Natalia Bernal, vocalist / cantora / composer / producer / educator
Chilean-born vocalist Natalia Bernal hails from Iquique, a city nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Desert. Now based in the United States, Natalia’s rich and entrancing voice evokes the drama of the natural surroundings of her homeland. Drawing from songwriting traditions of Latin America, her original compositions and selections from the Great American Songbook surprise with a refreshingly improvisational texture.
Since 2009, Natalia has been the vocalist for trio "La Voz de Tres" (lavozdetres.com) which she co-leads with pianist Mike Eckroth and guitarist Jason Ennis. This Jazz/Fusion/Chamber ensamble has released "La Voz de Tres" and "Sueños y Delirios", and their most important US and Latin American performances include Blue Note New York in New York City, Municipalidad de Iquique in Iquique-Chile, Tempe Center for the Arts and The Nash in Arizona, Branford Jazz Festival in Connecticut, and Geneva Music Festival in New York amongst many.
2025 Natalia Bernal brings forth her debut album "En Diablada". An album that fuses Andean and other South American folkloric traditions with elements of jazz, blues, and rock. En Diablada is a vivid window into Natalia’s mind and her dreams of the Atacama Desert, the people that inhabited the lands thousands of years ago, and how their heritage can teach us to navigate the new paradigms of society.
This project incorporates a wide range of textures and stylistic elements. Track #8, Canción y Huayno, most closely reflects the original concept, "Andean Jazz." The rest organically flowed to other territories with the collaboration of a great band : Natalia (vocals and percussion), Jason (guitar), Michael Zsoldos (Saxophone), Itaiguara Brandão (bass), Mark Walker (drums), and sometimes Mike Eckroth (keys). In live performance, the group fits neatly into the "world jazz" category, with open improvisation and stylistic interplay. The album includes musicians from three continents, including Marcelo Woloski (Snarky Puppy), Yayo Serka (Angelique Kidju), Miro Sprague (Monk Institute alumni), Italo Pedrotti (one of Chile’s top Charango virtuosi) and more. Live shows include Bronx Heritage Center, Bronx NY, Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College, Hanover VT, Fresh Grass Festival, North Adams MA, Terraza 7, Queens NY and continues to tour extensively with upcoming performances including Tanglewood, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in in Lenox MA.
