided to dedicate his life to music. That meant playing piano full-time, but, back in Cuba, existence was challenging, to say the least. He was unhoused for a time. In the ’90s, Sosa left Cuba and wound up writing jingles for commercials in Ecuador. That provided some security, but his career really took off after he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Finally Sosa could make a good living, which allowed him to develop his personal vision of music.

To add visual variety to the documentary Sorensen has Sosa doing the voice-over during an animated section that chronicles his past. I am old school enough to feel that we should be able to use our imagination to understand what went on in Sosa’s life. Words are enough: turn on the camera and let the man tell us his story, simple and direct.

As for the film’s concert footage, it is varied and interesting. The concert in Sardinia, arranged by Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, was a highlight. Those who attended the concert had to walk two hours to see Omar play under a tree. Toward the end of the show, sitting in that tree, Fresu picked up his horn and accompanied Sosa; that duet inspired a future musical collaboration.

In several interviews, Cuban piano master Chucho Valdés pays homage to the power of Sosa’s music. At one point, he notes that there is an enormous difference between a run-of-the-mill musician and a genuine artist, such as Sosa, who has now reached a pinnacle of creativity.

We hear from Sosa throughout the film. One of these exchanges is intriguingly different. Sosa underlines how vital silence is to music. When I spoke to the pianist, he elaborated on that idea. He told me that “all of the masters of music have said that silence is important. Silence is peace, light, and reflection.” Listeners appreciate the note that came before the silence.

Sosa wisely draws on great musicians all over the world. Two of them, Seckou Keita from Senegal and Gustavo Ovalles form Venezuela, supply enormous depth to Sosa’s compositions and performances. Keita is a virtuoso kora player (an African stringed instrument with a distinctive lightly plucked sound) as well as an excellent singer. Ovalles is a percussionist with a phenomenal touch on maracas. Sorensen captures both of these musicians during concerts, and we also hear them reflect on playing music with Sosa.

At the beginning of the film Sosa lights a candle, a ritual designed to have musicians receive creative energy. This scene also reinforces the notion that the pianist’s music gives off unmistakable spiritual resonances. Supporting that idea, Sorensen ends each section of the film with a story about Elegguá, one of several important figures in the Yoruba tradition called Santería. It seems clear that Santería holds a special place in Sosa’s heart.

Eventually, Sorensen suggests that a rich tension is at the heart of Sosa’s music. Each note is infused with an inner peace, a reassuring calmness. Yet, suddenly, Sosa will introduce a jolt of energy, visceral jabs that will make the audience want to dance. So part of what makes him such a fascinating (and successful) musician is how his complex music constantly dances back and forth, between charming the mind and charging up the body.

Sosa will be appearing on June 17 at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival with his Quarteto Americanos, which features Sheldon Brown on saxophone, Josh Jones on drums, and Ernesto Mazar Kindelán on baby bass.

Brooks Geiken is a retired Spanish teacher with a lifelong interest in music, specifically Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Black American music. His wife thinks he should write a book titled “The White Dude’s Guide to Afro-Cuban and Jazz Music.” Brooks lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.