Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! presents its new 2011-2012 season of free cultural and educational performances with debut performer Chino Espinoza y Los Dueños del Son, Los Angeles’ hottest salsa singer and orchestra.
The group is slated to perform at three venues in Santa Barbara County: a show at Isla Vista School on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m., one on Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe City Hall Auditorium, and another on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theatre in Santa Barbara.
¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! is a consortium of the Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts and Education Center, Isla Vista School, and UCSB Arts and Lectures. The groups formed one body to provide cultural and traditional music to neighborhood venues for free, and each group organizes volunteers and funds for its respective concert. The performing artists also visit several local schools to demonstrate their art and educate local children.
“They got together to present quality cultural programming for families for free,” said Cathy Oliverson, manager for Performing Arts and Education Outreach for UCSB Arts and Lectures, “and the artists, they are sharing their art and themselves as role models, and they are incredibly generous and nice people.”
Mirley Espinoza, known by family and friends as Chino, is the creator and front man for Chino Espinoza y Los Dueños del Son, a Los Angeles-based salsa group that’s won accolades and a huge national following as one of the country’s greatest salsa groups.
Espinoza was born in Alajuela, Costa Rica, where he grew up with music, sang in a boy band, and majored in music, studying vocal technique, including operatic style.
“When I got to the United States, that’s when I started singing salsa,” he said. “That was a big change for me.”
Salsa is a style that formed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It’s an amalgamation of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and American styles of music. Derived from the Cuban style of son, salsa includes several different rhythms, Espinoza said, including mambo and tuaracha.
“But to be a good salsa singer, you have to have a lot of study in improvisation,” he said. “A salsa song has basically two parts: one is the melody, and then the second half of the song starts with the improvisation.”
Espinoza includes two other lead singers in his group who trade off the lead song by song. The instrumental aspect is impressive, as well. The salsa orchestra includes an upright bass, electric bass, keyboard, timbales, congas, bongos, two trombones, and an electric horn that acts as a synthesizer and fills the roles of several instruments. The singers also join in with light percussion, including maracas or cowbell.
Espinoza organized his horn section with mostly trombones, rather than trumpets and saxophones as in some contemporary salsa orchestras. This was no whim. The trombones provide a mellower and softer sound in the ensemble, better showcasing voices, which can sometimes get lost in a louder ensemble. A salsa historian in his own right, Espinoza said this type of horn section hearkens back to some of the groups of the ’70s.
Los Dueños del Son, Espinoza explained, translates to “owners of the rhythm,” a name that fits his group not just because of the three percussionists, but because the members of his horn ensemble actually perform choreographed dance steps while playing.
“That is one of our biggest attractions,” Espinoza said. “When you see them play, you start moving just by looking at them.”
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The group has been together for 14 years and has performed in Santa Barbara before, though this will be the group’s Guadalupe debut.
“My main concern is always to entertain with an energetic show,” Espinoza said. “We’re going to bring a very energetic and diverse show to Santa Barbara.”
¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara! includes five shows this season, from now through April 2012. Other performers include Valente Pastor, Los Soneros del Tesechoacán, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, and Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company.
Rocking O’Sullivan’s
The Dogons perform a live concert featuring two other local bands on Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. at O’Sullivan’s Pub, 633 East Main St., Santa Maria. There’s a $5 cover. More info: 260-4020 or thedogons@yahoo.com.
Jumpin with Jaxx
Jaxx performs live rock’n’roll music on Sept. 17 from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Shaw’s Cocktail Lounge on South Broadway, Santa Maria. There’s a $5 cover. More info: 757-8126 or jaxxbandpismo@gmail.com.
Celebrating Solvang
The Rebild National Park Society presents the Aalborg Police Band in concert as part of the Solvang Centennial celebrations Sept. 17 and 18 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Solvang Park in Solvang. More info: 688-1535, centennial@solvangusa.com, or solvangusa.com.
Park yourself
The City of Santa Maria has extended the Concerts in the Park series by popular demand to include a concert featuring Steppin’ Out on Sept. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Rotary Centennial Park, 2625 S, College Dr., Santa Maria. Hear it for free! More info: 925-0951, Ext. 260.
Music at the Maverick
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez presents DJ Totem on Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. The rock variety music of the Greedy Souls comes Sept. 16 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. A fundraiser for Dale Copass—featuring live music, a barbecue, a silent auction, and a raffle—is Sept. 17 from noon to 5 p.m. J.D. Bernal Band performs country music Sept. 17 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. Karaoke Night is Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. Tales from the Tavern features Ruby Jane and Butch Hancock on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. DJ Totem is on Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at 688-0383 or talesfromthetavern.com.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 15-22, 2011.