ISBNPA 2010 OPENING RECEPTION
Wednesday June 9, 6-9 PM
Fredrick R Weisman Art Museum
333 East River Road, Minneapolis
Reunite with your ISBNPA friends and make a few new ones at the ISBNPA
2010 Opening Reception. This not-to-be-missed event will allow you to
explore the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Museum, a striking Frank Gehry designed
building located on the banks of the Mississippi River and in the heart of
the University of Minnesota Campus. Here you can tour the galleries
featuring 20th century American artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden
Hartley, as well as a diverse selection of contemporary art. Livening
up the evening will be the Charanga Tropical ensemble that will attempt to
fill the dance floor with their infectious Cuban rhythms. Appetizers
and cash bar will be available (One complementary drink ticket with
conference registration.) Prizes will be given for best and most
enthusiastic dancers. (Serious contenders should consider registering
for the Salsa Dancing workshop!) This event is free for conference
registrants. Bus transportation will be provided to and from the
Radisson Hotel approximately every 30 minutes.
Charanga Tropical is a nine-piece salsa ensemble that performs classic
and modern salsa music. Performing with the unique Cuban "charanga"
instrumentation that includes violins and flute, the group presents a sound
that is harmonically rich and infectiously rhythmic, inspiring visions
mojitos and Caribbean sunsets. Featuring musicians from throughout the
Americas, this band knows how to fill a dance floor and start a party!
Using an instrumentation that dates back to the roots of the music in
Cuba, Charanga Tropical blends the old with the new to create
a sound that is classic yet modern. Music that is rich in harmony and
melody, fantastic for listening and superb for dancing.
The repertoire of Charanga Tropical features rarely heard
danzones and a spicy variety of son, salsa, cha cha cha, and
timba. The members of the group include master musicians from
Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Their collective
accomplishments include tours to Asia, Europe, and South America, platinum
recordings, doctorate degrees, and multiple Latin Grammy nominations.
Charanga Tropical was founded in 2006 by saxophone and
flute player Douglas Little. Little spent five months studying in
Havana with legendary flute players Jauquin Oliveros (performances with
Chucho Valdez, Orchestra Rubalcaba, Orchestra Jorín, etc)
and Jorge Leliebre (Grammy winner with Los Van Van). While on
the island, Little was introduced to the style of “Charanga,” the unique
sound that blends violins and flute with Cuban rhythms. Though modern
Latin recordings still incorporate strings and flutes into arrangements,
true Charanga music is rarely heard outside of Cuba, Mexico, and a select
few American cities. Now with Charanga Tropical, the
special sound is being heard in Minneapolis.