Spain’s Tromboranga debut a Triumph at the SF Salsa Festival Saturday night.

Tromboranga(pictured-photo: Luis Medina) the Barcelona based Salsa orchestra had a triumphant debut at the 14th Annual SF Salsa Festival last Saturday night at the SF Marriott Airport Waterfront. This powerful orchestra led by Venezuelan timbalero and percussionist Joaquín Arteaga boasted a gutsy 3 trombone horn section, phenomenal musicians and soloists, a duo of charismatic soneros and an irresistible repertoire to deliver their potent brand of Salsa Dura. Tromboranga played in the tradition of their heroes: Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta, Willie Colón and Manny Oquendo’s Libre.

Tromboranga played a spectrum of selections from their first album to “Kumbele Kutimba” from their latest recording “Salsa Con Golpe” to the socially conscious “Otro Ladrillo En La Pared” to the delight of the fans and sea of dancers. They also performed their swinging version of Oquendo and Libre’s “Alabanciosa” that included impassioned solos by the trombonists who had their distinctive sound and personality.

At one point during the performance, the band paraded from the stage into the crowd while Arteaga and his fellow percussionists (including guest bongosero Camilo Molina from Eddie Palmieri’s band) led an intoxicating Cuban style comparsa. They stopped to play their drums in the middle of the dance floor. Arteaga was playing a solo as the audience cheered him on. The dynamic trombone section then added moñas (riffs) to lift the energy of the Rumba to a crescendo. The band returned to the stage to continue to play gems from their repertoire until their close to two hour performance came to an end. An unforgettable evening from Tromboranga! Hopefully they will be back soon.

Congratulations to producers/dancers John Navarez and Liz Rojas of John and Liz Productions and the acclaimed Salsamania Dance Company for such a great show. The show began with a beautifully choreographed dance performance set featuring John, Liz and their invited dance instructors and dance teams from around the world that taught workshops and performed at this year’s festival. It was expertly done and truly spectacular! Looking forward to more great things from this dynamic duo!