Arturo O’Farrill’s Tremendous 2025 Includes Two GRAMMY Nominations For New Albums That Celebrate the Birth Of Latin Jazz and Pay Tribute to Late Mentor Carla Bley
Nonprofit Organization Belongó Founded by O’Farrill Hosted Inaugural Gala, Advancing Vision for New Cultural Era in East Harlem, New York City, and Beyond
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December 11, 2025一Pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill has had a tremendous year. The 6-time GRAMMY winner and 2-time Latin GRAMMY winner earned two fresh nominations for recent album releases; Belongó, the nonprofit he founded in 2007 and was formerly known as Afro Latin Jazz Alliance hosted its inaugural gala; and his robust itinerary of key performances, appearances, and collaborations across artistic mediums continue to highlight his role as one of today’s most vital cultural leaders.
The 2026 GRAMMY nominations recognize The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano and Chico (Live at Town Hall) and Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley for Best Latin Jazz Album, two projects that reflect O’Farrill’s commitment to honoring Afro Latin musical traditions while pushing the art form into bold new territory.
The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico (Live at Town Hall)
A fiery, large-ensemble celebration of the radical collaboration that birthed Latin jazz, this live album reimagines the work of Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, and Chico O’Farrill—Arturo’s father and a towering figure in Afro Cuban music. Recorded at Town Hall in New York and executive produced by Belongó, it features an all-star lineup including Pedrito Martínez, Daymé Arocena, Donald Harrison, and O’Farrill’s sons, Adam and Zack.
Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley
A deeply personal tribute to the late avant-garde composer Carla Bley, Mundoaguareflects O’Farrill’s lifelong commitment to risk, experimentation, and artistic fearlessness. The album merges orchestral textures, improvisation, and Afro-Latin rhythmic language to honor one of his earliest and most formative influences—Bley, in whose band Arturo first got his start—and stands as her final commissioned work. The Wall Street Journal deemed it O’Farrill’s “masterwork.”
This nonprofit institution is dedicated to performing, educating about, and preserving the music of all of the Americas, emanating from African and indigenous roots, through the entry point of jazz. Its important work includes performance, educational, archiving, and community programs. Belongó has provided free music instruction to nearly 30,000 NYC public school students, presented more than 870 performances to audiences of over one million, and built an archive of more than 750 Afro Latin musical scores among many other initiatives. The organization was recently highlighted in New York Magazine’s roundup of charities to support for Giving Tuesday.
Belongó Bugalú, Belongo’s inaugural gala, took place in November at New York’s City Winery. The event was a smashing success and significant milestone for the nonprofit, raising funds and bringing together leaders in arts, civic life, and philanthropy. Hosted by journalist Errol Louis (NY1, CNN), it featured performances by Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra; La Manga; and Belongó’s youth ensemble The Fat Cats, led by Zack O’Farrill. Honorees included David Perez, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Avance Investment Management; David Amram, the celebrated American composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist; and Michelle Cruz, Director of Economic Development at Union Settlement. NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo received a special recognition for her support of Belongó’s capital campaign. Notable attendees included legendary East Harlem musician Joe Bataan, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, HPD Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, and others.
One of the organization’s most transformative projects is Casa Belongó, a new cultural hub set to break ground in 2026 within Timbale Terrace, a 340-unit affordable housing development in East Harlem. Serving as Belongó’s future home, Casa Belongó will offer:
- State-of-the-art performance and rehearsal space
- Free and low-cost music instruction
- Cultural programming and community events
- A home for Belongó’s educational and archival work
In addition to his GRAMMY-nominated work and his leadership with Belongó, O’Farrill is also the co-creator and composer of Shadow Cities, a new production by Ephrat Asherie Dance that premiered at the Annenberg Center and was performed at The Joyce Theater earlier this month. The Arturo O'Farrill Quartet will also perform at NYC’s Drom on December 22 for Keep the Beat Alive, a fundraising concert to support the beloved local venue.
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