Jazz artists to mark Fil-Am History Month with concert
VALLEJO, California — Filipino American jazz artists and the City of Vallejo will celebrate Filipino American History Month with a jazz concert Sunday, Oct. 30.
Pinoy Jazz’s 9th Annual San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival Concert will start Sunday at 2 p.m. at Empress Theater, 330 Virginia St., Vallejo.
The following acts will perform:
CRSB is a musical duo based in the San Francisco Bay Area that creates its own brand of Island Soul-infused Pop. Backed by a five-piece band, Chris Ramos and Sonny B. combine honest and memorable songwriting with a soulful island vibe. Their online videos have received over three and a half million plays.
CRSB has had five #1 songs and seven Top 5 Hits on Hawaiian Radio, and appeared on the Channel 4 ABC Morning News Show in addition to numerous other appearances. CRSB has maintained a consistent performance schedule while also releasing two projects, the LoveGun EP and the self-titled LP CRSB. It has created a unique sound that bridges the gap between Island Music and Pop Culture.
Autonomous Region presents classic standards and modern arrangements of jazz favorites. Led by vocalist and kulintang player Caroline Cabading, this San Francisco-based ensemble was founded in the spring of 2015 as the house band for the I-Hotel Manilatown Center’s Club Mandalay pop-up jazz club, a community engagement project emphasizing family-friendly and affordable live music and spoken word presentations.
It was within this environment of creative support that the band began exploring and presenting original compositions, fusing jazz with the pre-colonial tribal music of the Philippines. They call this genre Kul Jazz, named after the traditional kulintang music of Mindanao, Philippines.
On The One is a Vallejo-based trio of young jazz enthusiasts ranging from ages 13 to 17 who have captivated their audiences with their unique “retro jazz fusion and acid jazz” sound. The group features electric keyboard and organ-trio riffs and grooves combined with solid rhythmic support from the bass and drums. This ensemble, consisting of Simon Ajero (keyboards), Guillermo Landaker (bass) and Steve Landaker Jr. (drums) has gained a loyal following in their
hometown and is sure to gain in popularity throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Already experienced performers even at their young age, On The One members have a large number of followers on social media including YouTube. Their youthful energy and enthusiasm for live improvisational music is inspiring to see.
Raffy Lata was born and raised in the Philippines and has lived in the United States for 20 years. His passion for playing the guitar began when he was eight years old, learning to play by intently listening to various recordings and observing other guitar players. After delving into pop and rock music, he eventually taught himself to play the classical guitar. He
discovered the beauty of Philippine traditional music written by Filipino composers, which he incorporated into his guitar repertoire. The music of Raffy Lata has earned a large number of listeners on YouTube and has inspired many to explore the rich Filipino musical traditions of the kundiman or love song and the harana or serenade.
Tickets at: https://empresstheatre.org/events/9th-annual-san-francisco-filipino-american-jazz-festival/ (707) 552-2400
