Led by renowned pianist, composer, arranger and musical director, Oscar Hernández, 5X GRAMMY® nominated Spanish Harlem Orchestra is truly honored and grateful to announce their third GRAMMY® win! The 13-piece ensemble graciously accepted the award for Best Tropical Latin Album for their fifth album, Anniversary at the 61st GRAMMY® ceremony, which took place on Sunday, February 10th at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Hernandez accepted the award in the company of members Marco Bermudez, Carlos Cascante, Luisito Quintero, Doug Beavers and Jeremy Bosch.
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Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival
Spanish Harlem Orchestra Anniversary Nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album at the 61st Annual GRAMMY® Awards
This morning, it was announced that 2x GRAMMY® Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra has received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Tropical Latin Album for Anniversary. Released in April on ArtistShare, their aptly titled sixth album celebrates the all-star salsa big band’s 15-year anniversary and demonstrates why they are the “the leading light of the salsa reconstruction movement” (Newsday).
This is the fifth nomination for the ensemble. Previous nominations including Best Salsa Album for Un Gran Día En El Barrio (2002) and Best Tropical Latin Album for United We Swing (2007). In 2004, Spanish Harlem Orchestra won their first GRAMMY® in the Best Salsa/Merengue Album category for Across 110th Street. In 2010, the group won Best Tropical Latin Album for Viva La Tradición.
Read MoreOscar Hernandez and SHO to premiere commissioned work at 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 22nd
“The Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to present its annual commission piece in 2018, Monterey Encounter (A Latin Jazz Suite for Flute) with special guest Hubert Laws, composed and performed by the world-renowned Oscar Hernández & the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. This two-time Grammy-winning ensemble is the one of the premier New York-style, “hard salsa” groups in the world, and will feature the NEA Jazz Master Hubert Laws as a soloist. Don’t miss them in the Arena, they are back at Monterey for the first time since 2005!”
Saturday, Sept 22 / 3:40 pm / Jimmy Lyons Stage
Read More"Anniversary" receives 4-star review on ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“**** The 13-piece all-star salsa big band Spanish Harlem Orchestra celebrates their 15-year anniversary in grand style with Anniversary, their sixth studio album. Champions of salsa dura ("hard salsa"), this is a band whose technical skill is matched only by their consistent high energy. They have three lead vocalists, so the chorus singing is also very high quality—an essential part of a strong salsa performance. Opener "Esa Nena" is a fine introduction to the group's body-shaking groove, and the program rarely lets up after that.”
Read MorePODCAST: Tom Schnabel's Rhythm Planet - KCRW.COM
I’ve followed the career of Oscar Hernández for over 30 years, beginning with his work as pianist and arranger for Rubén Blades’s brilliant and still-timely album Buscando America (Searching for America). Fifteen years ago, the Bronx-born Hernández founded the 13-piece outfit known as the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), an incredible tropical Latin big band which has won two Grammy awards and tours throughout the world.
Edmonton Journal: "Spanish Harlem Orchestra makes classic Latin jazz new again"
After 15 years the Spanish Harlem Orchestra‘s expertise and passion for tapping the exciting riffs and entrancing grooves of Latin jazz is unquestioned. When they make their Edmonton debut Wednesday, the only decision you may have to make is whether to sit or to dance.
“That’s a huge dilemma for me,” admits Oscar Hernandez, the SHO’s founder-pianist, and most frequent composer-arranger. “We’re mostly playing concerts and that’s my preference, but usually the complaint is, ‘we wanted to dance.’ It is dance music at its best, but for me it’s a lot more than that, so I would like people to sit and appreciate the artistic aspect of the music, too.”
He adds that by the end of most of their concerts “everyone is up dancing anyway.” Either way, the two-time Grammy winning SHO promises 13 seasoned musicians on a mission.
Read MoreCelebrating 15 Years of Spanish Harlem Orchestra - "Anniversary" Available April 16
GRAMMY® Award Winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra Celebrates 15 Years with New Studio Album Anniversary, Due out April 16, 2018 on ArtistShare.
In celebration of their 15-year anniversary, 2x GRAMMY® Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra is proud to announce the release of their aptly titled sixth album Anniversary due out on April 16th on ArtistShare. On Anniversary the powerhouse 13-piece all-star salsa big band demonstrates why they are the “the leading light of the salsa reconstruction movement” (Newsday) by doing what they do best: hard-hitting, no-holds-barred New York salsa that is both contemporary and reverent to its rich musical history.
Read MoreNow Booking for 2017 Holiday Season: SHO "Salsa Navidad"
The presentation features Christmas music from the traditional Latin-American vein, arranged, performed and presented as only Spanish Harlem Orchestra can.
The orchestra presented Salsa Navidad nationwide in 2015 on PBS during a performance at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Booking inquires for Spanish Harlem Orchestra's Salsa Navidad can be make here.
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SHO to perform Winter JazzFest 2017
Spanish Harlem Orchestra will join the now legendary New York City festival with a performance on January 6th.
Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Winter Jazzfest
Friday, January 6th 8:00p
New School 12th St. Auditorium
Tickets and Passes
Now Booking: "Spanish Harlem Orchestra 15"
Now booking for 2017 - the 15th Anniversary Celebration of Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Featuring original vocalists Ray de la Paz, Herman Olivera and Frankie Vazquez.