Support the KDF Big Band!

Support the KDF Big Band!

Hi, I’m Kira Daglio Fine, and this is my band—the KDF Big Band. We are planning a South American tour in January 2026, and we need your help to make it happen.

About Me:

Music has always been such a huge part of my identity. I was born into the international music world— as a kid, my parents introduced me to a huge variety of musical cultures, like Cuban Bata music, Balinese Gamelan, and a million others.

My dad is from Uruguay, so at home, I was often surrounded by the rhythms of candombe—the heartbeat of Uruguay.

In high school I fell in love with jazz, especially big band music, and started writing my own music. I really found my compositional voice while doing my masters at New England Conservatory. That’s where I formed the KDF Big Band.

KDF Big Band:

The KDF Big Band is a 16-piece jazz orchestra based in Boston, USA. This project brings together emerging voices from the new generation of jazz musicians, blending traditions from North and South America.

It wasn’t always easy to feel like I fully belonged in one culture. Bringing candombe and Jazz together in my compositions feels like bringing two sides of my identity into harmony. My compositions combine lyrical jazz-influenced melodies with driving grooves drawn from swing and Afro-Latin rhythms. Drawing deeply from my roots, I aim to offer a compelling fusion of big band jazz and candombe, creating a sound that is both distinctive and emotionally resonant.

Why Uruguay?:

Last January, I traveled back to Uruguay for the first time as an adult—and as a musician. I reconnected with my culture and discovered a thriving musical community that blends jazz and candombe in powerful, beautiful ways. It was life-changing.

This past March, we recorded our debut studio album, featuring my original music and arrangements of well-known Uruguayan songs. To celebrate its release, I am organizing a tour across Uruguay and Argentina in January 2026. We'll be performing with a group of key collaborators from around the world, all recent NEC graduates. This tour serves as a musical and cultural exchange that reflects my artistic identity: a dialogue between jazz, Latin American traditions, and young musicians from across borders.

Plans:

We hope to perform at the Jazz a la Calle Festival, share the stage with local musicians, and collaborate with students and faculty from the local university— joining forces to create a cross-cultural big band. Through direct collaboration with local musicians, we will gain a richer understanding of how jazz is interpreted in a South American context, and carry that knowledge back into our own artistic communities in the US.

In turn, young Uruguayan musicians will gain a new perspective on American jazz by performing in a band alongside international peers. This exchange has the potential to broaden the global perspective of all involved, and to spark long-term personal, professional, and institutional connections.

For Uruguayan audiences, the KDF Big Band offers a unique chance to hear original jazz grounded in local rhythms, performed by top international talent. For musicians, it provides the opportunity to serve as cultural ambassadors and explore a unique musical dialogue.

The project celebrates Uruguay’s musical heritage and elevates it within a global jazz context—making it both locally rooted and internationally relevant.

This is where YOU come in.

We need your help to make this tour happen! Your donation will directly support flights and travel for our musicians from Boston. Here's a breakdown:

Total travel expenses: $18,000

Every contribution, big or small, helps us to further bridge Uruguayan and American cultures, and give young musicians across the world an experience that will shape their futures.

Music has the power to connect people across borders, even in times when arts funding is shrinking. By supporting this project, you’re not just helping us tour—you’re helping us create lasting connections between communities.

For me, this tour is about identity, belonging, and connection. And together, we can make this journey unforgettable.

So please, consider making a donation, and be part of this incredible journey with us.

Thank you for your support!