By Daily Press staff
Tonight’s free concert at the Santa Monica Pier features the Afro-Cuban ensemble “ODARA.”
The band incorporates rumba, cha cha, guaracha, bembe and tumba francesca into their music for a salsa sound packed with flavor and soul.
In the Afro-Cuban folklore tradition “odara” means “firmly rooted, well grounded or balanced.”
ODARA recently released their debut album “Odara,” which showcases the song writing and arranging of legendary Afro- Cuban artists Lazaro Galarraga and Guillermo Cespedes.
The band includes Galarraga and Cespedes, Humberto “Nengue” Hernandez on timbales, Richard Marquez on congas, Joel Pena playing the Cuban “tres” guitar, Iris Cepeda on background vocals, Raimundo Someyan and John Fumo on the trumpets, bassist Rahsaan Fredricks and Gary Eisenberg on trumpet and valve trombone.
The Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band will open the show, featuring renowned jazz violinist Susie Hansen and some of LA’s finest jazz musicians playing their brand of hot Afro-Cuban jazz.
Tonight’s concert runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the parking deck of the Santa Monica Pier.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 7, 2003. Read the original PDF.