AL SON DE MI RUMBA

PIER 23 SAN FRANCISCO

OCTOBER 6, 2013

PHOTOS BY TOM EHRLICH © 2013

This special event featured John Santos, Raul Gonzalez Brito "Lali" from Havana, Cuba first time performing in the United States, Fito Reinoso, Sandy Pérez, Javier Navarrette, Gabriel Navia and others.

John Santos world renouned percussionist, band leader, composer and educator describes Lali as follows:

Raul De La Caridad Gonzalez Brito "Lali" is a highly respected rumbero, composer, folklorist, and master teacher from the very musical Havana barrio, El Cerro, where he still lives today. His compositions have been performed and/or recorded by the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, Orquesta Sensación, El Conjunto de Clave y Guaguancó, Sierra Maestra, Tanda de Guaracheros, El Solar de Los Seis, Grupo Timbalaye, Los Rumberos de Cuba, The John Santos Sextet, and John Santos' Coro Folklórico Kindembo.

He was a member of Raices Profundas de Juan De Dios Ramos Morejón, El Conjunto de Clave y Guaguancó, La Orquesta America, and Las Estrellas de Guaguancó. He received his diploma as a Master Percussion Instructor from the Cuban Ministry of Education at El Centro Provincial de Superación Artistica y Profesional de la Ciudad de la Habana and has served as faculty at the prestigious Escuela Nacional Del Arte. He has performed and taught in Italy, Belgium, Holland, France, Canada, Mexico, Spain Luxembourg, and Germany

What follows are photos I took at this amazing event comprised of son and rumba.

 Lali meeting Fito Reinoso (on left).  John Santos on the right.

Raul González Brito "Lali"

Left to right Fito Reinoso, John Santos, Lali, Sandy Pérez

Javier Navarrete

Lali

John Santos chekere and Fito Reinoso

Sandy Pérez right and Lali

Fito Reinoso tres, Gabriel Navia

Fito Reinoso

 Jan Olmeda bass

 Lali and Sandy

 Lali and John Santos

Mario Abruzzo sitting in on bell and Lali

Right to left John Santos, Lali, Javier Navarrette

Fito Reinoso singing a killer version of Havana D'Primera's Pasaporte

right to left Javier Navarrette, John Sanots, Lali

Gabriel Navia

John Santos congas and Lali bongo

Sandy Pérez and Lali

 Jan Olmeda

John Santos and Lali

Lali

 Lali

Javier Navarrette bells John Santos chekere

Sandy Pérez and Lali

Dancer, Gabriel Navia and José Luis Gomez

John Santos and Fito Reinoso

Javier Navarrette and Lali

Lali

John Santos and Lali

 Lali and Sandy Pérez

Left to right John Santos, Javier Navarrette, Lali and Toby

Toby chekere and Hector Lugo

Javier Navarrette and Lali

Fito Reinoso and John Santos

 Jan Olmeda and John Santos

Javier Navarrete, John Santos and Lali