Arturo O’Farrill Honored by WordPress

WordPress (WP) just released their platform version 6.0 which they called “Arturo” in honor of Latin Jazz great Arturo O’Farrill. WP tends to name its releases after Jazz greats, as its founders are jazz enthusiasts.

This is the first time I remember that a WordPress release has been named after a Latino musician.

I’m glad they recognized the work Arturo O’Farrill has done in jazz, albeit Latin jazz.
I was recently listening to a radio station that had a Jazz song countdown and noticed the lack of Latin artists on their list. I figured it was because African-Americans look after African-Americans and Latinos look after Latin Jazz artists.

Need for More Inclusive Jazz Definition

Perhaps there should be a more broad consideration of the Jazz category, be that on music awards or radio countdowns. On the other hand, we also have the same focused approach to Latin Jazz, so it almost seems like a natural separation.

I find that genre and artists are two different things, and, in my opinion, I find that there’s a general lack of understanding of these. But perhaps that’s a topic for a separate blog.

Thanks to WordPress

While definitions get sorted out, I’m glad to see that some are considering Latin Jazz artists as part of the overall Jazz world and highlighting them.

The LatinoMusicCafe.com site is based on WordPress. I’m glad they recognize Arturo O’Farrill for his contributions to jazz music.