Los Muñequitos de Matanzas
On Monday, April 4th, the San Francisco Bay Area was treated to an extraordinary spectacle of Afro-Cuban rumba by the renowned Cuban drum and dance troupe Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. The first stop of their U.S. tour, San Francisco’s Mission High School Auditorium was packed with a sold out crowd of 1500 people who were treated to two hours of authentic afro-cuban folklore. Los Muñequitos de Matanzas under the direction of dancer Diosdado Ramos dazzled the crowd with their dynamic presentation. Their 6 dancers dressed in bright red and yellow costumes took the crowd on a journey which showcased the rhythms and dance of various styles of rumba: the yambu, columbia and guaguanco. The male dancers showed off innovations of the modern day rumba such as tap dancing while the females added their fierce sensuous flavor to the show. The music provided by the five talented percussionists and five vocalists was soul stirring. Their dynamic performance transported me to the solares (courtyards) of Cuba where the rumba is played traditionally. Los Muñequitos also brought out a young boy that joined the troupe near the end of the performance. He danced at the encouragement of the dancers. He is part of the new generation of rumberos who will ensure that the rumba will be preserved for future generations. Big thanks to the SF International Arts Festival and all the Mission community folks who presented the show. KPFA co-sponsored this historic...
Read MoreFilosofia Caribena
The Bay Area’s renaissance man John Santos presents his sextet and special guests in the debut of their commissioned work “Filosofia Caribena” that promises to be a highlight of the current SF Jazz Spring Season on Saturday, April 2, 8 pm at the Herbst Theater, Van Ness & MacAllister Sts, SF. Over a year and a half in the making, this work inspired by Caribbean culture, history and reality, will combine a combination of various elements such as Afro-Cuban and Puerto-Rican folklore, Caribbean rhythms, Latin Jazz, Dance and Spoken word. Special invited guests include trumpeter-vocalist Jerry Medina of Batacumbele fame, renowned Cuban dancer Ramon Ramos Alayo and spoken word artist Rico Pabon. Santos just completed a community based fund raising campaign that was successful in raising the money required to secure a $10,000 matching grant. The first volume of the project will be released on cd in May, the second volume will be released sometime next year. Santos was a recent guest on my program “Con Sabor” and sneak previewed one of the tracks from Filosofia Caribena, the explosive “La Rumba Me Lleva”. Keep your plans open for this world premiere on April...
Read MoreBittersweet Moments with Bobby Hutcherson
I caught a show that reminded me that you do have to catch older great artists while they are still alive. Case in point is the Bobby Hutcherson show that I caught at Yoshi’s in Oakland. The occasion was his 70th Birthday celebration. Now, I haven’t seen Bobby in a long time. I decided to go since I had the opportunity to see him at the last minute. I was in for a shocker! A thin, frail Bobby Hutcherson got on stage with tubes from his nostrills connected to a breathing apparatus. My heart sank to see him in this state of health. Although he seemed in great spirits, his body language spoke volumes of his medical condition. He played beautifully. However, his trademark long fluid expressions on the vibes are now replaced by short tasty solos augmented by his great band. This was still first class jazz tastefully performed by these pros. I was later told by my friend at Yoshis that Bobby is suffering from emphysema. I was happy and sad to have been there in attendance. Great artists are human like all of us….and like all of us, they continue to pay their...
Read MoreJorge Drexler triumphs at Mezzanine
There were high expectations for a rare concert appearance by Academy award winning singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler who was scheduled to appear at San Francisco’s trendy Mezzanine night club in late January. Drexler who appeared close to half an hour late was met by loud cheers from an adoring packed crowd who were not disappointed. Backed by a tight, versatile band, he performed an intriguing repertoire of songs taken his various recordings that ranged from his breakthrough “Eco” to his latest cd “Amar La Trama”. Drexler was visibly moved by the audience who knew the words to his songs and were singing along with him especially on his a-capella version of his award winning composition “Al Otro Lado Del Rio” from the film The Motorcycle Diaries. He was oozing charm, wit and vulnerability as he was telling stories and declaring his love for San Francisco. He seemed right at home on the Mezzanine stage. Although he didn’t play all the favorites in his considerable body of work, he performed enough memorable songs to connect with the audience in a profound way. There was a great vibe at Mezzanine that evening. Hopefully, we will see Drexler perform here more often after this fine show that was produced by La Bohemia Productions and Jaffe...
Read MoreLive Appearances
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