Edmar Castaneda was born in 1978, in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Since his move to the United States in 1994, Edmar has quite literally taken New York and the world stage by storm with his virtuosic command of the Colombian harp. A master at realizing beautiful complexities of time, while skillfully drawing out lush colors and dynamic spirit, Edmar has been characterized as “almost a world unto himself” (The New York Times). The legendary Paquito D’Rivera, Edmar’s frequent collaborator, has remarked: "Edmar is…an enormous talent, he has the versatility and the enchanting charisma of a musician who has taken his harp out of the shadow to become one of the most original musicians from the Big Apple."

The son of a musician and a mother who nurtured his obvious natural talents, Edmar embraced the noble folkloric traditions of his native land. The “joropo” dance classes which he and his sister regularly attended became for him a master class in movement, accompanied by the harp. Even now, on stages across the globe, one notes how Edmar’s body seemingly engulfs his Colombian harp as he crafts almost unbelievable feats of cross-rhythms, layered with chordal nuances rivaling the most celebrated flamenco guitarist’s efforts.

Angel City Jazz Festival Website

Nick Mancini Website 

Edmar Castaneda Website