Raquel Cepeda Music

09/03/2026

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Houston City Beat for the feature on their website as a Hispanic figure of Legacy and Impact in Houston. What an honor to be in such regard.
You can read the article with a very detailed biography that they kindly compiled, through different conversations and interviews, on the link below.
There is a saying that I like: “Bloom where you are planted”. Houston has been an incredible fertile ground for me over the years, and I am thankful for all the people and opportunities that have allowed me to put flowers out and share my gifts with everyone.
Glory to God for the life, the music, the beauty, and the flowers that I have been able to share.
Thank you to all the friends that have supported my music and my art over the years.
Thank you Lisbet Newton for the beautiful article!!

https://houstoncitybeat.com/raquel-cepeda-houston-jazz/

05/02/2026

Very honored to the featured performers at the annual Brazos Valley Jazz Festival in Bryan, TX! ❤️

On stage at the beautiful historic Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church — the stained glass, architecture, and acoustics were absolutely perfect.

Thank you to the Brazos Valley Jazz Society for the invitation and incredible hospitality. Grateful to share the stage with my amazing sextet and perform for such a special audience!

Barry Sames on piano, Thomas Helton on bass, Adriano Santos on drums, Ernesto Vega on Sax, and Felix de Leon on trumpet. 🎶

05/02/2026

Hi friends! ❤️

Here's a backstage photo with my amazing sextet yesterday, just as we were getting ready to go on stage.

This was our second time performing in Bryan, TX! The first time was in 2021 by invitation from Friends of Chamber Music, and this time we had the honor of performing with the Brazos Valley Jazz Society for their annual Jazz Festival.

What an incredible experience — thank you to the Brazos Valley Jazz Society for the invitation, the warm welcome, and the wonderful hospitality!

Grateful to do music and share memories with my talented musicians: Barry Sames, Thomas Helton, Adriano Santos, Ernesto Vega, and Felix de Leon. 🎶

05/02/2026

Hi friends! ❤️

Backstage with the sextet yesterday, moments before hitting the stage in Bryan, TX!

This marks our second performance in Bryan — first invited by Friends of Chamber Music in 2021, and now by the wonderful Brazos Valley Jazz Society at their annual jazz festival.

What an honor! Thank you to the Jazz Society for the invitation, the incredible welcome, and all the warm hospitality.

So grateful to make music with my talented group of musicians: Barry Sames, Thomas Helton, Adriano Santos, Ernesto Vega, and Felix Deleon. 🎤✨

05/01/2026

Friends, the Festival tonight is going to be held tonight at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church instead of the Palace Theater because of the rain. The schedule is the same. See you there, !
We play at 9 pm.

04/30/2026

Friends, excited to share that I was featured on paginasdeljazz, the wonderful Venezuelan jazz radio program hosted by Douglas Bustamante! 🎙️✨

His show is excellent — it’s a fantastic platform to discover new music and outstanding Venezuelan jazz artists. I highly recommend tuning in, whether on radio or online.

In this episode, they featured my rendition of “Stella by Starlight”, recorded live at MATCH with my jazz septet:
Barry Sames, Thomas Helton, Ernesto Vega, Salvador Velasco, Adriano Santos, and Cassio Duarte.

Here’s the link to the full episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed performing it! ❤️

https://go.ivoox.com/rf/168817685

Friends, excited to share that I was featured on paginasdeljazz, the wonderful Venezuelan jazz radio program hosted by Douglas Bustamante! 🎙️✨

His show is excellent — it’s a fantastic platform to discover new music and outstanding Venezuelan jazz artists. I highly recommend tuning in, whether on radio or online.

In this episode, they featured my rendition of “Stella by Starlight”, recorded live at MATCH with my jazz septet:
Barry Sames, Thomas Helton, Ernesto Vega, Salvador Velasco, Adriano Santos, and Cassio Duarte.

Here’s the link to the full episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed performing it! ❤️

https://go.ivoox.com/rf/168817685

Link to video on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/MBdfVwdHawQ?si=jJhr3tUUjvSguDJh

Escucha este episodio de Páginas de Jazz gratis en iVoox. Nuestra tercera y última entrega sobre el Grammy 2025 y las categorias relativas al jazz. En esta ocasión, los ganadores del codiciado gramófono....

04/22/2026

Friends, super excited to announce that I will be performing with my jazz sextet at the Brazos Valley Jazz Festival on Friday, May 1 in Bryan, TX at the Palace Theater in Downtown Bryan! I'm super honored by this invitation from the Brazos Valley Jazz Society.

Plan a weekend getaway with your friends and family and join us for an evening full of jazz in Bryan, TX! Tell your friends who live close to the area to join us too. The event is free and family-friendly!

Here is the schedule:

5:45 – BCS Youth Honors Jazz Ensemble
6:30 – Saxophonist Don Pope & Friends
7:45 – The Brazos Valley Big Band, featuring Dr. Aric Schneller (vocalist/trombonist/SHSU Jazz Head)
9:00 – Vocalist Raquel Cepeda Jazz Sextet

Palace Theater Address:
105 S Main St, Bryan, TX, United States, 77803

Featuring my amazing band members:
Barry Sames on piano
Thomas Helton on double bass
Adriano Santos on drums
Feliz de Leon on trumpet
Ernesto Vega on sax

See you there!: https://www.facebook.com/events/1998882150702262/

02/24/2026

Last Sunday, February 22, I had the honor to sing at the Global Humanitarian Awards with Jeff Franzel on the piano. A truly inspiring event, sort of like the Grammys for champions of community service and charity initiatives. I think it’s fantastic to recognize these kind of leaders.
Beautiful event, great organization, inspiring stories. Grateful to be part of it, and honored to play with Jeff, too.
There is a nomination form. If you know someone who is worthy of being recognized, you may want to submit their name for next year’s event: https://annualhha.com/nomination-form/

Hugs to all!
Raquel

02/24/2026

Howdy, friends! Thomas Helton and yours truly performed as a duo at the ArtReach Market, an event organized by Outreach Center of West Houston last Saturday, February 21. It was a fun day filled with art and music, and the weather was fantastic!
The ArtReach Market happens every year, and its home—The Outreach Center—is in the Energy Corridor, just off Memorial Drive. Follow them so you can attend their next event and hopefully join us next year!

I also want to give you a heads-up about a fun performance coming up that I think you might enjoy attending: I'll be performing with my septet at the Brazos Valley Jazz Festival in Bryan, TX, on May 1st. Save the date now! More info coming up. Join my email list at https://www.raquelcepeda.com/subscribe, so that you don't miss the details when I announce them.
Hugs to all! 😘