Por Jesika Millano P.
Para Al Día Today
MELBOURNE _ Even with all the sacrifices that being a musician may entail, for Ricardo Tejada it has become a way of life that he would not change for anything. His love for the saxophone, an instrument he plays, began since he was a child, thanks to the impulse of his father.
Tejada’s father was also a musician by profession.
“He was a music teacher and he encouraged me to be part of the José Dolores Moscote high school band when I was 11 years old,” he said.
Later, Tejada entered the National Conservatory of Music in Panama where he was directed by Professor José Cajar and later graduated with a Bachelor of Music at the University of Panama.
“Music for me, after God and my family, is everything. It is my passion; it is my past; my present and my future. I have never stopped music. And even if it’s just me, I’ve always been involved and I’ve been persistent,” said the musician.
Tejada has been part of multiple orchestras, not only in Panama but also in the United States, where he has resided since 2000. He worked for eleven years (1987-1998) in the Republican Band of Panama and then in the Band of the Panama Fire Department (1998-2000).
He was also part of the first Big Band in Panama of the maestro Víctor Paz, and the maestro Danilo Pérez.
“I emigrated looking for a change of life. I wanted to know the American way of teaching music and at that time I arrived in New London, Connecticut. I had to learn English and get used to the rhythm of life here, and it was in the second year when I took up music again,” Tejada said.
Later, he moved to Cocoa, Florida, and entered the Brevard Community College to study music for two years and was part of the Concert & Jazz Band and Symphonic Orchestra.
“I auditioned and got the trumpeter position,” he stressed.
After settling in the United States, this great saxophone performer created the Bay Jazz group in Palm Bay in 2006, in which he plays genres such as Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova, Blues, Boleros, Mambo and more. The band has also achieved a consolidate a characteristic repertoire that has led him to debut both in West Palm Beach, as well as in Orlando, Melbourne, and surrounding areas.
He along with the other members of him made a majestic fusion, embracing jazz with a refreshing look that manages to open the senses with an authentic explosion of sounds, making listeners immerse themselves in their musical journey.
Being persistent, preparing, having discipline and perseverance, but above all true love for music, is for Tejada the key to his career.
For hiring, you can contact the Bay Jazz group in Palm Bay, through your email: [email protected] or through the phone number: 321-746-5920.