Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet

The Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet (ONJQ), one of the most daring and influential ensembles in contemporary avant-garde jazz, proudly announces the release of El Derecho de Vivir en Paz. This new album embodies the group’s uncompromising vision: a deeply expressive sound that weaves together free improvisation, radical jazz traditions, and a politically charged sense of urgency.  

The title, El Derecho de Vivir en Paz (“The Right to Live in Peace”), resonates with a historical and universal message of resistance, hope, and solidarity. Inspired by the Chilean composer and activist Víctor Jara, ONJQ’s interpretation does not attempt a simple homage but instead channels the spirit of his call for justice into raw, visceral, and electrifying performances.  

Led by Otomo Yoshihide, one of Japan’s most versatile and renowned experimental musicians, the quintet features a lineup of extraordinary improvisers who have long been central to pushing the boundaries of modern jazz. With fierce interplay, delicate textures, and explosive eruptions of sound, the album reflects not only musical mastery but also a conviction that sound itself can address pressing political realities.  

El Derecho de Vivir en Paz arrives as both a profoundly musical statement and a socio-political one, reaffirming ONJQ’s role as a group fearless in addressing the intersections of art and activism. It is not merely an album—it is a demand for dignity and for the unyielding human right to peace.