The Afro Yaqui Music Collective was founded in 2014 by Gizelxanath Rodríguez (of Yaqui descent) and Ben Barson, a protege of the late saxophonist Fred Ho, who did pioneering work fusing Asian music and Jazz (Their Friday, August 11 concert is a tribute to him).  The AYMC, which is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,  fuses various forms of indigenous music (not exclusively Yaqui) with Jazz and Hip Hop, and there is a Cuban connection now with Ben Barson recently performing with NuJazz artist Zule Guerra in Cuba and now collaborating with Albertico Lescay, leader of Formas in Cuba, during his visit to the US.   You can see a lot more about this project, which also has a Facebook page, at Ben Barson's website here.   It will be interesting to see how this project and Formas exchange ideas.  

Albertico Lescay, of Santiago but now in Havana, is the leader of Formas, an important group in the NuJazz movement in Cuba.   (Albertico sometimes prefers to use Afro NuJazz because Formas retains more Afrocuban elements than many other groups in this part of the spectrum.) NuJazz in Cuba is a fusion of Cuban music, Jazz and Hip Hop. The strong Cuban foundations and more intricate Jazz patterns in the music distinguish it from what we once called Acid Jazz in the US, but there are parallels in the mixture of genres.  Formas has not yet released an album but has gained significant notice in Cuba. Albertico is currently visiting the US, sometimes playing with the AYMC, sometimes presenting the music of Formas using US musicians (including members of the AYMC). Again, the long-term results of this interchange should be interesting. 

This weekend, you can see these musicians as follows:
Friday, August 11:  Afro Yaqui Music Collective with special guest Albertico Lescay 
Ginny's Supper Club, New York, NY
Saturday, August 12:  Albertico Lescay presents the music of FORMAS with invited guests opening for Villalobos Brothers, part of a benefit performance for migrant justice 
Barnard Vermont

TIMBA ALERT:
Since Charanga Habenera has been performing as both Charanga Habanera and Charanga Light (a slightly different formation and repertoire), we asked the folks at Festival Cubano which version would be performing in Chicago on Sunday, August 13.   We were informed that it will be the regular Charanga Habanera. 
Festival Cubano runs from Friday, August 11 through Sunday, August 13 with two stages, food, games etc.  You can find everything you need to know on the Festival Cubano website here. 
When you go, be sure to also check out some of Chicago's fine local Cuban-American talent such as Stacie Sandoval and Matanza y su Latin Express. 

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The west coast gears up for the Pacific Mambo Orchestra's release party for their new single and first official video, the "Pacific Mambo Dance". After the closings of beloved venues Café Cócomo and The Addition (formnerly Yoshi's SF), Bay Area salseros and salseras are out in force seeking a new home-base. Let's hope this new Space 550 can rise to the occasion and accomodate this 20-piece powerhouse. The PMO will bring its legions of "música tropical" lovers to this new club next Friday May 15th.

Purchase advance tickets here =  http://pmo-dance-party.eventbrite.com
*This event will sell out and tickets are $10 more at the door. 

On related news, the PMO is set to perform at the Stern Grove Festival on Sunday June 21st with special guests and fellow grammy award winners Sheila E. and Marlow Rosado. The event should be called Grammys on the Grove if the Academy would allow it. The concert is sponsored by KPFA 94.1 FM. The Stern Grove Festival is FREE and takes place at the Sigmund Stern Grove, a 10,000 audience capacity, beautiful outdoor amphitheater located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. More to come on this story. Mambo's gonna rock your world!

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                  Calixto sitting in with PMG at the 2014 show - photo by Tom Ehrlich

This year will be the most Latin-oriented SJ Jazz Festival since the legendary 2014 Summerfest, and features several of the same headliners - Pedrito Martínez Group, Calixto Oviedo & Lily Hernández (we'll have an interview with Calixto tomorrow) and Jimmy Bosch - as well a some great funk bands - George Clinton & Maceo Parker - Daymé Arocena - Oscar Hernández and a long string of the best Bay Area groups - Conjunto Karabalí, Carlitos Medrano, Manny Martínez, Pacific Mambo and many others.

Pedrito plays Saturday at 3:00 with his own group and at 6:00 with Angélique Kidjo. Calixto will play Sunday at 4:30. Here's the full lineup.

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