Tito Puente Latin Music Series Returns with Free Outdoor Concerts and Salsa Dancing Across Boston

The seires runs from July 2 through August 6 in parks throughout Boston.

July 2, 2015

Taking place on Thursdays in July and August at outdoor locations across Boston, the six-concert Tito Puente Latin Music Series presents a soundscape of salsa, bolero, danzón, Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and more. Performers include Berklee faculty, students, alumni, and world-renowned artists from Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela. Audiences should bring their dancing shoes; the MetaMovements Latin Dance Company will provide free salsa lessons during each concert.

The Tito Puente Latin Music Series kicks off on July 2 at O’Day Park in the South End, with additional performances there on July 16 and 30. The series will also feature performances at Mission Hill Playground on July 9, Mozart Park in Jamaica Plain on July 23, and the East Boston Greenway on August 6.

All concerts are at 7:00 p.m. All locations are wheelchair accessible. In the event of inclement weather, the O’Day Park concerts will move inside to Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, and the East Boston concert will move inside to nearby Zumix. All others will be canceled with no rain dates. For more information on the Tito Puente Latin Music Series and other Berklee Summer in the City events, presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, visit berklee.edu/events/summer.

The Tito Puente Latin Music Series is presented by Berklee College of Music; IBA – Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción; and the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department.

 

July 2 at O’Day Park in the South End - Rhythm of the Americas Project

The Rhythm of the Americas Project features Berklee professor Mark Walker's original, modern compositions in various Latin American styles.

July 9 at Mission Hill Playground – Curubande

Curubande brings fresh energy with new compositions written by Manolo Mairena, a New England–based vocalist who originally hails from Costa Rica.

July 16 at O’Day Park in the South End – Folklore Urbano Orchestra

The Folklore Urbano Orchestra continues its trajectory of defining a truly new Colombian music by blending urban, contemporary sounds with such rhythms as Colombia’s cumbia, porro chocoano, bullerengue, joropo, and bambuco traditions. These rhythmic infusions bring energetic explosions from each member of the orchestra that will leave the audience on its feet.

July 23 at Mozart Park in Jamaica Plain - Sonatempo

Sonatempo will introduce and play music in a variety of Latin styles such as son, bolero, cha-cha-cha, and guaguancó. Their repertoire and arrangements are committed to preserving the tradition and roots of the music, captivating the listener while serving as exciting dance music.

July 30 at O’Day Park in the South End – Ola Fresca

Ola Fresca weaves musical bridges that connect Cuban son, salsa, timba, and funk. Under the direction and creative energy of Jose Conde, the band has evolved a swinging, fearless tropical sound directly from Brooklyn, New York.

August 6 at the East Boston Greenway – The Zahili Gonzalez Zamora Project

Zahili Gonzalez Zamora’s music is a fusion of different genres that sets its foundation in the deep traditions of Cuban music, bebop, funk, and soul while giving a nod to more current artists such as Michel Petrucciani and Erykah Badu. Although her heart resides in the smoky parlor of 1940s Minton's alongside giants of American music such as Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis, Zamora's ensemble nevertheless dances with D'Angelo and Paquito D'Rivera in the clubs of modern Los Angeles, embodying the new vision of a global music community.

 

Liz Lupton is a publicist in the Office of Media Relations. Media inquiries: llupton@berklee.edu.