Spanish Harlem Orchestra Brings Salsa to SLO

SAN LUIS OBISPO– The Spanish Harlem Orchestra is coming to the Central Coast for one night only, on Sunday February 11, 2007 at 7 p.m. in the Christopher Cohan Center’s Harman Hall.

Music director and co-founder Oscar Hernandez – the creative force behind such legends as Ruben Blades, Tito Puente, and Celia Cruz – was on a mission in 2000: to create the hottest Salsa band in the world.

Critics and audiences alike agreed Hernandez met his goal when he rounded up 13 seasoned sidemen to become the Salsa super group, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who bring to the stage "impeccable instrumental timing. (Billboard)

With a swinging sound both modern and historic, SHO is the signature
beat of 21st century Latin music. New York’s vibrant East Side community
known as “El Barrio,” located to the south of 125th St. Harlem’s main
thoroughfare, is an integral part of new Hispanic culture in New York.

Spanish Harlem is the birthplace for Salsa, Latin Soul, Boogaloo and
countless other variants within the tropical Latin idiom. From Tito
Puente to Marc Anthony, this small enclave has exerted a monumental
effect on the sound of American music today.

SHO is a glorious throwback to the 60s and 70s and the heydey of New
York Salsa. Led by Hernandez – world famous pianist and arranger in his
own right – the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has quickly established itself
as the curators of this tradition borne of “El Barrio.”

Their debut album, “Un Gran Dia en El Barrio” (“One Great Day in the
Neighborhood”) was released in 2002 to immediate acclaim and worldwide
recognition. In addition to winning Best New Artist at the 2003
Billboard Latin Music Awards, SHO was also nominated for a Grammy in
2002 for best Salsa Album Of The Year.

Their latest CD, “Across 110th Street,” features four performances by
the famed Ruben Blades, whose career has garnered him four Grammy awards
for World Music and whom many consider one of music’s main Renaissance men.

SHO is dedicated to preserving the vital history of classic Latin dance
orchestras, while at the same time writing and arranging new music for
the audience of today.

With world-class soloists like Jimmy Bosch, Raul Agraz and Bobby Allende
coupled with veteran singers like Ray De La Paz and Marco Bermudez, the
band has inspired musical gifts in a cross-section of areas.

Two trumpets, two trombones and a baritone sax make up the bracing brass
sound of this band. Dedicated conga, bongo and timbale players round out
the percussion and the upright bass and acoustic piano complete the
Salsa flavor.

SHO is also proud to use some of the greatest arrangers in the history
of Latin music. From the brilliant Marty Sheller to the 70+ year old Gil
Lopez, the arrangers for SHO steep the band in arrangements that amply
reflect the sophistication and musicality of the men behind the charts.

SHO's success is not limited to the United States; they made a huge
splash on the international touring circuit, playing cultural centers
like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Istanbul, Glasgow, Barcelona, London, Paris,
Oslo, Zurich, and Montreal.

Tickets for the performance range from $22 to $34, with student
discounts available, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket
Office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

To order by phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088.

Order on-line at www.pacslo.org. Sponsored by Jay and Carol Devore, the Peach Tree Inn, and KCBX 90.1 FM. For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit www.calpolyarts.org.

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