The Autry announces summer concert series

The Autry National Center’s all-ages outdoor dance party brings the hottest salsa bands for two summer months of great music and dancing. Thursday nights in July and August (5 nights in July and 4 in August) are filled with the scintillating sounds of mambo, son, Latin jazz, charanga, and Afro-Cuban beats.

See top Latin bands in a fun, casual, energetic setting. Our stellar lineup of bands brings high-energy fun for dancers. Even if you think you can’t dance, our salsa instructor, Trish Connery of Dance Chatter, will show you how. Plus, visit the museum and the Autry Store until 8:00 p.m. and view our current exhibitions, Home Lands: How Women Made the West and The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Tradition.

Bands include living legends of the salsa scene as well as the latest and greatest groups around, including the legendary Francisco Aguabella, Yari Moré, Orquesta Son Mayor, Lucky 7, crowd favorite Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad, and more!

“This crowd, they love Latin jazz music,” says bandleader and musical legend Francisco Aguabella about performing each year at Sizzling Summer Nights. “They enjoy it; I enjoy them. This is one of the greatest places to play in L.A.”

A taco and drink bar will serve up the best margaritas in Griffith Park. The cafe and bar open at 5:00 p.m., and the museum and Autry Store close at 8:00 p.m. Complimentary dance lessons and a separate dance floor for kids guarantee fun for all!

July 1 Susie Hansen Latin Band
July 8 Yari Moré
July 15 Orquesta Charangoa
July 22 Lucky 7
July 29 Los Compadres
August 5 Francisco Aguabella and his Latin Jazz Ensemble
August 12 Orquesta Son Mayor
August 19 Perico Hernandez y Son de la Tierra
August 26 Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad

Susie Hansen Latin Band
Electric violinist Susie Hansen and her group of talented musicians have created a unique sound and musical style that combines jazz and Latin music. A Chicago native and a well-established jazz musician, Hansen has developed a unique and exciting style that features her electric violin as the lead instrument of the ensemble. She has drawn on various forms of jazz and Latin music, integrating her own interpretation of traditional Cuban charanga, a predecessor of salsa, which often features the violin; utilizing the ever-potent fire of Afro-Cuban rhythms; and incorporating the compelling harmonies of straight-ahead jazz.

Yari Moré
Known as the “romantic of salsa,” and a veteran of the global salsa scene, Yari Moré will sweep you off your feet with his smooth voice and high-energy orchestra. He earned respect singing in Ecuador and El Salvador with various bands. After moving to the United States to expand his résumé, he began winning competitions such as the OTI song festival for three consecutive years, and he won national recognition by winning Star Search.

Orquesta Charangoa
Since 1997, Charangoa has kept the flame of traditional charanga alive in L.A. One of the few women in salsa, bandleader and arranger Fay Roberts fires up her flute in this distinct Cuban charanga-style orchestra. Charangoa has appeared in some of L.A.’s top venues, on KTTV’s Good Day L.A., and at many festivals throughout Los Angeles.

Lucky 7
Fresh on the salsa scene, Lucky 7 brings back the multiethnic music fusion of 1950s and ’60s Spanish Harlem and the high-energy sounds of the classic mambo. The band features the haunting harmonies of the vibraphone and features some of the hardest-working musicians in L.A. Their uniquely American-made style draws on the best of Cuban son, African American jazz, and Puerto Rican soul.

Los Compadres
Los Compadres is made up of eight individuals with the same goal: to have fun playing music. Formed in 2007 by a collection of long-time friends and colleagues, Los Compadres brings with them a classic sound with a new approach. Mixing original arrangements with some old-school classics, Los Compadres is guaranteed to make you dance all night long.

Francisco Aguabella
Living legend Francisco Aguabella kicks off August’s Sizzling Summer Nights. Exuding passion and fire on the congas, and backed by his ensemble, he adds an exciting twist to the smooth sound of jazz with the electrifying rhythms of Afro-Cuban music, forming a unique and versatile sound. He has entertained audiences all over Europe, Australia, South America, and the United States (including the White House). Aguabella has enjoyed an extensive performing and recording career and has delighted many audiences with his masterful and powerful rhythms. He is featured in the documentary Sworn to the Drum by Les Blank, and is the subject of a new documentary, Aguabella, currently in production.

Orquesta Son Mayor
Voted “Best Salsa Band” by the LA Weekly, Son Mayor plays a mixture of vintage Latin and contemporary Cuban styles, creating high-energy sounds,. From humble beginnings, this musical family has made Son Mayor one of L.A.’s most sought-after salsa bands. Son Mayor has opened for and played alongside such greats as Chucho Valdez at the Hollywood Bowl, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Sonora Ponceña, Oscar D’León, El Canario, Ozomatli, and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas.

Jose “Perico” Hernandez y Son de la Tierra
Jose “Perico” Hernandez y Son de la Tierra play the full range of Afro-Cuban music, but for years Hernandez has been a musician’s musician, performing on records and film soundtracks and playing gigs with other Latin bands. He led a charanga-style band called Charangoa, where he played congas and sang at Hollywood nightspot El Floridita. There, on Friday nights, many a great musician would stop by to see the master at work. In May 2002, he recorded Caravana Cubana, which features an all-star lineup of Cuban and Latin musicians—everyone from the Grammy-winning Cuban pianist Jesus Chucho Valdes and the singers in Bamboleo, to Miguel Anga Diaz and Jimmy Bosch.

Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad
One of the most sought-after bandleaders in the U.S, Polanco has gained recognition for making the type of contagious Latin music that is truly appreciated by anyone who loves to dance. Throughout nearly 35 years of professional musicianship, Polanco has achieved a high level of skill on thirteen instruments, including the tres and cuatro guitar, trombone, and vibes.

About the Autry National Center
The Autry National Center is an intercultural history center dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences, and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West. Located in Griffith Park, the Autry includes the collections of the Museum of the American West, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, and the Autry Institute’s two research libraries: the Braun Research Library and the Autry Library. Exhibitions, public programs, K–12 educational services, and publications are designed to examine critical issues of society, offering insights into solutions and the contemporary human condition through the Western historical experience.

Weekday hours of operation for the Autry National Center’s museum at its Griffith Park location are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Autry Store’s weekday hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the Golden Spur Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours for the museum and the Autry Store are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The museum, the Autry Store, and the cafe are closed on Mondays. The libraries are open to researchers by appointment.

Museum admission is $9 for adults, $5 for students and seniors 60+, $3 for children 3–12, and free for Autry members, veterans, and children 2 and under. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.

www.theAutry.org