PRESS RELEASE    PRESS RELEASE    PRESS RELEASE   

BRIDGE TO HAVANA 

Video Celebration   - OLA FRESCA and Jose Conde + Special guest DJ BONGOHEAD

ARTS RIOT Burlington, VERMONT  - SATURDAY September 3, 2016

400 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401

In 1998, almost 20 years before the historic re-opening of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, Jose Conde wrote a song called “Puente a Mi Gente”(Bridge to My People), that lyrically visualizes a bridge “longer than 90 miles” connecting Cuba and Cuban Americans made simply of musical “clave” and positive energy.

Now in the wake of Obama’s diplomatic trip to Cuba, Jose Conde is preparing to launch a video for the song “Puente a Mi Gente” which he has been filming and recording for a year in New York, Miami, and Havana, and which contains the contributions from many Cuban musicians in the diaspora and on the island.

 The video and song are intended by Conde as a cultural bridge of benevolence between the diaspora and Cubans on the island with appearances by current and former members of Los Van Van - Juan Carlos Formell and Orlando Canto Valdez,

NY based Cuban singer and former member of NG La Banda Gerardo Contino, Havana based bolero songstress Danae Blanco, legendary Los Karachi founder/arranger/bassist (current NY musician)Pablo Moya, as well as musicians from Conde’s Ola Fresca band and others. Carlos Mateu a Havana native painter/dancer now based in NY is also featured with a team of his dancers in his choreography on Brooklyn Landings under the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

 The video and song have been completely recorded , filmed, edited, and arranged by Jose Conde and it will be released worldwide on Youtube and Vimeo this fall.

 This Saturday, come join OLA FRESCA and Jose Conde as they celebrate the upcoming video release for PUENTE A MI GENTE and build a BRIDGE TO HAVANA at ARTS RIOT, from VERMONT TO CUBA!  Joining the band on this evening will be DJ BONGOHEAD spinning Cuban Classics and Salsa. DJ BONGOHEAD aka Pablo Yglesias is a noted music writer and cultural curator who has curated compilations for labels such as Rough Guide and Vampi Soul and he is also co owner of Peace and Rhythm Records.

OLA FRESCA is a Brooklyn based band that plays original funky Cuban salsa. Jose Conde writes, arranges, sings, leads the band, and dances. The band is recently released it’s 3^rd  album ELIXIR to overwhelming world wide acclaim.

Doors open at 8PM. Tickets are $10 in advance $15 the day of the show. Check out the event here:

Press inquiries: pipikirecords@gmail.com

OLA FRESCA w. DJ BONGOHEAD 
At ArtsRiot, Burlington, VT, Sept. 3, 2016 
8:00 PM DOORS - 9:00 PM SHOW 
$10 | $15 DAY OF SHOW ALL AGES 
"A Bridge To Havana" 
Check out the ArtsRiot listing here

Featuring Cuban roots, Nuyorican salsa and more! Ola Fresca (translates as "Fresh Wave") makes musical bridges connecting Havana with the USA; mixing son Cubano and hard-core trombone salsa with Cuban timba, songo, salsa narrativa (poetic, narrative lyrics with a message), even a bit of funk, plus some back country guajiro music, with a dab of cha-cha-cha and Boricuan bomba y plena to boot! Think Willie Colón and Rubén Blades meet Los Van Van, with some Meters, Arsenio Rodriguez and Cortijo thrown in the stew for good measure! 

Ola Fresca, in its first 10 years and after releasing 3 acclaimed, award winning albums (under the direction and creative energy of Jose Conde), has evolved a swinging, fearless, diverse, original tropical Latin sound with global reach that comes directly from the rich bubbling melting-pot of Brooklyn, NewYork! Ola Fresca puts an “emphasis on songs with characters, wordplay and mild social ideas...good for dancing and thinking!” —NY TIMES 

And last but not least, I, DJ Bongohead, will be spinning an all-vinyl Latin dance set before and after the band. BTW - it's my birthday so come help me celebrate!! Plus you can purchase the vinyl and CD release of "Elixir" - Ola Fresca's most recent release (the vinyl is 180 gram, features a deluxe insert with bilingual lyrics, and it's put out by our very own label, Peace & Rhythm).

Check out Ola Fresca here

Peace & Rhythm Presents: Rumba Psicodélica

with DJs Andujar, Studebaker Hawk & Bongohead at The Root Cellar, downtown Greenfield's newest music venue. Join us on Wednesday, August 17th for some vinyl DJs spinning funky, international grooves! This event is FREE ADMISSION, 21+. Doors open at 8, music starts pumping at 9.

Representing the Peace & Rhythm crew, Andujar, Studebaker Hawk & Bongohead return the Rumba Psicodélica all-vinyl dance party to Greenfield. Dance to funky international music, including afrobeat, highlife, dub, cumbia, Anatolian rock, Bollywood, Afro-funk, psych-salsa, West African disco, Cape Verdean funaná, Puerto Rican bomba, boogaloo, 70s African rock, samba, Bajan spouge, Amazonian chicha, Caribbean dancefloor-jazz, Arabesque, Latin funk, palenque/champeta sounds and good ole JB-inspired funk. All from vinyl.

Peace & Rhythm is a vinyl record label founded by DJs Andujar, Bongohead and associates. Pressing glorious independent music on vinyl. Funk, world and jazz are the launchpoints. Peace & Rhythm are excited to partner with The Root Cellar on this weekly series. For more info visit www.peaceandrhythm.com

The Root Cellar brings downtown Greenfield fresh, quality music five nights a week, including funk, rock, jambands, jazz, reggae, afrobeat, latin, folk, DJs and anything else! Quality, diverse selection of beverages (including the namesake house Root Cellar Pale Ale by Stoneman), hand-crafted cocktails, non-alcoholic options such as kombucha and cold-brewed coffee from the tap, outdoor seating, great art and a killer sound system! A beautiful spot for your dancing, listening and socializing pleasure!

10 Fiske Ave, below Mesa Verde. This venue is wheelchair accessible via elevator.