BIO
Magalí Benítez is a Paraguayan pianist, keyboardist, and composer whose eclectic style reflects her love for improvised and instrumental music in a variety of genres, including Paraguayan music, South American music, and Jazz. Curious about the relationship between jazz and other cultures, Magalí’s work is inspired by the confluence of different sonorities. Based in Boston, she is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Berklee College of Music’s Global Jazz Institute on a full scholarship. Notable past performances of hers include the Panama Jazz Festival, Curitiba Jazz Festival (Brazil), the Mercosur University Arts Festival (Argentina), the Bonito Blues & Jazz Festival (Brazil), and the ASUJAZZ Festival (Paraguay).
Magalí plays piano and keyboards for her two main projects, MAJUJA Trio and Band’Elaschica, which combine her passions for jazz and Paraguayan music. In 2024, she released with MAJUJA Trio the first EP of the project, which features her original composition Py’aguapy. Additionally, she performs as a session musician in the rock band EVAS and the pop group M4R & LSAN, among others.
In addition to her work as a musician, Magalí is deeply committed to promoting gender equity in the music scene. She recently founded We Exist!, a jazz festival that highlights and supports the work of Paraguayan women in jazz. With this initiative, she seeks to recognize artistic contributions and increase the visibility of women in Paraguayan music.
In 2021, she won a full scholarship for the Berklee’s Five Week program, furthering her studies in jazz performance and composition. That same year, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Popular Music from the National University of Asunción. During 2023, Magalí was selected to participate in the Women in Jazz Organization’s Mentorship Program in which she worked with New York-based pianist Carmen Staaf. In 2024, she was designated as the pianist of the CCPA Jazz Quintet, one of Paraguay’s most prominent jazz ensembles, and toured Brazil alongside violinist Betania Hernández, performing original works by both musicians. Most recently, she arranged a series of instrumental pieces for the debut album of French horn player Arturo Benítez — a project that merges classical music with jazz influences.
