Salsa Under the Stars: The Tito Puente Latin Music Series Hits the South End

Alex Alvear has an unusual and exciting job, working at the intersection of arts and culture as the Production Manager for Villa Victoria Center for the Arts; he’s been at it since 1991. It’s a gig that keeps him busy year-round, but particularly in summertime when he juggles the Festival Betances (this weekend) and the Tito Puente Latin Music Series, which kicked off on June 30 at Mozart Park in Jamaica Plain.

Tonight the series comes to the South End the first of three consecutive Thursday night concerts at before heading to . As a whole, the series serves up an infectious soundscape of salsa, timba, mambo, bolero, jazz, funk, soul, groove, and more. What’s more, the musicians involved are some of the best Boston has to offer: Berklee faculty, students and alumni as well as world-renowned artists from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, and throughout Latin America. 

In addition to his role with Villa Victoria and as a producer of the series, Alvear is also one of those aforementioned accomplished Boston musicians – you may have even seen him play at Johnny D’s in Somerville with Mango Blue or Equatorial… or CincoSon, somewhat of a New England Latin music super-group that blends regional sounds and influences into a rich rhythmic melting pot that’s bound to get even the stiffest of hips grinding in an elliptical pattern. CincoSon will be playing the second of the O’Day Park concerts next Thursday, July 21; tonight’s show features salsa/Latin jazz maven Ray Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican native with a 35-year musical pedigree that includes having played with the late Puente himself.

We spoke to Alvear about the passion and lure of Latin music and the success of this popular concert series.

Patch: Can you talk a bit about Tito Puente's mass appeal? His name is perhaps the most well recognized in the contemporary Latin canon... why do you think that is?

Alex Alvear: When we began the series, Tito Puente had recently passed away and we thought it appropriate to celebrate his legacy as an amazing musician and a world-wide icon of Latin music.  His musical style, his revolutionary timbal playing and his innumerable recordings brought Latin music to the forefront in the world's music scene.  He was a flamboyant entertainer and his music touched millions. In addition to celebrating Tito, the series was envisioned as a means to promote the amazing talent we have in the region and within the Berklee family. 

Patch: Can you articulate what is it about Latin music that gives it that notoriously sexy vibe?

Alvear: Latin music is extremely diverse. From Argentina to Mexico to the Caribbean as well as the many Latinos living in other parts of the world, this is a movement with a long and extremely rich history. Additionally, it’s a constantly evolving musical force. What we know of today as ‘salsa’ has become extremely popular in non-Latino countries, the US included. The "sexyness" of the dance comes from old folkloric traditions in which courtship and flirtation were manifested in movement.  As the styles developed, many new steps were incorporated from swing, ballroom, etc. Whether the dancers are moving frantically with elaborate steps or just close together maintaining the groove, this is a physical dance which brings people much closer than what social norms usually dictate. For a society where personal space is very important, salsa breaks the barriers down. Then there's the music, an impressive concoction of sonic elements and layered rhythms that offer such a powerful drive--it's practically impossible not to move.

Patch: CincoSon is known for re-working some other styles of music/other world genres and making them fit into a Latin groove - what's involved in that rearranging process? Are there certain styles that lend themselves to the treatment better than others?

Alvear: The members of CincoSon come from different parts of the world and are very versatile in their musicianship. The band plays mainly covers of old school salsa and it also creates original mixes of Latin music with other genres such as reggae, R&B and jazz.  Because all these styles share an African root, it is not a difficult thing to find the common threads and figure a way to play them together.  Much of the music is arranged on the spot and it's not uncommon for the band to break from one song into choruses from other songs.  CincoSon is very free-spirited indeed.  However, for the Tito Puente Latin Music Series, the emphasis will be mainly on salsa.  

Patch: What endures about this series? If this is the 7th year it's obviously an attraction that people turn out for - what works so well about it? How does this event fit into the scheme of the South End scene?

Alvear: As much as we like to think about our openness in Boston, this is still a city with many invisible walls.  Diverse communities don’t have many opportunities to come together and it's not a common thing to find places where all walks of life are joined together. For many years, our cultural programming has been a unique place where you really get a good glimpse of our city's diversity. The Tito Puente series, being a free, outdoor activity takes this to an even higher level. The fact that the series takes place in the heart of communities with a strong Latino presence is a major factor. But it’s also a collaboration of great organizations: the community partners in JP, East Boston and Mission Hill ensure a very strong, multi-pronged outreach at all levels.  Most importantly, the music travels through the air and becomes a magnet. The shows are more than mere concerts; they’re celebrations where dancers, Latin music lovers, families, youths and adults join together for two hours in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment with top-notch performers.

The TPLMS free concerts, including tonight’s performance by Ray Gonzalez, are from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Call 617-927-1707, or visit berklee.edu/events/summer for information. All locations are wheelchair accessible. The O’Day Park concerts in the South End move inside to Villa Victoria Center for the Arts when raining.