SF International Film Festival
The 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival has gotten off to a flying start with multiple screenings in various venues throughout the SF Bay Area. Established venues such as the Castro Theatre, the Roxie Cinema and the Victoria Theatre are now joined by newer venues Children’s Creativity Museum, SF MOMA, Dolby Cinema and the Walt Disney Family Museum and across the bay at BAMPFA and Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre. Film screenings range from a tribute to Oscar nominated actress Charlize Theron to live music/film happenings featuring the Kronos Quartet, Blonde Redhead and Marc Capelle’s Red Room Orchestra. A slew of domestic and international films ranging from mainstream to independent releases are featured with a range of subject matter from the banal to profound changes in our ever changing world. Boots Riley’s outrageous and controversial film “Sorry To Bother You” makes it debut at both the Castro and across the bay at the Grand Lake Theatre. Be sure to visit www.sffilm.org to review your schedule and get your tickets quick! Some films only have one screening so you have to jump on it. As always, the SF International Film Festival has something for everyone so check it...
Read More10th Annual SF Salsa Festival Blasts Off!
The 10th Annual SF Salsa Festival is taking over the Park Central Hotel on 50 Third Street in San Francisco this weekend! Trombonist extraordinare Jimmy Bosch teams up with master sonero Herman Olivera to headline the festival Saturday evening 3/24. Orquesta Taino will be also featured. Grammy Award winners Pacific Mambo Orchestra are headlining tonight. The festival which features dance performances and dance instruction from noted dancers from around the world, dance congress DJ’s and rooms dedicated to Zouk, Kizomba and Bachata music is produced by John Navarez and Liz Rojas who are the brainchild behind the long running, award winning Salsamania Dance Company. Their opening night party on Thursday evening at the three floor Calle 11 night spot featured the fresh sounds of the Cabanijazz Project who are releasing a new recording in early June. If you are a dancer who loves to dance or a music fan who appreciates great live music, the festival is worth checking out. For more information, go to...
Read MoreRumba Que Zumba at the Havana Jazz Festival
The 33rd annual Internacional Jazz Plaza attracted huge crowds in a variety of settings concentrated in the Vedado neighborhood in Havana. The festival featured outdoor concerts at venues such as Jardines De Mella (an outdoor garden on the side of the Teatro Mella) featuring Rumba groups such as the youthful Timbalaye whose front line of vocalists dressed like Reggaeton or Timba pop stars. Their expressive dancers were led by a young, blond haired mulata whose moves were awesome as well as authentic. Their percussionists, barely in their twenties, were in command of their drums as their rhythmic call and response was inspired and explosive. Other groups featured during the week were Yoruba Andabo, Rumbata and Explosion Rumbera. The “OG’s ” of Rumba were represented by Rumberos De Cuba, a veteran rumba group celebrating 20 years together who played at the salon of the Egrem studios. I was invited by my friend Ricardo “Robertico” Oropeza of El Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Piniero. What a great scene full of atmosphere, emotion and special guests in the audience such as Freddy, the bassist from El Gran Combo and the renowned Puerto Rican sonero Luisito Carrion on vacation in Cuba. The veterans of the Rumberos De Cuba quickly displayed their mastery of the rumba…the quinto and...
Read MoreHavana Jazz Festival 2018 Part One
I have just returned from attending the 2018 Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba which was officially named the 33rd Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza which took place from January 16th through the 21st. I was warned about delays in shows, last minute cancellations and the lack of organization of this festival. So I travelled to Havana prepared for the worst and hopeful for the best. I was delighted to have been pleasantly surprised with great shows from tremendous musicians from both Cuba and abroad that ran on time at a variety of different venues. The festival is similar to South By Southwest in the US where multiple shows are presented at the same time at different venues. Unfortunately, it wasn’t great weather in Havana during my stay: it was wet, rainy, windy, cold and overcast for almost the entire week of the festival. But I didn’t let that stop me for taking in the wonderful music and culture of Cuba. I was fortunate to catch the following shows during my week stay in Havana: Bobby Carcasses with guests Maraca, Yosvanny Terry, Don Poncho Terry and Roberto Carcasses, Chucho Valdes with his band and special guest Joe Lovano, Timbalaye, Pablo Menendez and Mezcla with special guest John Calloway, Edsel Gomez Triumvirate with Maraca, Pancho Amat with Javier Colina and Julio Padron, Yosvanny Terry Quintet, Pupy Y Los Que Son Son, Orquesta Aragon collaborating with Michel Herrera with special guests Alain Perez, El Noro, Maraca among others, Roberto Carcasses & Trio Salvage, Ocho Y Mas with Bobby Allende, Marc Quinones, Jimmy Bosch, Haila, Alain Perez, Alexander Abreu and Osain Del Monte, Alain Perez and Orchestra, Alejandro Falcon with special guest Michel Herrera, Ramon Valle Trio, Elito Reve Y Su Charangon, Rumberos De Cuba, the Cesar Lopez Havana Ensemble, Roberto Fonseca with special guests Eliades Ochoa, Maraca and X Alfonso. I had a phenomenal time as I discovered the city of Havana, met musicians, reunited with friends from the SF Bay who made the trip and musicians that I met in the US, attended extraordinary concerts, researched the music, production and folklore of Cuba and connected with professionals, journalists, musicologists and the people of Cuba who shared their warmth and knowledge with me. I will go into details of my musical adventures in my next...
Read MoreEmceeing: The Thrill Of It All
I have been asked to MC for tonight’s show featuring Grammy Award Winners Pacific Mambo Orchestra featuring renowned sonero Herman Olivera at Yoshi’s in Oakland. It’s always an honor to emcee a prestigious show featuring musicians that you admire, support and actually play their music. Emceeing is an acquired skill honed by years of experience, stage time and learning from watching the best doing their thing. Speaking for myself, it’s not just knowing what to say about the artists that you are presenting but having the knowledge of their music, history and accomplishments. It’s also the art of presentation, knowing what to wear for the occasion and preparing your introduction. Hopefully you’ll do it with class and a taste of show biz. The years of experience will help you develop your own style. When you’re backstage, you’ll also have to deal with your thoughts, last minute script changes and nerves (we all get them) at the moments before you’re on stage. That all disappears once you are focused and when you get on stage. You take the microphone in your hand, gaze out into the bright lights and start..”Ladies and Gentlemen, Damas y...
Read MoreLive Appearances
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