Celebrate the timeless legacy of Celia Cruz at Grand Performances on Saturday August 3rd with HAVANA SECRET, GIA FU and CONTRA-TIEMPO.
Presented by Nance Arte Productions and Fania Records, “A Tribute to Salsa Royalty” will feature inspired renditions of timeless classics performed by Havana Secret, the backing band from Celia Cruz’s final US tour.
Schedule
6:00 pm, DJ GIA FU
7:00 pm, CONTRA-TIEMPO
7:30 pm, DJ GIA FU (second set)
8:00 pm, Havana Secret
LOCATION, PARKING & FAQ click here
Step into the electrifying world of Havana Secret as they pay homage to the unforgettable "Salsa Queen," Celia Cruz. Boasting a vibrant fusion of sounds from Mrs. Cruz's legendary West Coast orchestra and Cuba's iconic dance bands, this musical extravaganza promises fresh, invigorating renditions of Celia's timeless hits under the spellbinding direction of Maestros Luis Eric Gonzalez and Sean Billings who were her last backing band.
Join us for a night filled with pulsating rhythms and soul-stirring melodies as Havana Secret's talented members, previously in the company of music icons like NG La Banda, Orlando "Maraca" Valle & the New Collective, Grupo Niche, Elito Reve y Su Charangon, Conjunto Rumbavana, Jennifer Lopez, Juan Gabriel, Joan Sebastian, Gloria Trevi, ignite the stage with a tribute fit for a musical queen!
Gia Fu
Gia Fu, a DJ/selector and music producer from Hong Kong, specializes in Afro-Latin music, particularly Salsa and associated rhythms. Beyond extensive touring as an international DJ and music producer, her research work explores how cultures - including her own Chinese heritage and Latin American influences - enrich one another. Having grown up in a culturally vibrant environment, her upbringing fuels her passion for challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusion within the music industry.
Leading the Canton Mambo 曼波 project, Gia Fu dedicates herself to bridging cultural divides, embracing diversity through research, cultural & dance events, and music. This initiative creates an all-inclusive space where diverse cultural elements harmonize, fostering unity through the arts. Her upcoming single, "Canton Mambo," blends her native musical instrument Guzheng with salsa rhythms, introducing an exciting fusion sound for the genre.
About CONTRA-TIEMPO
CONTRA-TIEMPO is a bold, multilingual Los Angeles-based activist dance theater company that creates communities where all people are awakened to a sense of themselves as artists and social change agents who move through the world with compassion, confidence, and joy.
CONTRA-TIEMPO create a new physical, visual and sonic vocabulary that collages Salsa, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop, and contemporary dance with theater, compelling text, and original music to bring dynamic multi-modal experiences to the concert stage. While the performances are consistently electrifying, what sets the company apart most is their unique relationship to our own community. CONTRA-TIEMPO takes an uncompromisingly radical approach to the ways in which artists function within communities and create their work.
https://www.instagram.com/contra_tiempo/
Nancy Marie Arteaga, owner of Nance Arte Productions in Los Angeles, is a powerhouse in the music scene. Specializing in Latin, soul, and reggae, she manages and produces emerging talents like Boogaloo Assassins, The Lions, and more. She's also collaborated with renowned acts like Hepcat and Budos Band, orchestrates popular events, such as tributes to Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, and oversees LA's top soul and funk vinyl dance party, Funky Sole.
https://www.instagram.com/nancearteproductions/
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched.
This event has an ASL Interpreter provided as a courtesy by Pro Bono ASL.
This performance is supported, in part, by AARP, the Green Foundation, Logic Technology Consulting Group, Ahmad Tea, Supervisor Hilda Solis, the Norris Foundation, a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture through the following programs: as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan, and the Organizational Grant Program.