Manteca : 16th September, London

One of our favorite bands is Manteca featuring vocals from Martha Acosta take to the 606 club stage to perform their mix of latin salsa grooves. This seven-piece salsa band have been going for nearly half a decade now have been heralded as one of the best salsa bands going. Check their new EP : Oye! and last album Tremendo Boogaloo are just amazing!

Manteca live! 16th September
606 Club, 90 Lots Road, Chelsea, SW10 0QD
Bookings

Formed by Colombian singer Martha Acosta and bass guitarist/MD Don Fiora (Javier Fioramonti) for the Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh 2001. Manteca proved to be at the cutting edge of the Latin scene, leading over 3,000 people at the World Music Stage "salsa-ing" into the New Year to their unique style of Urban Latin Funk.Since then Manteca is well known for creating a party mood at festivals and gigs all around, including Coin St. Festival London, Rhythms of the City festival Leeds,Ecorhythms Festival and many more.

Since then Manteca have become well known for creating a party mood at festivals and gigs all around the world. Martha's love for music is simply in her genes. Daughter of a music and fun loving "Barranquillero" she was dancing and singing `musica tropical' from an early age. More recently, she not only formed the all-female Latin outfit 'Candela', but also sang lead vocals for bands including 'Roberto Pla's Latin Ensemble'.

With a `non-strictly-salsa' background, Don Fiora (Javier Fioramonti) approaches Latin music from a new direction, respecting its roots whilst incorporating the new emerging city-grooves. He has accompanied big names of the Latin world like Jack Costanzo, Henry Fiol, Azuquita, Maelo Ruiz and Luisito Carrion.

Manteca's personnel are all luminaries on the UK Latin scene. The rhythm section comprises powerful drummer Vancho Manoilovich , Satin Singh on congas, and Dave Oliver on keys. In the brass section, Manteca has three top names: trumpeters Paul Jayasinha and Simon Finch , on saxes Ben Somers and Robin Harris on Trombone.