1st Annual Redwood City Salsa Festival
Saturday, September 20, 2008
12-8pm
Downtown Redwood City
EVENT SCHEDULE & DESCRIPTIONS
Courthouse Square Main Stage
12:30pm Julius Melendez & Orquesta
Julius Melendez's career profile is showcased by his performance with Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee Carlos Santana. During his work with Santana, he recorded the tremendous, multiple Grammy Award Winning success CD "Supernatural" which led to a world tour & performing live at the Grammy's, the smash hit and most popular song of the year "Smooth" with Rob Thomas. Julius also recorded Santana's Grammy Winning CD "Shaman" with Michelle Branch the song " Game Of Love". Melendez was musical director and co-leader with Orestes Vilato of the group Los Kimbos. He's also formed and led his own Latin Jazz group, Latin Fire, where his work included composing and arranging. For years Melendez has also been a member of Conjunto Cespedes, on four albums two of which were voted Album of the Year at the NAIRD INDIE award for best Latin Recording in 1994 and 1996. Julius also performed along side of Shelia E., Pete Escovedo and David Murray.
2:00pm- Salsa Dance Lessons
2:30pm Orquesta Salsa Dura
Literally translated, Salsa Dura means ‘Hard Salsa’, a genre of Salsa that is the polar opposite of ‘Salsa Romantica’. This is not Salsa cooking on a low flame! Salsa Dura is all of the hard pounding montunos and Barrio-conscious lyrics from the 70’s. We keep the tradition alive with our own original songs that can be just as experimental and open to new ideas as the first wave of Salsa Music coming out of New York, with our West Coast version. You can hear us playing our versions of such standards as “El Malo’ by Willie Colon as well as the jibaro-tinged original ‘Un Jibaro en la Ciudad’.
4:00pm- Salsa Dance Lessons
4:30pm Orquesta Borinquen
The powerful latin sounds of Orquesta Borinquen have become one of the top choices for salsa in the San Francisco Bay Area. As one of the busiest salsa bands in the Bay Area, Borinquen consists of carefully picked musicians to make the perfect band for people who love to dance to powerful, energetic salsa. Orquesta Borinquen keeps you on your feet! The incredible sound and highly energetic personality of Borinquen is matched only by our stage presence. We love to have a great time on stage, and enjoy making music together. Come out and take a ride with Orquesta Borinquen.
6:00pm- Salsa Dance Lessons
6:30pm Orquesta Pacheco
Orquesta Pacheco is the only professional
salsa band based in Redwood City
and the only salsa group fronting
several female singers. Most of
the members of the band are Redwood
City residents--the vocal front
line consists of Yolanda Alvarez,
Jessica Villa, and Vida Libre,
along with Pacheco first-cousins,
Javier (keyboards), and Raul (bass),
including Pedro Fernandez, one
of the Bay Area's top conga players.
Brad Catania on trumpet, Michael
Morris on flute &sax, and
Beto Morales on trombone drive
the mambo section of this ensemble.
Directed by veteran arranger and
ethnomusicologist Javier Pacheco,
Orquesta Pacheco plays an eclectic
selection of Latin grooves sure
to please the most exacting dancers.
For over ten years the group has
performed around the San Francisco
Bay Area, consistently delivering
rousing performances at every
show. From Dominican merengues
to Colombian cumbias, to contemporary
Latin pop, even Jazz, Orquesta
Pacheco has something for everybody.
If you love to dance, Orquesta
Pacheco is sure to please!
7:00pm- Salsa Dance Competition
Theatre Way Main Stage
12:00pm San Francisco Latin Youth Ensemble The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble (LJYE) of San Francisco is a performing group of talented musicians ages ten to 18. They perform Latin jazz classics and original compositions at a level that has landed them gigs at the San Jose Jazz Festival, the KCSM Jazz Festival, KGO Radio, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF Museum of Modern Art, Paramount's Great America and the world-renown jazz club, Yoshi’s. The LJYE has shared the stage with legendary performers such as the great Cuban bassist, Cachao; piano virtuoso Chuchito Valdes; Latin jazz heavyweights Poncho Sanchez and Clare Fischer; and the Grammy Award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra.
2:00pm Latin Rhythm Boys
The crisp and brilliant sound of the Puerto Rican 10-string guitar known as cuatro is featured by the jíbaro ensemble from Hayward, California called the Latin Rhythm Boys. Following in the traditions of their ancestors, this new generation of Puerto Rican musicians continues the legacy of producing jíbaro music (Puerto Rican country music) in order to stay in close proximity to their ancestral homeland's culture and customs. String virtuosos Ricky Castillo and Johnny Rodrigues share all the lead cuatro performances, while alternating simultaneously on the acoustic guitar and on backup vocals. Henry Miranda has the honor of being the group's lead vocalist (possessing a unique vocal timbre, which is essential in this music) with Larry Méndez handling bass duties. Completing the ensemble are percussionists and background vocalists Peter Rodrigues, Chato Peña, Tony Feliciano and Earl Miranda.
4:00pm Broken English
Broken English is a high energy dance band that takes you on a Caribbean musical cruise you can't resist. Our music will transport you to white sand beaches with hot tropical pulsating rhythms. Our harmonious vocals and blend of exotic instruments add a dose of spice to this truly musical banquet. Your musical experience with Broken English will include ports of call in Puerto Rico for Salsa, the Dominican Republic for Merengue, Jamaica for Reggae, Trinidad & Tobago for Soca, Belize for Punta and Cuba for Rumba, Mambo, Guajira, and Son. Broken English delivers a truly sensational live performance to keep you dancing, moving and enjoying life!
6:00pm Forro Brazuca
Forró Brazuca plays the sensuous upbeat sounds of northeastern Brazil like no other band on the West Coast. Inspired by the music of Luiz Gonzaga, Jackson do Pandeiro, Trio Virgulino and Dominguinhos, Forró Brazuca performs Latin, folk and roots music at its festive, rollicking best! Formed by four San Francisco-based Brazilians—each from a different region of Brazil—in early 2007, this group has been bringing its accordion-powered dance music (very similar to zydeco and Cajun music) to venues all across the Bay Area. This is a show not to be missed!
Broadway Stage
1:00pm Las Estrellas Folkloric Dance Company
2:30pm 
Broken English
