The Brownsville
Latin Jazz Festival
October 15 - 18, 2003
For seven years running, the Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival has continued to grow and prosper. Inaugurated in 1997 by the late-great King of Latin Jazz, Tito Puente, the Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival has truly become an important event
in South Texas' cultural calendar as well as an internationally recognized
music festival drawing bona-fide Latin Jazz performers and aficionados.
Brownsville, at the very tip of the Lone Star State, offers plenty of tropical atmosphere and the perfect blend of jazz-oriented Latin rhythms.
Leading the way for the continued success and development of the festival is the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts, an impressive local arts body that continues to expand the culture and arts of the Rio Grande Valley. The Society is involved in several annual events (including the memorable annual Guitar Festival) and leads Brownsville and the Lower Valley region into the new century with a firm grasp on an expanding interest in the arts.
Headlining the festival this year is New York drummer Bobby Sanabria, the hottest drummer in Latin Jazzand his incredible nine piece band, Asencion.
These Masters of Afro-Cuban Jazz have thrilled audiences around the world and bring a new sophistication to an already cosmopolitan musical program. Sanabria along with Vivaz, a Latin Jazz dance group from New Orleans will perform Friday night, Oct. 17th, at Brownsville's Jacob Brown Auditorium on the University of Texas-Brownsville campus.
Saturday afternoon and evening, Oct 18th, marks a significant day of the festival as the Capitol Theater Street Party takes place on the streets of downtown Brownsville. Free to the public, the party features a performance from Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez. Also on the music agenda are the groups Calpoli and the University of Texas Brownsville/Texas Southmost College Jazz Band, and performances by several Latin Jazz dance troupes.
Other activities of the festival include a screening of a Cinesol Latin Film Festival film Wednesday night, Oct. 15th, at the historic Capitol Theater, and a communitywide Latin Dance Party at several venues throughout Brownsville on Thursday night, OCt 16th.
For ticket information and more about this years Latin Jazz Festival, link to the official site here.
