Mary Jane Bunnett, (born October 22, 1956) is a Canadian musician and educator. A soprano saxophonist, flautist and bandleader, she is especially known for performing

Afro-Cuban jazz Afro-Cuban jazz is the earliest form of Latin jazz. It mixes Afro-Cuban clave-based rhythms with jazz harmonies and techniques of improvisation. Afro-Cuban music has deep roots in African ritual and rhythm.{{cite web, Cuba: Son and Afro-Cuban ...

. She travels regularly to Cuba to perform with Cuban musicians.

Early life and education

She changed her instruments, from pursuing her career "as a classical pianist...at age 20 to jazz and to flute and soprano saxophone."

Career

Bunnett founded and leads an all-female Afro-Cuban/jazz group, Maqueque. Its other members are: Dánae Olano (vocals, piano), Yissy Garcia (drums), Magdelys Savigne (vocals,

batá drum The Batá drum is a double-headed drum shaped like an hourglass with one end larger than the other. The percussion instrument is still used for its original purpose as it is one of the most important drums in the yourba land and used for trad ...

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s); Elizabeth Rodriguez (vocals, violin), and Celia Jiménez (vocals, bass). The group has won one

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

(Best Group Jazz Album of the Year in 2014 for its debut CD) and garnered two

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominations, while Bunnett herself has won four additional Juno Awards.

Honors and awards

In 2004, Bunnett was appointed an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, the highest civilian honour given in this country, granted to Canadian citizens 'for outstanding achievement and service to the country or to humanity at large.'

Personal life

Bunnett is married to another musician, trumpeter Larry Cramer. They reside in Toronto but have traveled to Cuba for musical collaborations for more than 30 years. Bunnett is also a social activist.

Discography

List of awards and nominations

References

External links

Official site

Jane Bunnett
at

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available fo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunnett, Jane 1956 births Living people Afro-Cuban jazz saxophonists Canadian jazz saxophonists Canadian jazz composers Canadian jazz flautists Officers of the Order of Canada Jazz soprano saxophonists Women jazz saxophonists Musicians from Toronto Afro-Cuban jazz composers Women flautists Canadian world music musicians Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year winners 20th-century Canadian women musicians Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year winners 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century Canadian women musicians Sunnyside Records artists Canadian women composers 20th-century flautists 21st-century flautists