SATURDAY, AUGUST 9
DJ Cale
DJ Cale, born in Honduras and raised in Queens, has been serving the Latino community in Columbus for over 20 years. He owns The Cave Bar & Lounge, a multicultural hub for music enthusiasts. Known for his empathy and passion for music, DJ Cale was named the first “Padrino” of The Hispanic Heritage Parade 2023 by the city of Columbus.
Schedule:11AM Saturday, August 9
Ale Almanza
Ale Almanza is originally from Santa Marta, Colombia and comes from a family of artists, where she was instilled with a love for the sounds of her land since she was a little girl. After living in Mexico she settled in Columbus, where she has become a benchmark of Latin music. This year she received the Musical Artist of the Year award at the Hispanic Business Awards. She is currently promoting her latest unreleased single, “Adivina Que” with accordionist Maireth Zambrano.
Schedule:1:15PM Saturday, August 9
Carlos Rubio – Salsa Lessons
Take a salsa dance lesson from “The Salsa King of Ohio.” Carlos Rubio is an instructor at the Salsamante Dance Academy and Ohio’s all-time winning-est salsa dancer.
Schedule:2PM Saturday, August 9
Chupeta de Ajo, Tributo al Rock en Español
Columbus-based Venezuelan singer, songwriter, and musician Víctor Zancudo is a longtime local performer with a variety of bands. His latest, Chupeta de Ajo, is a rock group covering Spanish-language rock songs by bands from Venezuela and beyond.
Schedule:2:45PM Saturday, August 9
Salsamante Dance Academy
Salsamante Dance Academy has been teaching Salsa, Bachata & Cha Cha Chá in the Columbus, Mid-Ohio area for 12 years now. Lead by Carlos Rubio – Salsa King of Ohio. The high energy & rhythm that Salsamante brings will always make the Festival Latino more memorable.
Schedule:3PM Saturday, August 9
Michael Stuart
New York City-born to Puerto Rican parents, Stuart was influenced early by his musician uncle. He has performed alongside a number of Latin music luminaries, including Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin. He released his first solo record in 1996 and has released 10 records in all.
Schedule:4:15PM Saturday, August 9
El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico
Toledo-based dance company El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (The Heart of Mexico) will demonstrate the beauty and charm of traditional Mexican dances.
Schedule:5PM Saturday, August 9
Los Rabanes
Los Rabanes is one of the most emblematic fusion rock bands in Latin America. Their musical career has positioned them as a leading avant-garde fusion band in the Latin music industry. They have earned a Latin Grammy Award (2007), toured worldwide, received international acclaim, and recorded with leading producers such as Emilio Estefan and Ruben Blades. Members: Emilio Regueira (guitar and vocals), Christian “Pipón” Torres (bass), Javier Saavedra, and Randy Cuevas (keyboards).
Schedule:6:30PM Saturday, August 9
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10
DJ Cale
DJ Cale, born in Honduras and raised in Queens, has been serving the Latino community in Columbus for over 20 years. He owns The Cave Bar & Lounge, a multicultural hub for music enthusiasts. Known for his empathy and passion for music, DJ Cale was named the first “Padrino” of The Hispanic Heritage Parade 2023 by the city of Columbus.
Schedule:11AM Sunday, August 10
El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico
Toledo-based dance company El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (The Heart of Mexico) will demonstrate the beauty and charm of traditional Mexican dances.
Schedule:1PM Sunday, August 10
Golpe de Estado
Golpe de Estado is a young and modern band that excels in the subgenre of “tumbado,” a vibrant offshoot of the broad Mexican regional genre. Since their formation, Golpe de Estado has been dedicated to creating music that resonates with audiences, blending traditional regional Mexican sounds with contemporary influences. They recently released their debut single, “Hipnotizado,” which is available on all digital platforms and has been met with enthusiastic acclaim.
Schedule:1:15PM Sunday, August 10
Carlos Rubio – Salsa Lessons
Take a salsa dance lesson from “The Salsa King of Ohio.” Carlos Rubio is an instructor at the Salsamante Dance Academy and Ohio’s all-time winning-est salsa dancer.
Schedule:2PM Sunday, August 10
Daymé Arocena
Born in Havana in 1992, Arocena grew up immersed in Afro-Cuban folk, but also listening to cassette tapes of Sade Adu, her father’s favorite singer. After studying at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán conservatory, she became co-founder and band member of the Cuban-Canadian jazz collective “Maqueque” in 2014. With the collective, she launched several international tours and earned a GRAMMY nomination. Both her lead performances and complex vocal arrangements display extraordinary technical knowledge. Relying on instinct and intuition is how Arocena has managed her career since she burst on the international scene with Nueva Era, her prodigious debut album, in 2015. Now, she has fully reinvented her sound with Alkemi, a revolutionary and transformative fusion of neo soul singing, Afro-Caribbean beats, and slick new millennium pop.
Schedule:2:45PM Sunday, August 10
Salsamante Dance Academy
Salsamante Dance Academy has been teaching Salsa, Bachata & Cha Cha Chá in the Columbus, Mid-Ohio area for 12 years now. Lead by Carlos Rubio – Salsa King of Ohio. The high energy & rhythm that Salsamante brings will always make the Festival Latino more memorable.
Schedule:3PM Sunday, August 10
El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico
Toledo-based dance company El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (The Heart of Mexico) will demonstrate the beauty and charm of traditional Mexican dances.
Schedule:4PM Sunday, August 10
Pirulo y La Tribu
Pirulo y La Tribu was formed in 2009 by founder Francisco ‘Pirulo’ Rosado Rosario, as an integration of classic style and modern times, combining salsa, Latin soul, jazz, hip-hop, urban, Afro-Latin, and world fusion music. The first of his projects to record was Calle Linda in the middle of 2013. Its single, “Loco Pero Feliz,” hit the Billboard Latin Songs charts in 2014 and in 2015 won the SESAC Awards for #1 Tropical Airplay SESAC Latina. In 2015, Calle Linda Golden Edition was released and nominated for a 2016 Latin Billboard Award as Tropical Album Artist/Group of the Year. Also in 2016, Pirulo y La Tribu became a 2016 Latin American Music Awards winner as New Favorite Tropical Artist and in 2018, again nominated for a Latin Billboard Award as Tropical Artist/Group of the Year. A follow-up, Calle Linda 2, was released in the early Summer of 2017. It entered Top Latin Albums within a week, and within three, reached the Top 10. Its single, “De Mi Que Hablen,” also entered the Tropical Songs charts. Featured artists participating in Calle Linda 2 are Olga Tañón on “Miro Pal Cielo,” and Ozuna with “Yo Soy Yo.” Released in 2021, Calle Linda 3: El Disco Nuevo, includes the singles “El Tumbaíto,“ “Pa’ Los Envidiosos,“ and “Dios,” and features guest artists Gilberto Santa Rosa on “No es Cantar Por Cantar” and Tito El Bambino on “No Le Temo a La Vida.” His latest production, Calle Linda 4: Salsa y Saoco, was released in 2022 providing new sounds and great music to enjoy.
Schedule:4:15PM Sunday, August 10
Kinito Méndez
Dominican merengue star Kinito Méndez got involved in popular music at the age of nine while participating in his first band Pequeños del Ritmo. He went on to form a string of successful groups throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, including Cocoband, Rikarena, and Rokabanda. Méndez started his solo career in 1995, recording El Hombre Merengue, selling over 1.5 million copies with his song “Cachamba” topping the most important Latin charts. His combination of infectious, danceable merengue beats and humorous, witty lyrics made him an instant success. He continued recording for decades, notably paying tribute to his mentor Johnny Ventura with 1998’s A Caballo.
Schedule:6:30PM Sunday, August 10
