Twilight Sizzles with Salsa on the Pier

By Lookout Staff

July 7, 2011 -- Summer is finally here, and the Santa Monica Pier’s annual Twilight Dance Series kicks off tonight with SaMo Mambo featuring the spicy Latin rhythms of acclaimed salsa music masters Grupo Fantasma and Oscar Hernandez.

The fun starts with a dance lesson at 6 p.m. to get the crowd moving and grooving. Warm weather and a special 30-by-36-foot dance floor installed on the pier’s deck promises a perfect evening of dancing under the stars.

The bands take the stage from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. As always, the dance lesson and concert are free.

Known nationwide for their energetic live shows, Grupo Fantasma blends the Afro-Cuban sounds of Latin jazz and cumbia with old-school funk, reggae and more.

The Austin, Texas based orchestra has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in Latin music, winning a Grammy for their latest album, El Existential, which they produced themselves on Nat Geo Records.

Also on the evening’s bill, New York based pianist and arranger Oscar Hernandez will bring together some of Los Angeles’ best musicians for a set of hot salsa that will make the pier sizzle.

A Bronx native, Hernandez has been at the heart of the Latin jazz scene for decades as leader of the Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra and a producer for a variety of artists including Ruben Blades, Daniel Ponce and Eddie Torres.

A prolific and much sought-after musician, Hernandez has recorded and performed with Afro-Cuban music icons Tito Puente and Celia Cruz and Spanish pop star Julio Iglesias.

Based on earlier mambo and son music styles, salsa emerged as an art form among Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. The music is now internationally popular, especially in Latin America.

Now in its 27th year, the Twilight Dance Series showcases an eclectic array of some of the best musical acts from around the world. Downbeat for the 2011 series is 7 p.m. every Thursday between July 7 and September 8.

Sponsored by One West Bank, upcoming shows include 80’s pop sensations the Bangles, July 14; Aussie rockers Missy Higgins and Kim Churchill, July 21, and a special show by Cirque Du Soleil, August 4. The series concludes with a New Orleans funk and blues night, September 8.

With this year’s lineup promising to draw large crowds, pier officials encourage concert goers to bike, walk or ride the Big Blue Bus. Parking will be available at the beach lot located north of the pier at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, but the pier itself will be closed to traffic. A bike valet will be available on the bike path on the south side of the pier.

Cosponsors of the 2011 series include Pacific Park, Bloomingdales, StarLine Tours, the Australian Consulate, Cotton On and the City of Santa Monica. The series is produced by the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation and Ron & Humble.