There’s never not a good time to have a dance party.
The Majestic Theater, Cardinal Bar, Centro Hispano and WORT are proud to present three exciting headlining artists performing at Madison’s 9th annual Latin Music Fest on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Organized by Tony Casteñada, artists include Grupo Atlántico, the Orquestra SalSoul del Mad and Edi Rey y su Salsera.
DJ Rumba will kick things off and provide music in between acts throughout the night. Grupo Atlántico, hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, will be performing traditional Cumbia, a dance-oriented Latin subgenre.
The Orquestra SalSoul del Mad will also be performing. The 14-piece group that has formed in Madison in just the past two years, brings together salsa and soul music to appeal to dance lovers young and old.
Edi Rey y su Salsera will perform a wide variety of salsa and dance music, with Edi Rey himself on saxophone. Though they are known for their salsa, the local group of five years plays everything from Merengue to mambo and cha cha.
Castañeda’s own band, The Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band, has been around for more than 16 years and played at the Fest last year. Though the band will not be making an appearance this November, he promised they will be back for the 10th annual Latin Music Fest next year.
The Latin Music Fest has been a core part of Madison’s developing Latin scene in its near decade of existence. In recent years, the genre has grown “leaps and bounds” in the area, according to Castañeda, also the master of ceremonies for the Fest. As evidenced by two of the 2016 headlining acts, new Latin bands are constantly developing in Madison and spreading their musical influence.
The Latin Music Fest has experienced a great deal of support from the Latino community over the years, and hopes to continue providing great entertainment in its annual endeavor to share Latin music with the public.
“[The event is] not for just Latino students, but anyone who can’t get home for Thanksgiving and wants to dance,” Castañeda said.
Aside from being an event to have a good time dancing the night away, the Latin Music Fest is an important piece of a greater effort to share culture and promote Latino experiences. To further the Latin Music Fest’s mission of spreading Latin music throughout the Madison area, proceeds from the fest will benefit the Music Program at Centro Hispano of Dane County.
Centro Hispano is a nonprofit organization centered on empowering Latino youth, strengthening their families and engaging the greater Madison community in issues pertinent to its Latino population.
“The Centro does a lot of great work and we are glad to give back,” Castañeda said.
Not every event needs to have some sort of higher meaning. For Castañeda and The Latin Jazz Fest, the main goal is simply to celebrate a booming music and culture in Madison. It is an important one nonetheless.
