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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 melendezJulius 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 dancers
salsa dura2:30pm  
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 dancers
4:30pm  
borinquenOrquesta 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 dancers
6:30pm  
Orquesta PachecoOrquesta 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 dancers
   
Theatre Way Main Stage
12:00pm  
San Francisco Latin Youth Ensemble

latin youthThe 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 boysLatin 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 englishBroken 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!            

forro brazuca

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

3:00pm Sambosseros

5:00pm Dos 4 y Los Mios

Family Stage

1:00pm    Mariachi Alma

2:15pm    Echale

3:00pm    Jim Murdoch

4:00pm    TBA

5:00pm    Jim Murdoch

6:00pm    TBA

7:00pm    TBA


 

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