Stuart’s Opera House, in association with the Ohio University Performing Arts and Concert Series, will give students and locals the opportunity to spice up their lives with a little Latin flavor.
Bomba Estereo, a band native to Colombia, and Austin-based Grupo Fantasma are set to take the Nelsonville venue’s stage Tuesday evening. The show has a limited number of free student tickets available.
This is the latest in a string of collaborations between the organizations. In past years, the Avett Brothers performed at Stuart’s as part of the partnership. Most recently, the two worked together on a concert featuring international band Tinariwen during fall semester.
Brian Koscho, marketing director at Stuart’s Opera House, said often joint concerts are based on things that would be interesting to students, such as international music like Tuesday’s scheduled acts and past performer, Tinariwen.
OU alumnus, Danny “DJ Self Help” Johnson, will be opening the show. Currently, he plays International Dance Night at Casa Nueva, as well as being a veteran at many Athens venues. He said he often incorporates Latin styles into his sets.
"The lines of the genres I play are always blurred because I like to mash so many different things into my sets, and what I play also depends a lot on the environment I’m DJing in,” Johnson said in an email.
He said his DJing encourages an “open atmosphere with good vibes” where listeners will be encouraged to dance, something that fits in with Bomba Estereo’s set-lists.
“Colombian folk music is dance music, so what we try to do is unite the dance concept of our tradition with the global dance concept,” said Simon Mejia, the band’s founder in an email. The music speaks for itself in the live shows.”
While the Stuart’s audience is familiar to Bomba Estero, who traveled to the Nelsonville Music Festival in 2011, it’s the first time for Grupo Fantasma, who has a similar philosophy, mixing new and old forms of Latin music. The group won a Grammy in 2011 for their “vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Koscho said while international music is not foreign to the venue’s lineup, Latin music is less touched upon than other genres.
“I think the (audience) will be pretty receptive,” he added. “They’re music lovers, (who enjoy) many different genres of music … I think it’s a good fit.”
If You Go
What: Bomba Estereo and Grupo Fantasma
When: 8:00 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville
Admission: Limited Free Student Tickets, $20 advanced tickets, $25 at the door
eb104010@ohiou.edu
