VIDEO: Spanish Harlem Orchestra to Heat up VPAC with SALSA NAVIDAD - Dec 5

Spanish Harlem Orchestra's holiday show Salsa Navidad makes its West Coast debut at the Valley Performing Arts Center. Created in 2013, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra's Salsa Navidad puts an invigorating Latin flare on classic holiday songs, elevating the rhythmic elements. The Los Angeles based dance company, Ballet RED (Josie Walsh, Artistic Director/Choreographer), will join Spanish Harlem Orchestra for three musical numbers, bringing the Latin rhythms to life with the company's fresh mixture of traditions. This event is presented as part of the Ford Signature Series, a program of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Check out a video of the performers below!

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

The two-time Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), now in its 15th year, features musicians who helped shape the sound of salsa in New York over the last four decades. Their music is characterized by the raw, organic and vintage sound defined by the genre. They are on a mission to keep the musical legacy of salsa dura "hard salsa" alive and expand its audience to those who love great music, not just Latin music.

"The holidays are heating up with a sizzling performance by band leader Oscar Hernandez and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra," said VPAC's Executive Director Thor Steingraber. "Salsa lovers won't be able to stay in their seats, and the uninitiated will be converted by the band's infectious rhythms and tunes."

The VPAC and Ford Theatres presentation of Spanish Harlem Orchestra is part of the center's extensive programming of folkloric and popular Latino artists. Now entering its Fifth Anniversary year, VPAC's mission is to present a wide variety of performances that not only includes new and original work, but also work from around the world that appeals to all of LA's rich and diverse communities.

Ballet RED is an innovative contemporary ballet company founded in 2000 by Director/Choreographer Josie Walsh, formerly under the name MYO Dance. Josie Walsh's unique hybridized style of edgy classical and contemporary ballet fusion along with her dynamic collaboration with electronic composer Jealous Angel, musicians, visual artists, multimedia and fashion designers has created a signature all its own. Ballet RED is a rendition of a new kind of genre, priding itself in transcending boundaries that present any single art form or classical tradition. Walsh was named one of the Los Angeles Times' "Faces to Watch" in 2014.

Tickets
Tickets for Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad with Ballet RED range from $30 to $60 and can be purchased by visiting ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org or calling (818) 677-3000. Valley Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8448, at the corner of Nordhoff and Lindley.

To post a comment, you must register and login.