Béla Fleck, Edmar Castaňeda, Antonio Sanchez Trio

The influential American virtuoso Béla Fleck, who convinced audiences and fellow musicians that despite certain sound limitations, the banjo can hold its own as a top solo instrument in modern jazz and artificial music, is enthusiastic about the sound of his current trio. And why wouldn't he be? At a time when everything seemed to have already been tried, he managed to create a new sound universe together with Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda and Mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez, who is based in the US. And he did so using only traditional acoustic instruments. No wonder he doesn't want to end the ride just yet.

The banjo player has even said that the adventurous collaboration in the BélaEdmarAntonioTrio has brought him back to the creative mood of the years when he founded the Flecktones, a band that was equally innovative and "unthinkable" at the time, fusing jazz rock, funk, and jazz improvisation with elements of progressive bluegrass. In fact, he had already approached the Colombian harpist about collaborating a decade ago, with the intention of inviting him to join the Flecktones: "Edmar was one of those guys who, in my opinion, would fit perfectly into the extended Flecktones family. Among weirdos like us," he laughs. “Such exceptional people appear in my life. I tend to seek out musicians who play their instruments like no one else in the world.”

In the end, everything turned out differently, and even better. Rather than Edmar Castañeda becoming just a guest of the Flecktones, Béla Fleck first began improvising with him as a duo. He then invited him to join a project with the famous drummer Antonio Sánchez, originally founded in 2018 for concerts in Mexico.

BEATrio recorded their original work on an eponymous album, released in May 2025, about which the prestigious All About Jazz website wrote: “The abstract image on the album cover reflects the music perfectly. The camaraderie in action makes the immersion into the sound even more appealing. It's easy to become addicted to this music." However, the trio of explorers were not satisfied with what they had already achieved. Since the release of the album and their previous concert in Prague, the trio's sound and repertoire have continued to evolve during their intensive touring. Even those who have already experienced their performance at Hybernia are sure to enjoy more pleasant surprises.