On several occasions The Mambo Kings delighted standing-room-only
audiences at the Blue Star Brewery with their repertoire of the best of
jazz with a uniquely Latin twist. The Mambo Kings is an elite ensemble of
top-flight musicians with festive costumes and traditional big band stands
that evoke and pay homage to the classic appearance and panache of the great
Latin bands of the forties and fifties, e.g. Desi Arnaz, Xavier Cugat, and Prez Prado.
The performance highlighted the pioneering music of Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria, and Machito. The Mambo Kings headlined the Fifth Annual Latin Jazz festival in Brownsville and sold-out two consecutive nights at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center with their "Tribute to Tito Puente" show. John Lopez is the musical director. Featured soloists include Jay Fort, Randy Zimmerman, Luvine Elias, and Tim McWright among others. |