Curator: SAUSD Team Members
Title: Plaza Calle Cuatro: Plaza of Dancing Brushes
Session Description: The Plaza Calle Cuatro is transformed as hundreds of student dancers, musicians and visual artists converge to perform and engage the community through multiple art forms. Be prepared to move and shake when you visit this part of the festival. Enjoy a variety of experiences from Ballet Folklorico and Mariachi music performances, to snippets of the musical Grease, to Polynesian cultural dance, and exhibits from our award winning dance teams. Experience, a “mixed tape” of music, dance, and theater that appeals to everyone.
1:00 Carr Intermediate Mariachi & Drum Line
1:30-2:00 SAUSD Polynesian Dance
2:00-2:30 Godinez, Valley, SAHS Dance
2:30 Santa Ana High Dance, Heninger Intermediate & Santa Ana High Ballet Folklórico
3:30 Santa Ana High Vocal
4:00 Segerstrom High Vocal
4:30 Romero-Cruz Intermediate Vocal
5:00 Godinez High Musical Theater
Curator: Maricela Vela
Title: SALSA & MUSIC MIXTURES
Session Description: In this workshop we will explain the elements of Latin Music. Example: Where Salsa and Jazz were taking place for the first time in the U.S.A. What the most prominent musical instruments are in Salsa. We will explain why Salsa music was one of the first types of art to entertain the Latin community in New York and the rest of Latino’s in the U.S.A. Finally, why youth should learn any type of Latin genre such as Salsa, Cumbia, Cha-cha-cha, Mariachi etc.
Gilberto was born in Caracas, Venezuela where he performed with the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra (El Sistema). Later, he moved to Cologne, Germany to study music and that is where he formed his Big Band Latin Jazz group called Guapacha which toured all over Europe. Gilberto has toured all over Germany (Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Köln, Krefeld, Künzelsauer, Leverkusen, Munich, Selm, Uhlhof) performing Jazz and Latin music. He also worked closely with a German entertainment company called Alba Kultur Aktion and had the opportunity to tour and perform internationally in places such as: Amsterdam-Holland, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Cuba.
In 1995, he moved to the United States where he continues to work as a professional flute player, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer, and teacher. He holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Music education, and a Master in Music education from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University of Long Beach. Gilberto has also participated in the Latin American Festival in downtown Long Beach, CA where he premiered his Latin Jazz Big Band Guapacha (in the United States) and released their new CD in the USA called “Something Different.” He also owns his own entertainment/production company called Guapacha Productions which represents Guapacha (Big Band Latin Jazz/Salsa Group consisting of 13 members), Now Giltower is working over his new project call Gil Tower and the LA Latin jazz fusion Project, and he also produces music for film, T.V., and jingles. He is currently working on combining his extensive knowledge of Latin music with the knowledge he acquired in Brazilian music while studying with professional musicians in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador-Bahia, and Recife (Brazil) in his upcoming CD.
Some of the musicians Gilberto has had the pleasure of performing with include: Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Dr. Dre, Poncho Sanchez, Banda Brothers, Thalia, Alvaro Torres, Luis Enrique, Justo Almario, Angela Carrasco, Jose Maria Napoleon, Alex Acuña, Cachao, Grupo Tolu, Luis Conte, Arturo Sandoval, Max Roach, Rudy Regalado, John Calloway, Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro, Rob Curto, Carlos Oliveira, Edu Ribeiro, Marcos Silva, Michael Spiro, Mark Lamson, Miguel Hernandez, Ray Carrion, The Band Europa, and many other professional artists. Gilberto has recorded about 20 CD’s of his own compositions.