By Lookout Staff
July 16, 2009 – A melting pot of world sounds will be brewed on the Santa Monica Pier when Sgt. Garcia, followed by Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, take the stage for a free Twilight Dance series concert Thursday evening.
Ricardo Lemvo’s blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles (soukous, Angolan semba and kizomba) has been described as “seamless and infectious.” This Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry embodies the Afro-Latin Diaspora which connects back to Mother Africa via the Cuban clave rhythm..
Lemvo – who is equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, and Kikongo -- has refined his craft and vision since forming his Los Angeles-based band Makina Loca in 1990.
The Chicago Tribune said, "Lemvo's passion for the roots of Afro-Cuba comes through in his singing. His voice is vibrant and melodious... he is one of the few artists in tropical music today who is moving the genre forward."
Lemvo's five CDs, Tata Masamba, Mambo Yo Yo, São Salvador, Ay Valeria! and Isabela have been acclaimed by critics worldwide. The Beat Magazine named Tata Masamba the CD of the year for 1996, while the Miami Herald called Mambo Yo Yo "a treasure trove."
Bruno "Sergeant" Garcia typifies the new global pop music that has transformed the Parisian music scene. Singing primarily in Spanish (but also in French and English) with horns, and anchored by a deep rhythm section of congas, timbales, drums, percussion, fat bass, and jazzy piano, the band swings tightly and soulfully.
Garcia cites numerous musical influences, particularly artists in Rap, Reggae and Cuban Son and Timba, including Busta Rhymes, KRS One, Mexakinds, Bob Marley, Anthony B, S-izzia, Gladiators, Irakere, NG La Banda, Charanga Habanera, Paul-i-to FG and Rubén Blades.
“Mixing is the largest part of my music,” Garcia says. “I like to break barriers, mix influences, mix cultures and also cultures from other countries."
Sergent Garcia's U.S. debut, “Poquito Quema'o,” launched a new music style coined "salsamuffin," which melded the common roots of Jamaican, Cuban, and African music into salsified hip-hop. He returned to the origins of that style in his new album, “La Semilla Escondida.”
“When I first started the new album, my goal was to combine the two sounds I love most: Jamaican and Cuban music,” Garcia says. “This blend of cultures contains all that I seek and uphold.”
The concerts run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the pier parking lot (on the pier). All concerts are free. No alcohol is allowed. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash.
Guests are more than welcomed to bring their own seating but seats will be available for rental.
