Los Hacheros
Latin salsa band Los Hacheros performs tonight as part of the third annual Sabor Latin Festival, which continues today and runs through Sunday at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.
(Photo Courtesy of ArtsQuest)
Four stages of Latin music, from traditional salsa and meringue, to tango, mariachi and hip-hop, give music fans a reason to shimmy, shake and groove this weekend at SteelStacks in
.
The third annual
continues today and runs through Sunday.
"I think the diversity this year is stronger than ever," says ArtsQuest spokesman Patrick Brogan. "I think we've done a really good job of presenting the entirety of Latin (music) genres this year."
The festival uses four areas of the SteelStacks complex for live music: the outdoor Levitt Pavilion stage and Community Stage at Town Square and the indoor Blast Furnace Room and Musikfest Cafe.
This year's performers include artists from the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas -- including Ricky Luis, Santa Mamba, Hector Rosado, Bolo Flow & Friends, Anaisa, Luisito Rosario, DJ Baby J and New York-based salsa fusion band Los Hacheros. The band, marking their first appearance at the festival, performs 10 tonight on the Town Square stage.
"We love playing live and especially outside in the summer," says Los Hacheros member Jacob Plasse. "What more could you ask for?"
Bolo Flow is one of several artists performing this weekend during the Sabor Latin Festival.
Plasse describes Los Hacheros' sound as salsa with an interactive, jazz sort of feel. He says the band also incorporates elements of blues and rock, such as a more distorted guitar sound. They also use a "mish-mash" of violin and flute.
"We're all sort of steeped in the New York style salsa of the '60s and '70s, but we bring our own take," Plasse explains.
Plasse says playing a festival such as Sabor helps expose Latin music and culture to those already familiar with it and those experiencing it for the first time.
"Bethlehem has a strong Latino (presence) and people are going to be into it and that's exciting," Plasse says.
Another highlight of the festival is 8-year-old deejay Justin Lopez. Lopez, of Bethlehem, suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He performs Saturday and Sunday in the Blast Furnace Room.
"We're excited to have him," Brogan says of Lopez.
Brogan credits the festival's partnership with Allentown-based radio station Hola for helping secure many of this year's artists. "We've grown in deepening our relationship with the Latin community of Bethlehem, " Brogan says.
Bolo Flow, who performed at the first Sabor festival in 2011, says the influence of Latin culture goes beyond Bethlehem. "I think us (the Latin community), we're very proud of where we come from; whether it's the smallest festival or the biggest festival, we'll always be there," he says.
In addition to music, the festival will feature Latin food and fare, a drum workshop with Hector Rosado, a salsa workshop and artwork displays.