Spanish Harlem Orchestra With Paquito D'Rivera and Hermán Olivera to Perform at Hostos Community College

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture will present the three-time Grammy-Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra featuring Paquito D'Rivera and Hermán Olivera on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8:00 pm (EDT) live and in-person at the Main Theater of Hostos Community College. Under the direction of pianist Oscar Hernández, the orchestra has set the gold standard for excellence in authentic - New York style - hard core salsa. They will perform new material from their upcoming album Imágenes Latinas - their eighth CD release due out on Ovation Records. Joining them are Paquito D'Rivera, whose artistry with the saxophone and clarinet defies boundaries spanning jazz and Latin Jazz, and Hermán Olivera, a master of the "sonero" tradition, best known as the lead vocalist for the Eddie Palmieri Orchestra. They are on a mission to honor and keep the tradition of great Latin music, hard core Salsa and Latin Jazz alive, creating an unparalleled musical experience.

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture is on the campus of Hostos Community College/CUNY at 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451. Tickets for Spanish Harlem Orchestra on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8pm ($35, $30, $25; $20) can be purchased by calling the Hostos Center Box Office at 718-518-4455 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm), or online at www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts. Box Office Window Hours are Mon-Fri, 1pm to 4pm and beginning at 6pm on the day of the concert. Hostos Community College can be reached by the IRT 2, 4, 5 Trains and the Bronx Bx1, Bx2, Bx19 buses to 149th Street & Grand Concourse. By car, the College is off Exit 3 of the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Oscar Hernández is a Bronx native, a four-time Grammy Award Winner, and one of the most gifted and prominent pianist/arrangers of contemporary Latin, Latin-jazz and salsa music. He has achieved legendary status for his prolific career performing and recording with world renown artists such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Ray Barreto, Johnny Pacheco, Ismael Miranda, Pete 'El Conde' Rodríquez, Libre, Grupo Folkórico Experimental, and many more. Oscar was responsible for charting the musical course of Rubén Blades' band "Seis Del Solar" becoming Blades' pianist, arranger and musical director. He was Musical Director/Conductor, arranging and producing the music for Paul Simon's Broadway musical "The Capeman." He continues to be in demand as one of the top pianists, arranger/composers and bandleaders in his field.

Paquito D'Rivera - winner of fourteen Grammy Awards - is celebrated for his artistry in Latin jazz. Born in Havana, Cuba, he was a founding member and co-director of the innovative musical ensemble Irakere which created an explosive mix of jazz, rock, classical and traditional Cuban music never before heard. His numerous recordings include more than 30 solo albums. In 1988, he was a founding member of the United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble organized by Dizzy Gillespie to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz. In addition to his Grammy Awards, D'Rivera is the recipient of numerous and prestigious awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall, the NEA Jazz Masters Award 2005 and the National Medal of the Arts 2005, as well as the Living Jazz Legend Award from the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. in 2007.

Hermán Olivera began his career in New York City achieving international recognition as the lead singer of "Conjunto Libre," Manny Oquendo's legendary group. Soon after he was performing and recording with the giants of salsa, including Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Machito, and Israel 'Cachao' López, among many others. In the late 1990s Hermán assumed the prestigious role of lead vocalist for the Eddie Palmieri Orchestra, with whom he currently maintains a busy touring and recording schedule. Herman has recorded over 45 albums, received four Grammy Award nominations and is the recipient of two Grammy Awards. He is considered by many as one of the very few real "soneros" left in authentic salsa music.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra is the three-time Grammy Award-winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band that sets the gold standard for excellence in authentic, New York style, salsa and Latin jazz. In 2000, producer Aaron Levinson approached Oscar Hernández about the idea of assembling a Latin jazz orchestra. Two years later, the debut recording from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Un Gran Día en el Barrio, went on to receive a Grammy nomination for "Best Salsa Album." The ensemble has traveled the world and released seven recordings, with its eighth one due out soon in late May. Based on the success of their first CD album, Hernández and SHO began touring, recording and wowing audiences all over the world.

ABOUT THE HOSTOS CENTER FOR THE ARTS & CULTURE

Named "the powerful locus for Latino art" by the New York Times, the Hostos Center serves the cultural needs of South Bronx residents and neighboring communities. As a leader in Latinx and African-based programming, the Center creates performing and visual arts forums in which the diverse cultural heritages of its audiences are celebrated and nurtured. The Hostos Center consists of two state-of-the art theaters of 900 and 367 seats each, an experimental Black Box theater and a museum-grade art gallery.

Hostos Center events are sponsored by the Hostos Community College Foundation with funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of NYC Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr., and the Office of NYS Assemblyman José Rivera.

ABOUT HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for nearly half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York's (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation's leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges. https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/

Box Office & Information:
718-518-4455 / www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts