The Mambo Orchestra was established in 2015 as way to connect with the rich Hispanic culture present in San Diego and Southern California. This ensemble performs everything from Cuban folk music to Salsa.
We are making Mission Bay history this year taking our award-winning Mambo Orchestra on tour in San Francisco.
Our goal is to take 30 students to perform and study in the bay area. This area is home to some of the greatest Latin jazz, salsa and mambo musicians on the west coast. This will be an educational and musical opportunity of a lifetime for our student musicians.
THIS YEAR'S GOAL - $30,000
Amount Raised - $0
HOW TO DONATE?
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Made out to: Mission Bay Band Boosters
Sent to: Mission Bay Music Program 2475 Grand Ave, San Diego CA 92109
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The Mambo Orchestra
The award-winning Mission Bay Mambo Orchestra is one of Southern California’s most exciting and diverse youth group ensembles. Comprised of 30 talented student musicians, the group specializes in the traditional and dance music of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Latin America, drawing inspiration from legends such as Tito Puente, Joe Arroyo, Eddie Palmieri and Celia Cruz. This vibrant orchestra brings the rhythms of Afro-Latin jazz to life, making waves in the community and beyond.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the Mambo Orchestra’s goal is to travel to San Francisco in February 2025 to perform, study and collaborate with some of the Bay Area’s top Latin jazz, salsa and mambo musicians. This marks the orchestra’s first-ever trip to San Francisco, offering students a transformative educational experience through music.
During this trip, the Mambo Orchestra will partner with the renowned Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco (LJYESF). This collaboration aims to strengthen ties between the two cities and cultivate friendships among young musicians dedicated to preserving Latin Jazz traditions.
“It is my goal to give students the opportunity to learn and perform with some of the best Latin Jazz musicians in the country,” said Jean-Paul Balmat, Music Director at Mission Bay High School and former student of the program. “We hope to tap into the wealth of knowledge available in San Francisco, inspiring our current students who, in return, will share the knowledge with their classmates and the San Diego music community.”
Students will participate alongside the young musicians in LJYESF in specially curated workshops led by GRAMMY award-winning percussionist and bandleader Javier Cabanillas. These workshops will focus on four areas: rhythm, exploring how Latin percussion rhythms connect with instruments like piano, bass and guitar; horns, understanding how melodic phrasing interlaces with rhythmic patterns; vocals, identifying call-and-response sections and navigating different parts of a song’s form; and overall ensemble performance, focusing on the group’s objectives and the importance of listening cohesively to each section.
The workshops will culminate in a collaborative finale performance at the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Arts Healing Center (IPCAHC) on February 15, 2025, featuring a special piece showcasing their shared talent. Both groups will perform their own repertoire and join together for a memorable finale.
To make this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible, the program aims to raise $30,000 to cover travel expenses, hotel costs, instrument rentals and ground transportation in San Francisco.
MEET THE BAND
Director: Jean-Paul Balmat
Alto Sax 1: Alyssa Deaton
Alto Sax 2: Zach Rhodes
Tenor Sax 1: Jordan Yaeger
Tenor Sax 2: Alexander Flores
Baritone Sax: Noble Santillan
Trumpet 1: Brady Newell
Trumpet 2: Elias Nuspl
Trumpet 3: Luca Posillico
Trumpet 4: Jaiden Ruffin
Trombone 1: Prince Ntirandekura
Trombone 2: Thea Smith
Trombone 3: Finlay Callaghan
Trombone 4: Nathaniel Jacoway
Piano: Devan Yasuhara, Makena Stumpo, Giuseppe Moore
Guitar: Sebastian Nillson, Casey Lopez, Ian Hamilton
Bass: Finley Hochreiter, Reed Wiant
Drums/Percussion: Henry Hartnack, Abraham Cook-Woodling, Joey Buttner, Declan Eustace, Alannah Headley
Singers: Crystal Rios, Melinda Dagan, Siobhan Ascherfeld
