Based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the Stearns County Pachanga Society (SCPS) is an ever-evolving, ever-growing organic musical experiment that aims to combine the musical spirit of Cuban Cabildos, Brazilian Samba clubs, and Spanish Charangas with danceable rhythms from all over the globe and a certain psychedelic rock-n-roll ethos. The band was nominated this year for the Minnesota Music Award: Best Latin Band.

This concert will feature guest artist Cuban Jazz pianist Nachito Herrera. Last year, Herrera settled in the Twin Cities with a residency as “Artist of Special Merit” at the McPhail Center for the Arts. For most folks, he came to prominence with Jesús Alemañy & Cubanismo, after Alfredo Rodríguez left the group. On the albums Reencarnación and Mardi Gras Mambo, he demonstrated a talent to be reckoned with. A student of his father Ignacio Herrera, Sr. (also a pianist), Chucho Valdés, Rubén González and Jorge Gómez Labrana (his classical mentor), Nachito has all the pieces in place.

Photo by Andrea Canter
In a newly released live recording at the Dakota Bar and Grill (St. Paul, MN), he displays his high-energy musical spirit jamming with unbridled freedom with solos that “can melt the snow off the sidewalk.”

At a typical Pachanga Society "meeting" the musicians lay down songs and Latin/Afro-Caribbean/Rock rhythms the audience dances and/or revels in the spirit of pachanga, which in Spanish means something like "get down, get loose, party, whoop it up and have a good time together". There will be music from Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Spain, France, Brazil, Bolivia, England and the USA combined into one cohesive and powerful percussion unit with a solid rhythm section of guitar, bass and keyboards, add one part searing lead guitar, one part haunting Andean pan-flute or wooden flute, and a whole bunch of decent voices. Add Herrera to the mix and the Paramount Theatre is in for a danceable celebration of music.

For more information, contact Ellen Nelson, (320)257-3102 or Melissa Gohman, (320)257-3112.