Featured Artists
Fito Reinoso with Ritmo y Armonia
If you are looking for the scorching rhythms of Cuban new-wave, Fito Reinoso and Ritmo y Armonia is guaranteed to please. Called "the Bay Area's up-an-coming band" by Latin Beat magazine, the band features an undeniable Cuban sound, which reflects Cuba's street beat as well as its broad musical heritage. "Ritmo y Armonia" plays primarily original music, composed by Fito and inspired by contemporary Cuban rhythms. The orchestra plays more traditional Cuban genres such as son-montuno, cha-cha-cha, and bolero but always with a sound that is authentic. And don’t miss Fito and his band weekly at hot salsa dancing spots such as The Ramp, Cafe Pier 23, and Club Jelly's.
Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble
The Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble (tri to a septet) plays a vast variety of Latin music, including Cuban music from the 50's to contemporary dance music. Josh Jones has recorded with many well-known Latin jazz musicians and his band comprises some of the Bay Area's finest musicians.
Los Compas
Los Compas is a band of seasoned pros playing the hardest hitting salsa in San Francisco. Although many musicians and singers have passed through its ranks, Los Compas is by no means a "pick up" band. Most members have 10-15 years of association with the group. For 5 years, the band’s now legendary run at the waterfront’s Pier 23 made that bar "the place to be" on Friday nights. Whether an intimate 4 piece setting or a nightclub sized 10 piece band, Los Compas consistently functions as a crisp, energetic, tight-knit unit.
"One of the hardest working bands on the San Francisco scene, Los Compas is led by Miguel Govea – one time member of the seminal Chicano New Song band, Los Peludos - who has shaped a sound that embraces the diverse musical cultures that make up the Bay Area Latino community. Cumbias, merengue, Tex-Mex, salsa, Latin jazz…"no se rajan" (they do not shrink) from any musical challenge…" (Latin Beat Magazine).
Mario Flores Latin Jazz Band
This Latin Jazz trio delivers rhythmically vibrant soundscapes in the tradition of Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Chano Pozo, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. The group is made up of Conguero Mario Flores, pianist/composer Mark Gee, bassist/flutist/vocalist Joel Nixon, Mike Miller on drums and timbales, Rod Harris on sax, Stu Reynolds on sax, Brian Stock on trumpet, and John Ulloa on percussion.
La Misión
La Misión is a West Coast Latin Jazz ensemble from the San Francisco Bay Area that strives to preserve the “old school” traditional sound of the genre. Taking its name from the predominately Latino-populated Mission District of San Francisco, California, La Misión pays homage to the musical giants the genre. Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, and Mongo Santamaria are credited as influencing La Misión, and the ensemble adheres to the sound pioneered by these greats in the 1960’s and 1970’s. It is “The Mission” of the band to perform the old school sound for the new generation.
The band is lead by conguero John Ulloa who holds a double MA in Latin American history and Cultural Anthropology, both earned from San Francisco State University. He has studied Afro-Cuban percussion in the United States and Havana, Cuba. His performance credits include Dr. Loco, WAR, Pete Escovedo, The Mario Flores Band, John Calloway, Wayne Wallace, Songo, and Stymie & the Pimp Jonz Luv Orchestra.
La Misión’s lineup include some of the Bay Area’s finest and most sought after musicians: Brian Andres, percussion; Bob Crawford, piano/keyboard; Silvestre Martinez, percussion; Steve Senft-Herrera, bass; and Darren Smith, saxes/flute.
Pellejo Seco
Without a doubt, Pellejo Seco marks a new plateau in Latin music in the Bay Area. Founded in Berkeley in 2004, the eclectic group has its roots in Traditional Cuban music, and it has with it a broad spectrum of creativity combined with the exquisite, popular and fantastic. In its evolutionary process, Pellejo Seco has caught its own distinct flavor that is progressive Fusion Rock, elements of Iberoamerican, Latin American, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and Jazz.
La Familia Son
La Familia Son is a Bay Area group, playing Cuban dance music from traditional son to old school salsa.La Familia Son's music creates a fresh sound of percussive rhythms and rich vocal harmonies, all intertwined with the syncopated swing of the tres (Cuban guitar). La Familia Son has received an enthusiastic response from Bay Area audiences.We play regularly at La Estrellita in East Oakland, and at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley . In the past year La Familia Son has also played at numerous festivals including the Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland’s Fruitvale district, the Chicano Groove Festival at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, the “Abrazos” Festival at the Oakland Museum in conjunction with their “Arte Latino” exhibit opening, West Oakland’s Clean Air Festival and Berkeley’s Telegraph Ave. Street Fair and Earth Day, San Francisco Carnaval Festival and Union City’s Summer Music Series.
Manicato
The word Manicato, derived from the Native People of Puerto Rico known as The Taino, means a bold and valiant person of a good heart. The band Manicato lives up to this Taino ideal with its socially conscious mix of salsa, reggae, rock, hip-hop, plena and timba.
Founded in SF's Mission district in 2004 by Israel Matos, Manicato has found a way to combine its social and musical influences into a hard-hitting form of intelligent dance music that feeds both body and mind. Manicato, featuring one of the only father and son vocal sections in the city and a horn section that well is undeniable, will have you speaking in one of the oldest languages, the universal language of music, feeding your mind, body, and soul.
Latin Licks
The Latin Licks Sextet project is made up of some of the most in-demand jazz and Latin jazz musicians in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and nationally. The project and has been performing regularly at the Cigar Bar and Grill since 2005, steadily building a unique, modern, and no doubt, spicy repertoire of Latin jazz, Latin funk, and old school Cuban music. Latin Licks Sextet features the regular combination of; Melecio Magdaluyo (piano, tenor sax, flute) Patrick Morehead (piano), Michael Duran (trumpet & flugelhorn), Eric Mendez (drums and percussion), Colin Douglas (conga), Rob Ewing (trombone), Raul Perales (bass), and Roman "Ito" Carrillo (conga/bongo). With such personnel, you can expect an electrifying and exciting performance, and of course, always be guaranteed to make you want to get on that dance floor! Come-on out and experience good Latin Licks...
Rumbaché
Rumbaché (formerly Quimbombó) has established themselves as one of the hottest Bay Area salsa bands. Fusing salsa, timba, bomba and whatever else they could find to spicen up the mood, they provide a hard hitting style of playing. And while you can hear them interpreting the classic and contemporary Cuban and Salsa repertoire, they are not shy with their own expression. Their fresh originals make them stand-out in an otherwise cover heavy salsa scene. Under the leadership of percussionist Patricio Angulo, Rumbaché is the voice of youth for San Francisco's salsa scene, and ignites enthusiasm in dancers and musical connoisseurs alike.
With a renewed commitment to public performance in 2007, Rumbaché has led a rigorous schedule of performance throughout the Bay Area, including festivals (San Jose Jazz Festival , New Orleans By The Bay,) and club dates (Jelly’s, Café Cocomo, Elbo Room, Glas Kat, La Peña Cultural Center, The Cigar Bar & Grill, Montero’s and Shattuck Down-Low Lounge).
Rumbaché features Lina Luna (lead vocals), Omar Ledezma (lead vocals & congas), Patricio Angulo (timbal, coro & musical director), Colin Douglas (trap set), Ed Morrison (trumpet), Jim Burr (trombone), Darren Smith (flute, tenor & baritone saxes, coro), Jason Moen (piano, coro), and Sam Bevan (bass).