Music festival brings Cuban rhythm to campus

The spirit of Cuba came to UC Denver in the form of a weeklong Cuban music extravaganza. From March 1 to March 5, UCD music professor Pete Ellingson hosted the sixth annual Cuban Music Experience.

“It started with just our love for Cuban music,” Ellingson said.

The event consisted of a series of workshops on Afro-Caribbean music that was open to the Auraria campus.

The workshops focused on subjects ranging from the roots of Afro-Cuban music to learning how to play the percussion rhythms. And on March 5 Ellingson, along with the other musicians, held a concert in the King Center.

The band consisted of Ellingson on piano, Wayne Wallace on trombone, John Santos and Michael Spiro on drums, and David Belove on bass. The group performed to an audience that sold out the concert hall.

The concert was the centerpiece for the music festival.

“This is what sparked the entire idea,” said Ellingson.

Four-time Grammy nominee John Santos, one of the drummers, was enthusiastic about his experience at the weeklong event.

"It has been wonderful; very organized,” said Santos, “We are having a great time.”

For three-time Grammy nominee Wallace and fellow musicians Belove and Santos, this was the first time at the Cuban Music Experience.

The group played to a packed house that did not hesitate to dance to the music.

“If you don’t dance to this one, then we are going home,” said Wallace after one song, a slower piece, received little reaction from the crowd. His remark resulted in many couples salsa dancing in the aisle during the next tune.

Ellingson said the general music program was a way to integrate the Afro-Cuban music style.

“For the past six years we have tried to make it a part of our curriculum,” said Ellingson.“This stuff really integrates with jazz.” According to Ellingson and Wallace, Afro-Cuban music has strong roots in Southern jazz.

Ellingson mentioned that new classes were in the works to accommodate Afro-Cuban/Latin music at the school.

“When this first started, this was just a concert. Now it has grown over the past six years to become just as much about the education as it is about the performance,” he said.
Ellingson said he plans on continuing the tradition of the Cuban Music Experience for many years to come.
 

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