HAVANA, Dec 19th (ACN)  The expected 31st Jazz Plaza International Festival 2015 began on Thursday at Mella Theater with the presentation of maestro Ernán Lopez Nussa and his trio, along with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, US group from New Orleans.

Until December 20, the event will welcome performers and ensembles from a dozen countries, including American guitarist Billy Gibbons, member of ZZ Top band, who will present in this capital his new solo production Perfectamundo, album that became tribute to Afro-Cuban jazz.

This phonogram by Gibbons, gestated with the rhythm of jazz made between Havana, New Orleans and New York, will be available to the public at venues such as the Cuban Art Factory and Mella Theater, where he will share with the musicians Roberto Fonseca and Temperamento.

Trombonist Steve Turre, percussionist Robbie Amin and Mongorama band will also come from United States, in addition to the groups Triple, from Austria; Organ Trio, from Argentina; Alafia, from Brazil and The Shuffle Demons, from Canada.

The local musicians involved in the event will be Roberto Carcasses, Harold Lopez-Nusa, Alain Perez and his Orchestra, Alejandro Falcon, William Roblejo, Yasek Manzano, Yissy Garcia and BandAncha, among others.

Alongside the presentations, the Cuba Pavilion will host the 11th International Colloquium on Jazz, which will be opened on the first day of the Festival with the conference: Apuntes sobre el jazz y el son: un vínculo histórico en la música cubana,, given by Master Pancho Amat.