Read about socially conscious salsa LA EXCELENCIA; at GPAV October 12

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Great Performances continues its 38^th year with La Excelencia on Friday, October 12 at 8:00 PM in Ingram Hall. Known for bringing contemporary vivacity and collective awareness to the salsa genre, La Excelencia thrills and dares its audience with a combination of heavy, soul-enriching percussion. Known as the new generation of salsa dura with an 11-piece orchestra, La Excelencia swathes its audience with melodies full of compelling arrangements, free flowing brass and hard-driving drums.

Founded in 2005, La Excelencia has electrified the international stage and kept salseros’ feet spinning. La Excelencia has released three albums, Salsa Con Conciencia, MI Tumbao Social and most recently, Ecos Del Barrio. The band has been featured on BBC, full features in The New York Times, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, ‘Zumba Fitness’, and on countless salsa/world music compilations among others.

Known as having “created a revolutionary movement of salsa”, La Excelencia surges from continent to continent captivating audiences into their own melodious expedition. With auditorial commentary on immigration, discrimination and poverty, La Excelencia traditionalizes salsa music while modernizing the form’s context.

The orchestra’s tough sound and socially conscious lyrics are regarded as outside the salsa mainstream…and the real deal. –The New York Times

A community Salsa Class will be offered prior to the Vanderbilt Great Performances show, free to all ticket holders at 6:30p.m taught by Nashville’s Global Education Center resident teaching artist, Steven Damo of Sentir El Ritmo, please call 615.322.2471 to reserve a space.

Great Performances is Vanderbilt University’s international presenting performing arts series. Recognized as a National Dance Project Hub-Site by the New England Foundation for the Arts, Great Performances is dedicated to promoting artistic expression that engages, enriches and transforms with world music, dance, and theater.