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LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE March 2001 issue (p.16) Desde La Bahia By Jesse "Chuy" Varela |
| Women in Salsa: For years, the exclusion of women in roles other
than as singers and dancers in Latin music has been notorious. But it hasn't stopped
the cadres of talented female instrumentalists who create their own platforms
with all-female bands to play musica latina and swing as hard as their male
counterparts. In addition to such groups as Orquesta Anacaona, Latin Fever
and Son Damas, Bay Area bands like Chevere, Orquesta Sabrosita and Azucar y
Crema have forged their own trajectory and tradition. A great example was revealed on a soggy rainy night, on Thursday January 25th at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, as a packed house came together for a Bay Area summit of Women in Salsa. Spearheaded by Marina Garza, an Albita-look alike trumpeter from Texas who leads the impressive Orquesta D'Soul, the three hour long benefit was held to raise funds needed by her group to produce a recording. With a little help from her friends...Once and Dulce Mambo&3151;they got a nice turnout and a solid show of financial support. Orquesta D'Soul opened with two sets of original music, featuring its charismatic leader's whirling trumpet, as well as vocalists Gloria Amaral and Juliana Munoz, swaying like a Mission District answer to the Spice Girls and creating nice group harmonies in a bilingual mix of urban love themes and driving "get your booty in gear" dance beats. The tunes "Insomnia", and "Victim of Bad Love" feature horn-oriented, super-chargedmontuno sections, but to call Garza's music salsa is a misnomer. It's more akin to chicano-latino groove (ala Los Mocosos), filled with originality and daring spirit that fusses reggae, cumbia, rock, funk, rap and latin grooves. |
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