The Fifth Annual Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival took place from October 30 to November 2nd, 2002 and was our most extensive festival thus far. 

Almost 30 of the top Latin Jazz acts we could find will be featured in ten locations throughout Brownsville from Monday October 29th to Saturday November 3rd, 2001... a whole week of Latin Jazz!

Inaugurated in 1997 by the late-great King of Latin Jazz, Tito Puente, the Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival has become an important event in South Texas' cultural calendar.  Last year, the great conguero, Poncho Sanchez, originally from Laredo, put on a headline performance that none of us will soon forget.  We are certain Tito would be happy to know his great pal, Eddie Palmieri, is headlining this year!

On Saturday November 3, at the Capitol Theatre Latin Jazz Street Party, BSPA's newest partner, CINESOL will be showing CALLE 54, the Miramax film by Fernando Trueba, featuring performances by 11 of the top Latin Jazz artists of our time. This will be the first film shown at the Capitol Theatre in over 40 years!  Check out the CALLE 54 and Fernando Trueba websites, some of the best we've ever seen!

Other great performers at the Festival will include the Rio Grande Valley's Dean of Jazz, Rene Sandoval, the big-band sound of the Mambo Kings, a 16 piece vintage orchestra from San Antonio;  Ritmo Caribe, a 13-piece Salsa band from Corpus;  Son y No Son, the famous soneros from Austin;  Del Castillo, a Flamenco-Jazz fusion band from Austin;  Ani & the New World Jazz Quintet from Brownsville; the national award-winning UTB/TSC Jazz Bands featuring Ron Wilkins, the great jazz trombonist from San Antonio; the Lopez, Porter, Harlingen and Los Fresnos High School Jazz Bands and many more!

 

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