salsa

[1/17] Preview: Salsa at Swan Dive with Leticia Rodriguez

January 15, 2015 By Ian Morales

leticia3_hi — Leticia Rodriguez promo photo by Nadyia Marshall.

Saturday, Jan. 17, Swine Dive will be the place for Austinites to enjoy live Latin music with a salsa twist. The historic Red River venue is the perfect setting for Austin-based singer Leticia Rodriguez Garza and her backing band. The prohibition era vibe of Swan Dive is a great room for salsa or any dance oriented music. Her performance will be surrounded by DJ sets from DJ Vanessa La Bestia, which will include salsa favorites new and old.

In addition to performing salsa covers, Rodriguez Garza will perform original music from 2014’s Sagüita al Bate album. Like the album, her music is a fusion of sounds that range from throwback era mambo, boleros Latin Jazz and other traditional Latin rhythms. It is to be expected from the niece of the late, great Eva Garza.

Swan Dive is located at 615 Red River Street. Doors open at 9 :30 p.m. Event begins at 10 p.m. 21+ welcome. $5 cover. Visit the Facebook event page for set times and other details here.

Watch Leticia Rodriguez perform for Seattle-based radio station KEXP below.

[9/11] Preview: Salsa Night with La Vida Buena at Cedar Street Court Yard

September 10, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Thursday, Sept. 11, Cedar Street Courtyard is introducing “Salsa Night” with Austin-based salsa fusion band La Vida Buena. Known mostly for popular cover bands and singer-songwriter events, outside of big South By Southwest parties of course, the popular Warehouse District venue is finally adding some sabor. Think of it as a pre-celebration for Mexican Independence Day.

La Vida Buena is lead by member Louie “Luison” Alarcon. The La Vida group performs original tracks from their debut EP ¡Checkpoint Alpha! as well as salsa-fied covers of popular hip-hop and R&B tracks. You read that right. Be ready for “Gin & Juice” like you’ve never heard before.

Cedar Street is located at 208 W 4th St. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the band will begin playing at 9:30 p.m. Cover is $8. 21+ are welcome. Cedar Street will be serving Latin-inspired cocktails such as Mojitos, Pisco Sours, and Cuba Libres to commemorate the occasion. Visit the Facebook event page here.

La Vida Buena

The Sahara Lounge presents Salsa Mondays starting July 7

July 7, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Salsa Monday Tonight popular East Austin music venue and neighborhood bar The Sahara Lounge is kicking off their new Monday Salsa Night series. From the looks of the flier and information available online, the event is friendly to all levels of salseros with free lessons being offered by Austin-based salsa instructor Raul Ramirez.

Dance lessons begin at 7 p.m. for beginners and end at 8:30 p.m. Intermediate lessons follow immediately and end at 9:30 p.m.

Live salsa music starts at 10 p.m. and ends at midnight. Visit The Sahara Lounge website at www.saharalounge.com for more information about the live band schedule.

The Sahara Lounge is located at 1413 Webberville Rd. Doors open at 7 p.m. 21+ welcome. $7 cover. Arrive early for free food offerings. Free parking. Visit The Sahara Lounge on Facebook here.

Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance presents “Celebrando 2014”

June 21, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Tonight the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance (PRFDance) of Austin will present their annual “Celebrando” event at The Jewish Community Center of Austin. This year’s celebration brings ancestral Bomba traditions to Austin with Bomba Elder & Master and LP artist Jorge Emmanuelli Náter — and members of his group — who will join PRFDance for a joint performance.

Celebrando 2014 will also feature live salsa from Orquesta Trabuko, performances by the PRFD performing arts students, and comida criolla (food for sale) by Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine. Artisans from Texas and beyond will be presenting their original creations.

The Jewish Community Center of Austin (JCC) campus is located at 7300 Hart Lane. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are only available at the door. Adult tickets are $18.00 at the door. Child tickets (ages 3-12) are $7.00. Children 2 and under are FREE. Visit the Facebook event page here.

[6/19] Preview: La Vida Buena at Empire Control Room & Garage

June 19, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Tonight Austin-based salsa fusion group La Vida Buena are sending off trombone player Tate Hearn to work on cruise lines with big “bon voyage” party at Empire Control Room & Garage. The event will be sort of a Li Vida Buena takeover as different members of the group will also be handling DJ duty before and after the group performs. Frontwoman and KOOP Radio personality Vanessa Burden spins at 10:30 and percussionist Dario Aravena finishes the night with a moombahton set.

Empire Control Room & Garage is located 606 E. 7th Street. Door open at 10 p.m. 21+ welcome. No cover. Visit the Facebook event page here.

Bio Ritmo to release “Puerta Del Sur” on June 24

June 7, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Richmond, Virgina – based salsa veterans Bio Ritmo announced the release of their upcoming album, Puerta Del Sur. Their first since 2011’s La Verdad will be available June 24 via Vampisoul Records. The album will be available in both digital and physical formats, including a very limited run of 12′ vinyls that will include personalized signatures from all members of Bio Ritmo plus a bonus sticker and promotional “salsa revolution” full color postcard.

Fronted by singer and composer Rei Alvarez, Bio Ritmo is an eight to ten member ensemble known for a fusing the vintage Fania sound of old with modern harmonic movements, vintage keyboard sounds, analog synthesizer surprises and sophisticated, stylized horn arrangements. They formed in 1991 in Virginia’s college band scene and have since gone on to release multiple studio albums both independently and via various record labels.

Watch the music video for “La Vía” from Puerta Del Sur below. Pre-order the album here.

[4/26] Preview: Sonidos de Austin showcase at Flamingo Cantina

April 25, 2014 By Austin Vida Staff

Sonidos showcase Apr 26 Saturday, Apr. 26, the Sonidos De Austin showcase happens at Flamingo Cantina on 6th Street. As the title indicates, the live music showcase will feature three of Austin’s best Latin bands: Cinco Doce, La Vida Buena and Son De Rey. Each offers their own unique fusion of traditional Latin rhythms that you can dance to. We ought to know.

Showcase openers Son De Rey is an urban Tejano quartet whose music combines elements of pop, salsa, Tejano, cumbia and R&B. The group will even perform covers of popular top 40 hits with their own Latin twist, including “Careless Whisper” by George Michael (Wham!). The group is currently performing in support of their latest EP, Ojos Azules. Son De Rey take the stage at 9:30 p.m.

After Son De Rey wraps up, Cinco Doce hit the stage. Austin’s answer to Kumbia Kings, Kumbia All Starz, etc., the group is emblematic of the young, bi-cultural Latino who loves mainstream urban music but is more than proud of their Tejano roots. They intertwine R&B, pop and hip-hop with traditional, often-synthed, cumbia beats. No cowboy hats and sparkly shirts on these guys. See Cinco Doce at 11 p.m.

La Vida Buena, arguably Austin’s hottest new Latin up-and-comer, closes the show. Fronted by vocalist and KOOP Radio personality Vanessa Burden and Louie “Luison” Alarcon, La Vida Buena perform original tracks from their debut EP ¡Checkpoint Alpha! as well as salsa-fied covers of popular hip-hop and R&B tracks. La Vida Buena perform at 12:30 a.m.

Flamingo Cantina is located at 515 East 6th Street. Doors open at 9 p.m. 21+ are welcome. $5 cover. Visit the official Facebook event page here.

Merch Giveaway: “Celia Cruz – The Absolute Collection”

September 16, 2013 By Austin Vida Staff

Celia Cruz promo — 'Celia Cruz - Absolute Collection' is available now from Sony Music Latin.

Celia Cruz will forever be “La Reina De La Salsa” to her adoring fans and lives on today as the noble face and ambassador of Latin music across the globe. Now, a decade after her passing, Celia Cruz, The Queen of Salsa, is honored with a tribute that’s worthy of her legacy – The Absolute Collection – a journey, showcase and inside view of the personal and artistic life of the legendary and forever influential musical icon.

All of the songs in The Absolute Collection were carefully selected and represent every transcendent era of her career. The majority of the tracks are from the great and vast catalog of the legendary Fania Record label where Celia Cruz recorded the majority of her historic recordings. In addition, the audio has been meticulously re-mastered for the optimum audio experience.

Released via Sony Music Latin on July 30, The Absolute Collection includes 30 songs on two CDs, plus a 60-page book with over 70 photos and other memorabilia never previously published most of it from Celia Cruz’s personal collection. The best part? We are giving away a copy of Celia Cruz – The Absolute Collection to one of our lucky Austin Vida readers!

The giveaway is part of a nationwide Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Our giveaway will be conducted as a raffle from our email list. Our giveaway is only open to all ages and to those with physical mailing addresses in the Central Texas area only. If that describes you, just click “enter the drawing” below after submitting your full name and email address. Only those who submit full names will be officially entered in the drawing. We will pick the winner from these submissions before 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. The winner will be notified via email from Austin Vida. Azúcar!