New Live Scenes Up & Down during COVID & Livestreams

COVID is still around and surges are occurring all over the country. The pandemic is so real that it’s preventing live music from fully returning to be part of the new normal. Renowned timbalero Mio Flores who was holding down a fierce all star band with many illustrious guest musicians such as Anthony Blea, Juan Escovedo, Eric Rangel and others at the now defunct Havana Restaurant in Alameda for a number of years. The venue closed before the pandemic hit in January. Flores and company resurfaced at the Otaez eatery in Alameda. Flores and Otaez management were promoting a weekend 4 to 8 pm scene with an outdoor tent, music, drinks, food, limited dancing and social distancing which was too good to be true. And it was too good to be true since the event is now closed down due to a recent county ordinance prohibiting live music, dj and dancing at an outdoor venue. Now Flores has moved his scene to The Playt down to Hayward on Saturdays.

Another scene is at one of the salsero’s favorite haunts, the Seahorse in Sausalito where DJ Jimmy “El Griego” Ahron is the DJ playing music for socially distanced outdoor dining and dancing on Sundays. There will also be a Dia De Los Muertos afternoon event on Sat. Oct. 31st from 2 to 7 Pam at the New Parish in Oakland featuring DJ Tony O providing the music. The promoter Adrian Goddard of Jaffe Events and the New Parish are limiting the number of folks that can attend, requiring table reservations and are limiting the number of single attendees. Visit jaffeevents.com for info. But who knows what will last and how long these events will last during this COVID resurgence. If you decide to be adventurous, stay safe, wear a mask and practice your social distance. The surge is for real.

Livestreams and Other News. Orquesta Failde from Matanzas, Cuba had a terrific livestream celebrating the 34th Anniversary of promoting young music artists from Matanzas . This great orchestra led by charismatic flautist Ethiel Failde showcased their virtuosity, their wonderful vocalists Yerlanis Junco (a star in the making) and Yurisan Hernandez and a wide range in their repertoire from Danzon to Cha Cha Cha to Timba. Their current recording “Failde Con Tumbao” on Egrem is up for a Latin Grammy this year. (Image on top left-cover of “Failde Con Tumbao”)

There will be a broadcast of a concert featuring renowned timbalero Louie Romero and his hot SF based band Mazacote on Sunday, November 15 at 5 pm PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com. Romero was a member of the Willie Colon orchestra for over 10 years, recorded on Colon’s greatest hits in that era and who has worked with Hector Lavoe and Celia Cruz among others. Mazacote is one of the highly regarded Salsa Dura orchestras in the West Coast. They have an explosive recording “Timbalero” out on Stef Records, the imprint for Pacific Mambo Orchestra Steffen Kuehn. By the way, Louie also hosts his own internet radio program “Salsa Roots” on Monday nights from 7 to 9 pm PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

That’s it…..Ciao 4 now!!