Goodbye Paco/Adios Maestro

I caught the news on Facebook today..it was confirmed on the web...the maestro of flamenco guitar...the legendary Paco De Lucia died today.  Memories of seeing him in concert...in the film "Carmen"...on CD and album covers....on You Tube.  His technique was fast as lightning...an incredible virtuoso who innovated the music with the inclusion of cajon...who jammed and toured with John MacLaughlin and Al DiMeola...breaking down barriers...who fused flamenco with other genres of music.  Now Paco has joined the ancestors, leaving behind a legacy of greatness for us to treasure, revisit and discover again.  Adios Maestro!

Mayito Takes Over S.F.!

The Sixth Annual SF Salsa Rueda Festival which is the equivalent of the Cuban version of the annual Salsa Congress took place this past weekend at the Hotel Whitcomb.  I attended Saturday night which featured ex-Los Van Van vocalist Mayito Rivera with Timbalive, DJ Walt Digz and quite a number of spectacular dance troupes dancing in the Cuban salsa style, Casino De Rueda or elaborate dance routines incorporating Timba music.  Mayito Rivera simply bowled over the Whitcomb audience with his charisma, great voice, fierce sonero style and impeccable showmanship.  Mayito, with long  dreadlocks going down his back, handsome looks and dressed in a white outfit, had the crowd working out with him, ladies dancing on stage, arms raised in unison and rhythm.  He sang some Van Van favorites and his own material backed up masterfully by Miami's own Timbalive who sounded great all night long.

SF Bay Finally Living Musically Large!!

There is now a well deserved focus on the SF Bay Area Latin/Salsa scene since Pacific Mambo Orchestra won the grammy award for Best Tropical Latin recording.  The bay area has been a mecca for great musicians, bands and dj's for quite a number of years.  Perhaps the best kept secret in the United States since most of the attention goes to New York (which has been fading as an influential spot for years), Miami and Los Angeles.  Great musicians such as Louie Romero, Orestes Vilato, John Santos, Rebeca Mauleon, Jesus Diaz, John Calloway, Carlos Caro, Karl Perrazo, Anthony Blea, Marco Diaz, Bill Ortiz, and that's just scratching the surface of a rich scene here, have made the Bay Area their base of operations for many years!  It has been a hot bed of activity with new recordings coming out by Marco Diaz, Julio Bravo, The Latin Rhythm Boys, John Santos and his many projects including the new recording by 78 year old Cuban vocalist Ernesto Oviedo and the Salsa De La Bahia project spearheaded by Wayne Wallace and Rita Hargrave.  Clubs, salsa dance socials, festivals and concerts by major artists are commonplace in the SF Bay.  And that's just in the Salsa scene.  All genres of music continue to thrive with great contributions of all the fine musicians that live and work here.  Let's continue to bathe in the collective sunshine!