Manolín "El Medico de la Salsa"

South Beach, Miami, FL

The Starfish

South Beach, Miami, FL

The Starfish

South Beach, Miami, FL

The Starfish

South Beach, Miami, FL

The Starfish

Miami, FL

Crystal NightClub

San Francisco, CA November 23RD, 1999 For Immediate Release

Acción Latina has joined forces with Cuba Sí! and Operation USA in their campaign to send medical supplies to Cuba. At this year's two-day Latin music festival (Fri. & Sat., Dec. 3rd & 4th), audience members will be invited to buy raffle tickets for prizes including Latin Percussion instruments and original works of art by Mission District artists. The drawing will be hosted by none other than Manolín, "El Médico de la Salsa" who will be headlining the 18th Annual Encuentro del Canto Popular along with Susana Baca and Omar Sosa.

Dire need, largely created by the US blockade that for decades prevented the sale of food and medicines to Cuba, has caused great hardship, especially among children and the elderly on the island. In the spirit of people to people exchange, Acción Latina has organized this raffle to help finance donations of medicines and other vital medical supplies to be distributed by Operation USA in association with Cuba Sí! Raffle tickets will be available on both Friday and Saturday nights with the drawing taking place during the two-hour-long dance set by timba king, Manolín, "El Médico de la Salsa" who accompanied by his 17-piece band will be making his first ever Bay Area appearance before returning to Havana.

VERY FEW music festivals carry the social message that the Encuentro Del Canto Popular has in its 18-year existence. Born out of the Mission District community newspaper El Tecolote, it began as a benefit for budding journalism students but quickly turned into a festival of international scope. It has featured some of the world's most renowned troubadours and stuck its neck out to challenge U.S. policy against cultural exchange with Cuba. Through it all, Acción Latina (which produces the two-night festival) has retained its focus on showcasing the music of people in struggle, bringing to the Bay Area community an amazing array of Latin American artists including the Mission District's own history-making guitarist Carlos Santana, Argentina's greatest singer Mercedes Sosa, Puerto Rico's virtuoso of the cuatro Yomo Toro, Cuba's brilliant percussion group Los Papines, and scores of others. 

Encuentro Producer Nina Menéndez is enthusiastic with the festival's purpose: "We have evolved with the times but never lose sight of our own deep commitment: to celebrate our diverse cultural expressions while providing a forum for the many concerns of the Latino community and consolidating connections with families, neighbors, co-workers and friends both old and new." she added.

Acción Latina is a non-profit Mission District volunteer-based collective committed to the promotion and highlighting of excellence in Latino education, art and culture. Among its other projects are the bilingual newspaper El Tecolote (founded in 1970) and Fuerza Joven, a program created to recruit and train teenagers in all aspects of creative writing and journalism. C.U.B.A. Sí! (Culture Uniting Business and the Arts) is a California ñbased organization dedicated to fostering people-to-people exchanges with Cuba in the arts and entertainment fields. Operation USA is a non-profit organization providing medical relief and humanitarian aid to people around the globe for more than 20 years.

This year's Encuentro will highlight the presence of lo africano in Latin American culture with an Afro-Latino Millennium Festival for Changó, god of the drum. Lineup includes: Friday, December 3rd 7pm: Afro-Peruvian singer Susana Baca, Jaranón y Bochinche dance troupe; Yaelisa & Caminos Flamencos with el Genio Gitano Jesús Montoya and el niño Romerito; and Brasilian samba y pagode with Entre Nos; and, Saturday, December 4th 7pm: Manolín "El Médico de la Salsa"; Omar Sosa Quintet with María Márquez; Cuban soneros Grupo Iré; All-Star Afro Cuban ensemble Marferefún Changó featuring special guests from Cuba's Conjunto Folklórico National Carlos Aldama and Regino Jiménez with dancers José Francisco Barroso and Susana Arenas.