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La Peña Cultural Center

Welcome to La Peña! Promoting social justice & intercultural understanding through the arts since 1975.

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Musicians | Producers | Performers

antifason

AntiFaSon is a Son Jarocho project musically residing on unceded Ohlone territory (aka Oakland). They amplify anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, anti-fascist and anti-extractivist feminist themes in Son Jarocho songs that form part of the larger history of Afro-Indigenous land, water and campesinx struggles.

Music | Son Jarocho

Instagram

loe gino2

LOE Gino, born and raised in West Berkeley, describes himself as a very introspective hip hop artist who uses bright sounds and jazz influences to make his music. According to the Berkeleyside, "he gives his fans the opportunity to get to know him as an artist through lyrical reflections that touch on topics such as family loss, fatherhood and Black identity."

Music | Hip hop | Jazz

Spotify |  Instagram

adum7

ADUM7 is a music producer, MC, visual artist and founder of indie record label MANAFEST VISION. He owns a Tokyo / NYC Inspired Streetwear brand called "arigatz" and also sells custom beats online for aspiring singers and MCs.

Music | Producer | Visual Art

Website | Storenvy | Beatstars | PayPal

convict julie

Convict Julie is an activist and alternative R&B singer-songwriter from Atlanta. She organizes BLM protests, works on police reformation and abolition, and does community work for the houseless community.

Music | Activism | Handcrafted t-shirts

Website

nidia gongora

Nidia Góngora is a singer and songwriter from the river village of Timbiquí, an Afro-Colombian community whose location and cultural contrasts have been an endless inspiration for her beautiful rhythms and truthful lyrics that honor history and oral tradition!

Music

Instagram | Facebook

jax the band

Jax The Band has been performing internationally for the past 7 years, finding a sound all their own. Their album "The Glo Up" is a genre-bending journey that takes you through the experience of three young artists trying to find their place in the world while working towards a collective goal and dream.

Music | Performance

Website | Stream their album | Instagram

kim evans

Kim Evans is a Progressive Rock instrumental musician that shows you what happens when you put together Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Rock & Country.

Music | Rock

Learn more 

la cosa nortena

La Cosa Norteña is a band of Regional Mexican music, perfect for some dancing and for having a great time with friends while getting through a broken heart.

Music

Instagram | Youtube

miguel martinez

Miguel Martínez is a musician, composer and educator. Miguelito grew up by the mountains of Chiapas; and in his music you will sense an ocean breeze, sweet fruits, and humid earth. He uses music to develop kindness, respect, and open-minded individuals.

Music | Education

Website | Instagram

monreal latin

Monreal Latin Blues is a band that cultivates Latin music, driven by the attitude of the blues, and deeply influenced by their Andean heritage.

Music

To Listen | PayPal | Facebook | Instagram

secret emchy

Secret Emchy Society is a queer woman fronted Americana band singing songs about friendship, community, love, and adventure.

Music

Website | Patreon | Venmo: @emchy

bethaniehines-45

DíaPa'Són is an ensemble of musicians and dancers who specialize in Mexican folk music and dance, particularly the son jarocho, in the interest of promoting and preserving the cultural treasures of Mexican folkloric traditions.

Son Jarocho | Mexican tradition

Facebook

the album leaf

The Album Leaf is a solo studio project turned full-fledged live band. It's mastermind Jimmy LaValle is unafraid of thinking outside the box, both as an individual artist & within the lager scope of modern music.

Music | Producer | Film & Video

Website | Bandcamp

batey_square4

Aguacero is an artistic, educational, and cultural project that focuses on the traditions and creative expressions of Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance. Through song, music and dance, Aguacero embodies the life, energy, and continuity of water in nature.

Puerto Rican Music

Website

Danilo solo 2

Danilo Páiz is a Nicaraguan singer, composer and percussionist. He is the grandson of Francisco Perez, who helped cultivate latin jazz in the 1950s. In his extensive musical career, Danilo has played with internationally known musicians such as Ray Barretto, Ruben Blades, Andy Narell, and Ray Obiedo. He demonstrates some of his best work on bongo and vocals on Ruben Blades' CD, "Ruben Blades and Son del Solar, Live!"

Latin Music

Website | Facebook | Instagram

djerae

Djérae is an Oakland-based singer and creator, founder of Underground Rainbow. They communicate core truths using their ethereal voice, striking visual expressions, free-flowing movement, and intentional emotional connection to remind people that they are whole in their fluidity.

Music

Instagram

Poonam

Poonam Narkar practices the Indian classical dance form of Kathak. She is a dancer and instructor with the Leela Academy, a women-led arts organization dedicated to the education, promotion and preservation of the Indian classical arts.

Music

Website

barrio manouche

Barrio Manouche is a Bay Area world fusion band whose international roots shine in their music with members from Spain, Quebec, France, Brazil and California

Music

Website | Spotify | Venmo @Javier-Jimenez-55

Louie Romero

Louie Romero began playing percussion at the age of seven. Soon after appearing on the New York salsa scene in the '60s, he was playing with the best musicians from salsa's famed Fania record label, including Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades. Louie formed Mazacote in 1994, which quickly gained a reputation as one of SF's finest salsa bands.

Music

Website

deuce eclipse

Deuce Eclipse is an Emcee/rapper and co-founder/vocalist of Bang Data, which draws influence from both his Nicaraguan heritage as well as the culture of Hip-Hop he grew up with in the U.S.

Music

Facebook | Youtube | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Paypal | Venmo: @DeuceEclipse

in lakech dance

In Lak'ech Dance Academy seeks to co-create a community of queer, trans, and ally dancers in order to celebrate their resilience, nature their collective strength, and heal from oppression. They hace classes and workshops open to everyone ready to learn some moves!

Dance | Workshops

Website

eki shola

Eki'Shola is a musician & founder of Unmute Magazine, a digital publication by and mainly for BIPOC artists. Her music is “half-time electronic soul for the mind” according to Resident Advisor, don't you miss it!

Music | Magazine

Website | Instagram | Unmute Magazine GoFundMe

javier rojas

Javier Rojas is a Mexican guitarist and composer. With this group Canto Nuevo, he moved to Cancun, where later he began his carrier as soloist.

Music

Website | Facebook | YouTube | PayPal

marcus cinque

Marcus Cinque Harris / MH the Verb is a digital media artist, DJ, and producer bridging afrofuturism, hiphop, and community activism. His latest release, verb stone, is an instrumental beat tape for the protection of mental health during the times of Covid-19 and systemic change.

Music | Digital Media | DJ

Website | Bandcamp | PayPal

maria jose montijo

María José Montijo is a California licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, biodynamic craniosacral therapist, sound healer and performing musician.

Music | Sound Healer | Therapist

Website | Venmo @mariajosemontijo | Paypal

evolving wings copy

Ismael Rey Lara a.k.a. Evolving Wings is a Bay Area-based Ethnic Studies Professor and musician. As an educator, his purpose is to encourage scholars and students to become agents of change in their communities. Through music & storytelling he shares his pain, his experiences and his life lessons.

Music | Education

Instagram

valentin mera

Valentín Mera is an Ecuadorian / Peruvian / American trans artist, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Valentín performs and records any genre he feels attracted to and so far he is having fun with dance, cumbia, dubstep, trova, beach house, trap, reggaetón pop, balada, salsa, and chill pop.

Music

Website | PayPal | Instagram

La Peña Baile 052 copy

DJ Ron has always carried music and dance in his heart. Since dancing for his tías and tíos at 5 years old, to recording music from the radio or his uncle’s 8 tracks on to a tape: music and dance are an essential part of Ron's soul and he proves it every time he mixes the best Bachata songs to light up the dance floor!

Music | DJ

Instagram

wasska project2

Wasska Project is a Bay Area-based music band that fuses Latin-American traditional harmonies with classical guitar resources. The colors of the cajon, donkey jaw, cajita, spoons, and Afro Peruvian tap dancing are exposed to the dynamics of the guitar, bringing a rich conversation between oral tradition and a colorful cadence in the strings.

Latin American Music

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Coraza sq

Coraza isa feminist indie folk-pop group based in Oakland, CA. With roots in Chile, Guam, Mexico, and the Philippines, Coraza’s sound is a unique fusion of experimental and traditional, combining elements of South American folkloric style with catchy contemporary rhythms, bilingual lyrics, electric distortions, and delicious harmonies.

Music | Indie folk-pop

Website | Instagram

Chie Kwon

Chie Kwon grew up in Japan as a third generation South Korean. As a musician, she wishes to express compassion and authenticity through her music. She hosts a podcast with her husband called TokiMono.

Music | Podcast

Website

boogiemeister

Boogiemeister is a Producer/Musician/DJ from the Bay Area. His "Remix The Earth" project is taking him around the globe to gather & share elements of Afro-Latin-Brazilian-Indian-Arabic fusions of post-modern goodness that has become one of his signature styles.

Music | Producer | DJ

Website | Remix The Earth | Bandcamp | "Borders"

destiny muhammad

Destiny Muhammad is a performing/recording composer, producer, sonic curator, teaching artist and concert lecturer. Genre: jazz & inspirational.

Music | Producer

Website | Instagram | Merch | Venmo @Destiny-Muhammad | CashApp: $HarpHood

Calmao

Iván Rondón is a Bay Area-based Colombian song writer and leader of CALMAO, a fusion of rhythms from the Caribbean Coast to the lush Andean meadows with a heavy influence of Bay Area vibes. Their single "Chamito" is a tribute to all political refugees from Latin America and around the world.

Music

Booking & other inquiries

sabor-5-jose-ruiz

DJ José Ruiz is a DJ, radio host, and collector of world music, vinyl, art and all cultural and music ephemera. Jose’s taste in music is very eclectic, unafraid to mix traditional, experimental or folkloric elements in his sets.

Music | DJ

Facebook

Fena

Made & Feña is a Latin American music duet with a notch in original tunes accompanied with an array of folk instruments. The duet eclectic repertoire is rooted in the nueva canción tradition of entertaining and educating about cultura and pressing social issues.

Music

Pay Pal | Facebook

kokayi

Kokayi is a thought-provoking, Grammy nominated hip hop artist, who makes happy-sounding sad songs.

Music

Instagram Linktree | PayPal

mari tamburo

Mari Tamburo is a musician who uses the power of music as a tool for social change and spiritual awareness.

Music

Website | Facebook

oskar ly

Óskar Ly is a San Francisco-based world-class Latin collective, bringing a unique musical and visual experience to the fans of Latin Jazz, Salsa, and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Music | Performance

Website | Spotify | Youtube | Instagram |Facebook

silvestre martinez

Silvestre Martínez is a Mexican Latin Jazz musician whose songs combine rhythms of the coast of Oaxaca with Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a truly an exciting new sound.

Music

Website | Instagram

viola pellegrini

Viola Pellegrini is a musician, violinist, and music teacher based in the Bay Area, whose goal is to share her passion and help children develop an appreciation for all types of music and respect for the people who make it. She is member of The 41Street Ensemble and founder of Viola's Notes.

Music | Education

Music | Facebook

Photo-9 copy

Cambamberas SF is a Bay Area-based group of Colombian dancers with experience on different Colombian rhythms like Cumbia, Mapale, Champeta, Puya, Chande, Bullerengue, Salsa, Merengue, and more! They love to perform at different kinds of events and they say their attitude is "to enjoy life by dancing with the problems".

Colombian dance

Facebook | Instagram

mario y su timbeko

Mario y su timbeko is a group formed in Oakland California by Cuban singer, percussionist and composer Mario Salomón. They incorporate elements of the R&B, Gospel, Funk into the Cuban Salsa also known as Timba

Latin American Music | Cuban

Facebook

carlitos medrano

Carlitos Medrano was born and raised in Cuba, and he came to the US after having trained with one of Cuba's most famous percussionists, José Luis “Changuito” Quintana. After extensive participation in various musical groups, he started his own project called Sabor De Mi Cuba where he shows his talent through original songwriting and composition.

Cuban Music

Website

Screenshot

Bululú is a dynamic Latin music band known for their original repertoire that delves into the rich influences of Venezuela and the Caribbean.

Latin Music / Band

Instagram | Website

mara hruby

Mara Hruby doesn’t just play music—she lives it. In just a few years, the singer-songwriter has become one of acoustic soul’s fastest-rising up-and-comers, gaining a loyal following.

Singer | Songwriter

Instagram | Website

coflo

Coflo (Cody Ferreira) is a musician, producer, audio engineer, and dance performing artist. Colfo has special rates for new artists to help them through the process of publishing their music.

Music | Dance Performance

MBAudio Consultations

ed varez

Ed Varez is a Peruvian musician who writes, produces and records songs with influences from different Latin American and American roots with a fresh/modern sound.

Music | Producer

GoFundMe | Apple Music | Instagram

La-Pena-Baila-4-22-2022-8612-copy

Edgardo Cambon is an Uruguayan born percussionist, vocalist, composer, and band leader based in the Bay Area since 1986. His love for congas & contagious energy shines through his music!

Latin American Music

Facebook

jazz quintet

FivePlay Jazz Quintet is a Bay Area-based band of long-time musical compatriots whose melodic modern jazz is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, whether you’re an experienced jazz listener or you’re hearing jazz for the first time.

Music

Store | Website | YouTube

La-Pena-Baila-4-22-2022-9228-copy

Fito Reinoso has made the Bay Area his home for over a thirty years, and is one of the only Cuban born based soneros in the area performing a variety of styles, from the most recent urban Havana grooves to “timba” to the classic son and cha-cha-cha.

Cuban Music

Website

sistema bomb

Sistema Bomb is a musical project that celebrates collaborations between the masters of traditional Son Jarocho music of Veracruz and a group of U.S. and Mexico-based latino artists.

Music

Website | "Electro-Jarocho"

kristina koller

Kristina Koller is a vocalist, arranger and songwriter that utilizes a wide range of music genres to create her unique sound. Her album ‘Stronger’ blends art rock with R&B, indie-pop and jazz. The thematic & powerful songs radiate mental strength dealing with and breaking through the claustrophobic isolation and loneliness of city life.

Music

Website | Instagram

mariposas del alma

Mariposas del Alma is a band composed by the Meza sisters from Oakland CA, who sing soulful renditions of timeless classics in the fun style of Cumbia. They also write original songs with the help of Discos Resaca Collective. Stay tuned for more material.

Music | Cumbia

Website | Instagram

richard howell

Richard Howell is a musician whose songs celebrate diversity as it bridges, unites and merges the experience of all listeners. Richard creates music steeped in the African traditions and American jazz, pop, funk, soul, and beyond.

Music

Website

subdue

Subdue is a Hip-Hop musician whose instrumentals are made for vibing, relaxing, and zoning out.

Music

Website | Instagram

tony corman

Tony Corman is a jazz guitarist, arranger and composer, leader of the 17-piece Morchestra big band and co-leader of the FivePlay jazz quintet. Hailing from the Boston area, Tony has resided in Berkeley since 1986, bringing us his talent and love for jazz!

Music

Website | FivePlay Jazz

Soltron

Soltrón is a Californian band formed in the Mission District in 2014 and directed by Daniel Riera —member of the first Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco—. After their successful debut "Soltrón" (2016), they return with a different sound that explores the confluences of Afro Cuban rhythms, Rock, Hip-Hop and Reggaeton.

Music

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Somos-El-Son-Live-18mar-0030-copy

Somos el Son is a Bay Area salsa orchestra launched in 2013 and led by the master Peruvian percussionist, singer, composer, and dancer Braulio Barrera.

Latin American Music

Facebook

Taken by Amina El Kabbany @aminayasmin_

Pallaví a.k.a. Fijiana is a Bay Area-based musician who just released her first EP Thirst. "As a South Asian artist, Fijiana is breaking notions of romance and desire that were laid down by cis hetero man on an international level." (No Borders).

Website | Instagram

 

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