Etienne Charles is a Trinidad-born trumpeter, composer, and storyteller whose music connects jazz, Afro-Caribbean rhythm, and the wider histories of the African diaspora. Through acclaimed projects including Gullah Roots, Creole Soul, Carnival, and San Juan Hill, he brings together rich composition, deep groove, and cultural storytelling in performances that can also include film, dance, and spoken word. As a sideman, he has performed with or arranged for artists including Roberta Flack, Chucho Valdés, Marcus Miller, Gregory Porter, Terri Lyne Carrington, René Marie, David Rudder, and Machel Montano. His recent release Creole Orchestra earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and was named Jazzweek’s #1 jazz album of 2024. His honors also include the Anthony N. Sabga Award for Caribbean Excellence, the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture, and a U.S. Congressional Citation. He currently serves as Professor of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
Funded in part by the Crossroads: Touring New England program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies.
