Oscar D' Leon Headlines UConn's Latin Fest 2009 Held 4/4

Dance! Eat! Celebrate the traditional and the trendy at UConn's Latin Fest 2009. Oscar D'León, "El León de la Salsa (The Lion of Salsa)," headlines the annual cabaret event opened by Ray González and His Orchestra on Saturday, April 4, at 8 pm at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs. Also on the program are DJ Wil G and a dance performance by UConn's Latin Dance Club, BAILE.

An extemporising singer (sonero) with a highly textured vocal tone, Caracas-born D'León is also a bassist, bandleader, composer, arranger and exceptional live performer with an incredible command of his audiences. According to New York Latino, his voice is "the prime source, the pulse, the ultimate instrument....No one can pronounce or articulate multi-syllabic phrases like Oscar D'. No one!"

D'León has performed around the world - in Tokyo, Canada, Cuba, and the Canary Islands, as well as throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. The joy of entertaining has been a constant thread throughout his career. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, D'León said, "My message is not about ecology or politics, but...simply that people have a good time and remember me as someone who loves them." In his 30-year career, Oscar D'León has demonstrated the true meaning of the word "artist."

The evening opens as bandleader/trumpeter Ray González, a renowned musician and Latin music pioneer in Connecticut, brings the Afro-Antilles rhythms of salsa, bolero, merengue, and Latin jazz to the fore with his orchestra. BAILE (Bringing Awareness Into Latino Ethnicities) will perform cultural dances that underscore the importance of heritage in the contemporary music scene, and DJ Wil G will mix it up and add sizzle to the evening. Semi-formal attire is required.

The Cabaret offers Latin dinner fare, dessert, and drinks (cash only) in a candlelit, nightclub setting with music that is high-octane hot. Doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are $30, $40 & $50, with a $5 discount for UConn students with a Student ID. For tickets and information, call 860.486.4226, or order conveniently online at: jorgensen.uconn.edu.

Free, convenient parking is available across the street in the North Garage.

 

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