Spanish Harlem Orchestra

The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, renowned Latin group from the New York neighbourhood affectionately known by its inhabitants as El Barrio, returns to the Festival to rev up salsa fans with a Nuyorican party that nobody will ever forget!

“They make you get up and dance, tap into the good natured, communal spirit characteristic of Salsa at its timeless best”
Los Angeles Times

The powerhouse 13-piece all-star salsa big band will demonstrate why they are the “the leading light of the salsa reconstruction movement”(Newsday) by doing what they do best: hard-hitting, no-holds-barred New York salsa that is both contemporary and reverent to its rich musical history.

Since their inception 15 years ago, Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), under the direction of pianist, composer and arranger Oscar Hernández, has earned its reputation as the true voice of the barrio with intricate arrangements and pulsating rhythms that are steeped in the authentic salsa tradition. Their high-energy performances have delighted audiences across the globe from Asia to Australia, from Latin America to Europe. Grounded in the past, but with a focused eye on the future, Spanish Harlem Orchestra continues to play an integral role in ensuring salsa dura (“hard salsa”) is not just alive, but a thriving musical force. “Over the course of 15 years, the consistent thread in each of our records has been the hardcore rhythm, sophisticated arrangements and a lot of care toward producing quality music with high integrity for our genre,” says Hernández.

Each member of Spanish Harlem Orchestra has a significant connection to the authentic salsa tradition. It begins with Hernández, who has long been considered one of the most prominent musicians on the Latin, salsa and Latin-jazz music scene. Hernández’s musical legacy can be traced back to the 1970’s, a time in which he performed with a who’s who of salsa legends including Tito Puente, Machito, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades, Conjunto Libre, and Willie Colon. Later, Hernández went on to become the Musical Director for Paul Simon as well as the orchestrator and arranger for Gloria Estefan.

Considered “virtuosic journeymen who are one of New York’s great musical resources” (The New York Times), SHO has expanded greatly from their home turf of Harlem to some of the world’s premiere stages including the Sydney Opera House, the Playboy Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, and many others.

Two free, outdoor performances on the TD Stage, at Place des Festivals.

For more information visit: www.montrealjazzfest.com