7 pm
MelazaMusic and the National Hispanic Cultural Center present a live pop-up salsa event with Son Como Son and Ivón Ulibarrí & Café Mocha. This family-friendly event, also featuring drinks and delicious Latin cuisine, will be held in the NHCC’s enchanting Fountain Courtyard.
$12 w/ $2 discount for NHCC members; free for children 12 and younger
Son Como Son bills itself as “Salsa, Cuban Style.” Founded in 1993, it is unquestionably one of Albuquerque’s longest-standing and most popular salsa ensembles. The band has played regularly to packed audiences of dedicated and enthusiastic salseros at the NM Jazz Workshop’s Salsa Under the Stars series; at the Cooperage; and at special concerts in venues such as the Telluride Jazz Festival. Son Como Son is directed by renowned trombonist, vocalist, percussionist, composer, and arranger César Bauvallet, who moved from Havana, Cuba to Albuquerque in 1992.
Ivón Ulibarrí & Café Mocha, also one of Albuquerque’s oldest and hottest salsa bands, serves up a blend of son, cha-cha, merengue, cumbia, and other styles from the Caribbean and beyond. An award-winning vocalist and songwriter and a pioneer of salsa music in New Mexico, Ivón has been entertaining for over 30 years.