The festival line-up
12 April 2012
- Tania Libertad, Sunday 4th April, 7.45pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, £15-£12This is the UK debut for the Mexico based Peruvian diva, whose records have sold over 2 million copies.
- Sergent Garcia + DJ Lubi, Monday 5th April, 8pm — 1am, Cargo £10Paris based Sergent Garcia mixes salsa and reggae into a spicy, invigorating concoction.
- Radio Tarifa, Ttukunak and The Futuro Flamenco Club, Saturday 10th April, 7.30pm to midnight, Royal Festival Hall, £25-£12A night to put the groove back into the Spanish Armada - Madrid based Radio Tarifa play music that combines Spanish and North African influences. The evening is completed with a late night session on the Ballroom floor with the Futuro Flamenco Club featuring DJ Martin Morales, dancers and live percussion from Patrick Dawes of Groove Armada.
- Salsa Celtica, Friday 16th April, 7.45pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, £12-£10It shouldn’t work but it does - lauded from New York to New Caledonia Salsa Celtica fuse fiery, exuberant Latin rhythms with whirling Scottish folk melodies to create a unique new genre.
- Calexico + Amparanoia, Saturday 17th April, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, all tickets £20California based Calexico play border music that lies somewhere between the tequila drenched horns of Mexico and the desert filled guitar riffs of Arizona and Texas, which blended together creates the most haunting melodies.
- Lhasa, Thursday 22nd April, Jazz Café Born to a Mexican father and American mother and brought up in Quebec, Lhasa’s music manages to defy categorisation. Although she sings in Spanish and uses strong Latin rhythms she also incorporates gypsy music, blues and country into her unique vocal style.
- Kinky + Ely Guerra, Saturday 24th April, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall £17/£13Mexico’s Kinky played a late night set at the first La Linea and since then have gone on to tour with Shakira and made major waves with the refried beats of their Decks Mex. Hailing from the city of Monterrey, Mexico, Kinky combine American and European dance grooves with traditional savvy beats from every corner of Latin America.
- Omara Portuondo + Javier Ruibal, Friday 30th April, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, £25-£12The first lady of the Buena Vista Social Club is in her element when performing live, equally at ease with up tempo numbers as well as ballads. She performs her first concert hall show in London in two years to celebrate the release of her brand new album in a brand new way.
