Bobby Sanabria and His Latest Multiverse Album, "Vox Humana"

The Vinyl District's Radar with Evan Toth

It’s a major concept for a short podcast, but when was the last time you thought about your place - not only in the universe - but within the multiverse? “What is a multiverse,” you may ask. We can thank the Ancient Greek Atomists - namely Leucippus and Democritus - for presenting us with the concept of multiple worlds or universes that construct everything in existence: space, time, matter, information, and all of the physical laws and constants that support them. However, where does music live in this multiverse?

About 25 years ago, multi-Grammy nominated Bobby Sanabria - a Nuyorican drummer, radio show host, educator, and band leader - decided to consider the interconnectedness of all things musical with the formulation of his Latin Jazz group, the Multiverse big band. On May 12th, Sanabria’s group will release their latest album titled, Vox Humana. That album - and much of Sanabria’s work - is an opportunity to not only explore the myriad possibilities within the musical realm, but to also explore the social significance that impacts any group of humans when they join forces to create music.

Musicians are fortunate to be able to communicate and develop works of beauty without speaking the same language, or even being in the same room. They are able to bring their own backgrounds and experiences to the performances and compositions in a way that complements one another, rather than focusing on ways that divide us. In this discussion, Sanabria and I examine this anthropological element in his music. Just when you were getting used to the idea of being a speck of dust in the universe, we go and throw the concept of multi-universality at you. Don’t be intimidated, especially since you have Bobby Sanabria serving as your tour guide. Even if the concepts are a bit daunting, the music is guaranteed to be out of this world!