When:  August 26 at 8pm (doors open 7:30pm)

Spend Saturday nights dancing and enjoying the rhythms of these amazing recording artists! Enjoy sizzling sounds as part of our annual acclaimed August Nights Latin Concert Series! All ages welcome.

Where: Water Street Plaza Amphitheater (click for venue information)

Cost: $15  

Alcoholic (21+) and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during each performance onsite outside of the Amphitheater.

QUITAPENAS

One word – all caps, four syllables – all claps, gives you a taste of their rhythmic contagion. This tropical Afro-Latin combo was born under the warm California sun. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 60s, 70s and 80s. Each song echoes a remix of history and invites one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of QUITAPENAS is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.

QUITAPENAS was founded in 2011. The band was formed around their shared love of dance rhythms from the Tropical Afro Latin diaspora. They assembled a group of like minded friends to share the vision that went on to be QUITAPENAS. The group is made up of first generation son’s of immigrant parents from Guatemala and Mexico.

Daniel Gomez is the guitarist, singer, composer, and co-founder of QUITAPENAS. He began playing guitar at age 12. He attended UC Riverside where he studied Anthropology and Ethnomusicology. He is also currently a research engineer doing environmental emissions research at the University of Riverside and has 4 children of his own.

Hector Chavez plays bass and saxophone in QUITAPENAS. He began playing music at the age of 8 in the San Bernardino City public school music program. He remained involved in concert band, marching band, and jazz band. He studied music technology and audio recording at California State University, Dominguez Hills where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in digital media arts and a minor in music.

Mark Villela is a multi instrumentalist playing percussion for QUITAPENAS. He incorporates traditional Latin instruments such as the guacho, guiro, and maracas. He grew up playing percussion and tambourine while involved in his church group. He graduated from UC Riverside majoring in Latin American Studies and Psychology. He is currently an engineer leading research in fuel and emission particle studies for UCR.

Ivan McCormick is a percussionist and keyboard player in QUITAPENAS. He began his musical career at the age of 12 playing drum set in a group with friends and family. Since then, he has learned multiple instruments including piano, accordion, marimba de chonta, flute, guitar and clarinet. He has also worked on composing for tv and film as well as live dance/circus performances including “Vagabundo” by Triciclo Rojo danza art troupe. This show has been performed in many cities throughout Europe, North and South America in recent years including world renowned Bellas Artes Theater in Mexico City, MX.

David Quintero is a percussionist and keyboard player in QUITAPENAS. He grew up in Oakland, California performing in bands playing genres from Quebradita to Banda and Cumbia to Son Jarocho. Quintero is a multi-instrumentalist and well versed in various folk styles from Mexico like Mariachi, Son Huasteco and Son Jarocho. He is also a very good Salsa dancer.

Eduardo Valencia is a percussionist, composer and founding member of QUITAPENAS. He began his musical exploration on the drum set at age 15. During college he performed with several jazz musicians and was a member of several world music ensembles. In 2010 he made his transition to hand percussion as a drummer for folkloric drum and dance ensembles. In 2015 and 2017, Eduardo participated in a State Department program called OneBeat and OneBeat Russia where he collaborated with 24 musicians from over 17 countries. In 2018 he participated in the state department program American Music Abroad as a member of LA based band, Buyepongo. The group performed in China, Azerbaijan and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Currently, he teaches Afro Colombian drumming in several California prisons as a teaching artist with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. For the last ten years he has served as Assistant Manager, Producer and DJ at KUCR 88.3 Fm at the University of California, Riverside.