Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Tonight on Fridays Live, SFJAZZ presents 3-time GRAMMY-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra for a night of holiday fun with a dash of salsa picante. Founded by veteran pianist Oscar Hernández and dedicated to the classic, dance-inducing New York City salsa dura sound, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra sparks a holiday conflagration with salsa-fied Christmas standards and patented rhythmic panache.

“From the first downbeat, the performance delivers a welcome kinetic jolt, with Hernández spearheading the churn of a world-class rhythm section.
WBGO

ABOUT SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA
Join us for a night of holiday fun with a dash of salsa picante, as one of the hottest Latin jazz bands in the land makes their debut on the Miner stage.

Founded by veteran pianist Oscar Hernández and dedicated to the classic, dance-inducing New York City salsa dura sound, Spanish Harlem Orchestra entered the scene with a blaze of clave on the 2002 debut album Un Gran Dia en el Barrio, which earned a GRAMMY nomination and Latin Billboard Award for Salsa Album of the Year.

A widely esteemed accompanist and arranger known for his extensive work with conga legend Ray Barretto and salsa star Ruben Blades’ innovative Seis Del Solar ensemble, Hernández took the plunge into bandleading with the SHO. Three GRAMMY Awards later, he’s become an institution himself.

Over their two-decade existence, the band has issued a string of increasingly audacious albums that have featured guests including Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Miguel Zenón, and Tom Harrell, among others.

The latest release, 2022’s GRAMMY-nominated Imágenes Latinas, features new songs and arrangements celebrating the legacy of Manny Oquendo’s Conjunto Libre, the iconic New York salsa and Latin jazz group. For their SFJAZZ engagement SHO sparks a holiday conflagration with salsa-fied Christmas standards and patented rhythmic panache, embracing the Puerto Rican Christmas style known as “Aguinaldo.”