According to a recent news release, Panamanian pianist, educator and social activist Danilo Pérez has been awarded the 2010 ASICOM International Award by the (ASICOM) and the University of Oviedo (Principality of Asturias). ASICOM gives this prize each year to individuals who have made or are making significant contributions in IBEROAMERICA, helping to build and rebuild that historical region through their work and vision.
“It is encouraging and a tremendous honor to be considered for such an important award,” said Pérez, who will be honored along with four other prominent individuals at 7 p.m. Oct. 8, 2010 at the University of Oviedo in Spain.
His annual Panama Jazz Festival has brought world-renowned musicians to the country for the last seven years, not only to perform but also to work closely with local youth. That mission is carried on yearlong by the Fundación Danilo Pérez, which offers musical and cultural education to disadvantaged young people in Panama City. In the United States, Pérez serves as artistic director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston, which offers music students an opportunity to explore creativity, advance the social power of music, and connect music with the restoration of ecology and humanity.
Pérez released his Mack Avenue records debut, Providencia, on August 31. He made his first U.S. performance in support of the album on Labor Day weekend at the 2010 Detroit International Jazz Festival.
