Bronx Salsa Festival

Submitted by ub on

Throughout the month of August, the third annual Bronx Salsa Fest will bring performances, classes, concerts, parties and other events celebrating Latin dance to venues across the Bronx. From a sunset bomba performance at Wave Hill in Riverdale on August 17, to the finale performance at Woodlawn Cemetery on August 25, there will be numerous opportunities – many of them free – to experience this vibrant art form.

Below is a selection of Salsa Fest events. For a full list, visit ilovethebronx.com.

Salsa Fest Kick Off: Screening of Fania All Stars Live in Africa & Salsa Dance Party
Friday, August 2, 6–11pm
In 1974, the Fania All Stars were invited to participate in a music festival in Kinshasa, Zaire, and this documentary gives audiences the opportunity to experience the salsa movement at the height of its popularity. The screening will be followed by an evening of dance to kick off the festival.
Billy’s Sports Bar & Grill, 856 River Avenue. Free admission.

The Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy Presents arefoot Dancing: Live Music and Salsa lessons
Thursday, August 8, 6:30pm
The Lorenz Dance Studio, featuring Carlos Ortiz, will perform and provide salsa lessons with live musical accompaniment.
Van Cortlandt House Museum, 246th and Broadway. Free admission.

Milteri Tucker - Bombazo Dance
Wednesday, August 14, 7–8pm
Milteri Tucker and her Bombazo Dance Company perform a mix of folkloric, contemporary and social styles of dance that draw on the American and Latino experience.
Wave Hill, 249th Street and Independence Ave. $8 admission.

WHEDco’s Bronx Music Heritage Center Presents Palabras/Words: Reading from Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente
Saturday, August 17, 7:30pm
As Tito Puente’s confidant and chronicler for nearly 40 years, Joe Conzo has put together a comprehensive biography complete with captivating anecdotes from their lengthy friendship. Working with journalist David A. Pérez, Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente details both the public persona of the widely popular and sometimes combative King of Latin Music while also highlighting many deeply personal moments of Puente’s rise to fame from East Harlem. Conzo will conduct a Q&A and book signing as part of the event.
The BMHC Lab, 1303 Louis Nine Blvd. Suggested donation $5.

A Tribute to the Memory of Ibrahim González
Sunday, August 25, 2-4pm
Woodlawn Conservancy, BronxNet and the Bronx Tourism Council celebrate the memory of Ibrahim Gonzalez, a towering presence in the Bronx arts and cultural community. Mr. Gonzalez passed away in June and was laid to rest in the Woodlawn Cemetery. To honor his legacy, a proclamation from the Bronx Borough President's office will be presented, Sandra Maria Estevez will present an original poem penned for Mr. Gonzalez and Latin jazz artist Arturo O'Farrill will perform. All members of the public are welcome to join in this afternoon of remembrance and celebration.
Woolworth Chapel at the Woodlawn Cemetery via Jerome Ave. entrance. Free admission.