This month’s guest artists emerge from Rhode Island-the finest Latin ensemble I have heard in quite a long while….I want to share the warmth, spirit and DYAO (*DANCE YOUR ASS OFF) factor of these deeply gifted and inspiring, not mention SEXY artists!!! …Latin music’s roots date back to early jazz and the inception of the New Orleans style, with Latin rhythms playing a significant role in the development of that truest art form, jazz. The cultural melting pot existing in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th Century created a mix of diverse musical influences including African, French, and Latin cultures. Early recordings by Jelly Roll Morton, W.C. Handy, Leadbelly and Scott Joplin all share elements of Hispanic dance music including tango rhythms.

During the 1930s, Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat introduced America to and popularizing "rumba" dancing around 1935. Duke Ellington also made use of Latin rhythms influenced by his Puerto Rican trombonist Juan Tizol.
By the 1940s, beboppers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker began incorporating Afro-Cuban rhythms through their association with Cuban percussionists Chano Pozo and Machito.

In the 1950s Cuban arrangers and composers including Chico O'Farrill and Perez Prado began influencing the big band styles of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. The 1950s spawned important Latin jazz artists including percussionist Tito Puente and vibraphonist Cal Tjader, influencing younger generations of musicians with flutist Dave Valentin, pianist Hilton Ruiz, and vibes player Dave Samuels.
The Bossa Nova surge of the 1960s gave a major boost to Latin music boosting the careers of many established jazz musicians including saxophonists Stan Getz and flutist Herbie Mann. Musicians such as Chick Corea, vocalist Flora Purim, and percussionist Airto Moreira began infusing Latin rhythms with more electric fusion styles during the 1970s. By the 1980s, a newer generation of Latin jazz musicians began to develop including Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, trumpeter and percussionist Jerry Gonzalez, and pianist Danilo Perez.As a young child I was so fortunate to be introduced to the music of Eddie Palmieri, the great (RIP) Tito Puente, Cal Jader, Arturo Sandoval and Buena Vista Social Club with a host of others .

Formerly ‘Planet Groove’, I am honoured to present to you , SANTA MAMBA of Rhode Island, USA. Together for ten years, with the apparent chemistry very much in-tact, the Santa Mamba line-up includes Ajay Coletta, enchanting drummer including the congas, bongos and timbales!(my fave)/Aaron Wade, stunning and eloquent keyboards/Nick Wade, delicious bass/Handsome, Venezuelan front man, Gio Murillo on lead vocals/Candido Mendoza, hypnotic percussionist/John Mederios, with Santana-esque guitar and vox- the five mics, acoustic and electric guitar-factor in resonant bass, one lead vocalist and three back-up vocalists for a full, rich, vibrant sound , the result is astounding…

. Their press attention alone is highly impressive-hailed by Motif Magazine South Coast Today, Standard Times; WSJT, 94. 1 FM Smooth Jazz; Mercury Magazine; The Martha’s Vineyard Times’; ejazz news; PIXY 103, Cape Cod, named “Artist of The Month”; Providence Journal Review; Titan Magazine and Providence Monthly, they have the public’s attention, and the media adores them. Starting out as an R & B Band and morphing into the Latin wave, John Medeiros defines Santa Mamba's sound as “a National Geographic Soundtrack”-well honey, if that’s the case, then those isolated people would be dancin’ their humble little asses off, cuz this is music to sway and to swoon by, not to watch the images of birds flying by and cultures round the world in gentle expression of their traditions
Brilliantly melding the past with the present in samples and original tunes, such as “Yo No Se Na”, which has an energy and pulse that yanks you up into Planet Dogstar, and “Midnight Blue”(sung partially in English) a solemn , enigmatic swell, “This is my day, this is my night, dream of the oceans, dream of the stars”…. My personal favourite, “Puerto Del Cielo”, seduces the ears, the mind and the body. “Guantanamera”, a very spirited traditional Latin song and one that I cherish, is stylised superbly by this charming and well-seasoned group…As a frequent tripper to all parts of Mexico, I noted that this song was heard from little troubadours at the tender age of five on public buses to street musicians to the heartrending local cantinas…The Latin culture, colourful in its traditions, steeped in beautiful people, music and culinary delights is something that every single heart with a pulse should experience, and no finer place than right here, right now….Grab your copy of “Saints and Sinners”, available at all Santa Mamba shows and on their official website, www.santamamba.com !. By Lyric

• INTERVIEW BY AMY V
  
  
  
• AMY V to Ajay and John: As the metamorphosis from Planet Groove to Santa Mamba progressed over the years, did you bring many of the original fans along with you, seeing that the musical direction had changed so radically? Do you ever get requests for "Planet Groove" tunes in the course of an evening?
  
  
• AJAY AND JOHN: ....Good question: Our fans have seemed to accept the transformation and like the new sound & membership, which we like, and it is rare that anyone requests an old Planet Groove tune, but if someone did ask, I think we would enjoy the nostalgia.
  
• AMY to all: You have such creative force behind your music, because it encompasses so many genres in a way that is appealing and easy to listen to. Is "Santa Mamba" a fluid organism, subject to further evolution? If so, what other musical styles would you like to experiment with?
  
  
  SANTA MAMBA:.......First, I'd like to say it's very nice to hear our music described that way. Creative force is something we all strive for as musicians. Thank you.! I believe we are a fluid organism as you so adeptly put it, and we are currently working on some ideas that will bring more elements of reggae into our sound. It's exciting, because it's a style we haven't yet explored in our original music, though we've touched on it with our version of Led Zepplin's "Dyer Maker." Reggae is such a big part of Ajay's identity as a drummer that it seems a natural direction for us. But it's not so much about throwing something new into the mix for the sake of novelty, at this point. It's more about exploring the fullness of who we are as a band made up of individuals with disparate influences. It's about learning Latin grooves (and there are many) that we haven't tried yet. It's about taking things deeper, not necessarily broader.
  
  
  AMY V to GIO: Being able to express yourself musically in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and English by virtue of your roots is an awesome and unique gift that you bring to the band - any plans ( and interest) in touring Europe and other continents where these languages are spoken like Africa and South America?
  
  
  GIO: ......Cross Culture for Santa Mamba is one of the KEY elements in musical industry success especially when feelings are involved in lyrics, new sounds and that we are not familiar with. The world is changing constantly, we are mixing each other and so is the way to express and communicate, and when I think about Santa Mamba, I'm thinking and I have the vision about how we break through by sending out the message in our music in agreement with the whole planet, respecting everyone’s beliefs and culture and, do not forget that we CAN and DO make you dance. !!
  
  
  AMY V to all: How about the rest of the band?
  
  
  SANTA MAMBA: ......We would love to tour Europe and South America at some time, sooner than later preferably. We see ourselves more as an International sound and feel we would do well in these countries.
  
  
  AMY V to all: You are clearly heavily influenced by The Red Hot Chili Peppers; do you have any interaction with them, or any plans to work on projects in the future?
  
  
  SANTA MAMBA: Funny because I never thought of them as a major influence, though there's no denying that our bass player Nick never hesitates to call the Chili Peppers his favorite band. Perhaps he brings more of their style to our music than I realised. It's always interesting to learn how somebody on the outside hears the music that we can't quite seem to hear objectively. To answer your question, Nick just saw them in concert, so I guess that's interaction on some level. We've never had any professional interaction with them, but I'm flattered to hear that you consider us their musical peers. At this point in time we're still trying to establish ourselves as a band with a strong unique identity and sound, so we've hardly considered collaborating with other bands or musicians. But it's an interesting idea....
  
  
  AMY V to all: How do you handle the occasional music snob or purist who wishes you would more narrowly define your style to be "more classic rock and roll" or "more classic merengue" ,etc., not fully embracing the overall fusion house you're building here?
  
  
  SANTA MAMBA: ... We run into this once and a while and I guess there will always be the purist whether it be Jazz/ Rock /Latin etc, but once they experience a live performance we usually make fans out of them. If someone is so musically narrow minded they are only going to be happy listening to what makes them comfortable, so be it . We bring six ideas and styles to the table and brew the sounds of Santa Mamba. We feel that forging a new path in music is not an easy task but we are up for the challenge and believe in it fully.
  
  
  AMY V: Thank you all for your time!
  
  INTERVIEW BY AMY V: Freelance Journalist/Editor/Publicist-Board Member, Media Tank(www.mediatank.org)-Member, Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists-