Calle Soul
Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States
Music
Press
A new group seeks to fuse American music with Latin rhythms
FAYETTEVILLE-A fusion of salsa and American jazz is the rhythm that permeates the new group known as Calle Soul ("Soul of the Street").
Two Fernandos on percussion take over and bring their musical passion to the group. Fernando Sanchez is Cuban andFernando Valencia is from Colombia.
Sanchez moved from Miami where he was part of the group Sabor Latino.
"When I moved here I was burning with fever to play. Then I met with Nathan McLeod, "he said.
Nathan McLeod plays the flute, saxophone and is also the musical director.
"He's a genius in music, a highly respected musician here in Arkansas," Sanchez said.
He then joined Valencia, who proposed the name Calle Soul one day as they were drinking coffee.
"The music coming from the alley, the site of the street, and this music, at least what we give from the percussion side, is the contribution of Latin, Caribbean and to the jazz here," said Valencia.
Valencia studied music at the Universidad Javeriana in Colombia and the University of Arkansas.
He has also participated in various orchestras in this region and in Philadelphia.
The group started about eight months ago.
"The group is cool, we're rehearsing right now, we are gathering our stuff and we will be singing soon," said Valencia.
McLeod and Sanchez met through the webpage Craigslist. Sanchez had placed an ad looking for musicians to start a salsa band.
The Cuban proposed it and got it. McLeod contacted him since he had wanted to start something like this for a long time.
"The problem is that you need people who have experience playing the drums properly," McLeod said.
"It was a great chance to meet Fernando and the other Fernando," McLeod said, as they both have talent for percussion.
McLeod is also part of the Fayetteville Jazz Collective and several of the other musicians come from there as well.
"Our primary goal is to focus on music. The music has to be good and we are not doing it for the money, "said McLeod.
Calle Soul so far has had two appearances at the Teatro Scarpino in Fayetteville. - La Prensa Libre
Catchy and contagious from the first song to the last. Calle Soul was the group that made everyone dance on Friday evening at George's Majestic on Fayetteville's Dickson Street. The voices of DJ Torres and Emily Cole, together with the drums of the two Fernandos, Valencia and Sanchez, made for a refreshing, unforgettable summer evening.
- La Prensa Libre
The salsa and Latin jazz band Calle Soul is setting off with new members and projects. They now have Emily Cole on vocals, Michael Olefsky on trombone, and Andrew Thompson on bass.
The new singer said she met the group through a mutual friend. She has been singing since she was seven years old.
"I think it's great, they listen very well and have many talented people," she said, "I'm excited to work with them."
Smiling, Cole said that although she doesn't dance salsa yet, she's learning. Cole sings in English and Spanish and knows songs in both languages.
"I like to sing in another language," he said. She is the only woman in Calle Soul and she says, laughing, that it makes her feel safe knowing they will protect her.
This group itself has the same characteristics of salsa music: energy, fusion of rhythms, and constant evolution and adaptation.
Calle Soul, not even a year old yet, is already planning a new album with the incorporation of different rhythms like merengue and bachata, among other projects. At the moment, they are making a demo.
The members said they were excited about what they have achieved.
"First it was getting a singer so that we could move beyond just Latin jazz and to bring the group to a new dimension," said Fernando Sanchez, a Cuban who was a part of the group Sabor Latino in Miami.
"The sound is more solid, more typical salsa," Sanchez said.
The other Fernando in Calle Soul is Fernando Valencia. He is Colombian and was percussionist in the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.
Both are talented and both are percussionists in Calle Soul.
Valencia said, "We always liked the salsa, and Latin jazz uses elements of salsa and American jazz," he said, "and that's what this group does."
Calle Soul now has two trombones in addition to two trumpets that offers additional sound, Valencia said.
They have scheduled shows at George's Majestic Lounge and the Jazz Festival in Hot Springs in September. - La Prensa Libre
El grupo musical de salsa y jazz Calle Soul cuenta con nuevos integrantes y nuevos proyectos.
Ahora tienen a Emily Cole como cantante, Michael Olefsky en el trombón, y Andrew Thompson en el bajo.
La nueva cantante dijo que conoció al grupo por medio de un amigo mutuo. Ella canta desde que tiene siete años de edad.
“Creo que es magnífico, se escuchan muy bien y tienen a mucha gente talentosa”, dijo.
“Estoy emocionada de trabajar con ellos”, agregó.
Sonriendo, Cole dijo que aunque no sabe bailar la salsa lo intenta. Cole canta en inglés y español ya que conoce canciones en ambos idiomas.
“Me gusta mucho cantar en otro lenguaje”, dijo. Ella es la única mujer en Calle Soul y sus miembros, riéndose, dijeron que por eso ella se siente segura ya que la cuidan.
Esta agrupación tiene las mismas características de la música salsa: energética, con fusión de ritmos, y siempre evolucionando.
Calle Soul aun no cumple el año y ya planea su nuevo disco así como la incorporación de distintos ritmos como el merengue y la bachata, entre otros proyectos. Por el momento, se encuentran realizando un demo.
Los integrantes dijeron estar emocionados por lo que han conseguido.
“Primero fue conseguir un cantante para que no nos vean como un grupo de Latin Jazz y para llevar el grupo a una nueva dimensión”, dijo Fernando Sánchez, cubano que formó parte del grupo Sabor Latino en Miami.
“Es un sonido más sólido, más típico salsero”, dijo Sánchez.
El otro Fernando de Calle Soul es Fernando Valencia. Él es colombiano y fue percusionista en la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia.
Ambos tienen talento y ambos son percusionistas de Calle Soul.
Valencia dijo, “A nosotros siempre nos ha gustado la salsa, y el latin jazz usa elementos de la salsa y jazz norteamericano”, dijo.
“De hecho este grupo lo hace”, dijo Valencia.
Ahora Calle Soul cuenta con dos trombones en vez de dos trompetas que ofrece un sonido adicional, dijo Valencia.
Ellos tienen presentaciones programadas en George’s Majestic Lounge y en el Festival de Jazz de Hot Springs en septiembre.
The salsa and Latin jazz band Calle Soul is setting off with new members and projects. They now have Emily Cole on vocals, Michael Olefsky on trombone, and Andrew Thompson on bass.
The new singer said she met the group through a mutual friend. She has been singing since she was seven years old.
"I think it's great, they listen very well and have many talented people," she said, "I'm excited to work with them."
Smiling, Cole said that although she doesn't dance salsa yet, she's learning. Cole sings in English and Spanish and knows songs in both languages.
"I like to sing in another language," he said. She is the only woman in Calle Soul and she says, laughing, that it makes her feel safe knowing they will protect her.
This group itself has the same characteristics of salsa music: energy, fusion of rhythms, and constant evolution and adaptation.
Calle Soul, not even a year old yet, is already planning a new album with the incorporation of different rhythms like merengue and bachata, among other projects. At the moment, they are making a demo.
The members said they were excited about what they have achieved.
"First it was getting a singer so that we could move beyond just Latin jazz and to bring the group to a new dimension," said Fernando Sanchez, a Cuban who was a part of the group Sabor Latino in Miami.
"The sound is more solid, more typical salsa," Sanchez said.
The other Fernando in Calle Soul is Fernando Valencia. He is Colombian and was percussionist in the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.
Both are talented and both are percussionists in Calle Soul.
Valencia said, "We always liked the salsa, and Latin jazz uses elements of salsa and American jazz," he said, "and that's what this group does."
Calle Soul now has two trombones in addition to two trumpets that offers additional sound, Valencia said.
They have scheduled shows at George's Majestic Lounge and the Jazz Festival in Hot Springs in September. - La Prensa Libre
Desde la primera hasta la última canción fueron pegajosas y contagiosas. Fue en la noche del viernes 8 de julio cuando el grupo de música tropical Calle Soul hizo bailar a las personas que llegaron a George’s Majestic de la Calle Dickson de Fayetteville. Las voces de José DJ Torres y Emily Cole, así como los tambores de los dos Fernandos, Valencia y Sánchez, refrescaron una inolvidable noche de verano. - La Prensa Libre
Nuevo grupo busca fundir música estadounidense con ritmos latinos
FAYETTEVILLE– Una fusión de la salsa y el jazz norteamericano es el ritmo que contagia la nueva agrupación conocida como Calle Soul (Alma de la Calle).
Dos Fernandos se apoderan de la percusión y traen su pasión musical al grupo. Fernando Sánchez es cubano y Fernando Valencia es colombiano.
Sánchez se mudó de Miami donde formó parte del grupo Sabor Latino.
“Cuando me mudé para acá tenía la fiebre esa de tocar. Entonces me junté con Nathan McLeod”, dijo.
Nathan McLeod toca la flauta, el saxofón y además es el director musical.
“Él es un genio en la música, un músico muy respetado aquí en Arkansas”, dijo Sánchez.
Después se unió Valencia, quien les propuso el nombre Calle Soul un día que estaban tomando café.
“La música que viene del callejón, el solar de la calle, y esta música por lo menos el aporte que nosotros le damos en el lado de la percusión, es el aporte latino, caribeño y se combina con el jazz de aquí”, dijo Valencia.
Valencia estudió música en la Universidad Javeriana en Colombia y en la Universidad de Arkansas.
Además ha participado en distintas orquestas es esta región y en Filadelfia.
La agrupación inició hace unos ocho meses.
“El grupo esta chévere, ahorita estamos ensayando, estamos juntando nuestro repertorio y vamos a tener cantante pronto”, dijo Valencia.
McLeod y Sánchez se conocieron mediante la página cibernética Craigslist. Sánchez puso un anuncio que estaba en busca de músicos para comenzar una banda de salsa.
El cubano se lo propuso y lo consiguió. McLeod lo contactó ya que él había querido comenzar algo así por mucho tiempo.
“El problema es que necesitas gente que tenga experiencia tocando la percusión correctamente”, dijo McLeod.
“Fue una gran oportunidad de conocerlo a Fernando y al otro Fernando”, dijo McLeod ya que ambos son talentosos para la percusión.
McLeod también forma parte de la banda Fayetteville Jazz Collective y varios de los músicos vienen de ahí.
“Nuestra meta primordial es enfocarnos en la música. La música tiene que ser buena y no lo estamos haciendo para hacer mucho dinero”, dijo McLeod.
Haste el momento Calle Soul ha tenido dos presentaciones en el Teatro Scarpino’s en Fayetteville. - La Prensa Libre
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Based in Fayetteville AR, Calle Soul covers a range of great tunes from bands and Artists like La Fania All Stars, Mongo Santamaria, Poncho Sanchez, Larry Harlow, Ray Barreto, Bobby Valentin, Ismael Miranda, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, El Gran Combo, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz all while adding our own twist. Calle Soul can put together a slammin set of Salsa or step it down a notch with Latin Jazz tunes that are great for listening or dancing. Calle Soul is currently available for Corporate Parties & Events. Weddings, Anniversaries, Quinceñeras, Nightclubs, Concerts and all Special Events. We are available in Midwest, South United States and Worldwide.
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CALLE SOUL LINE UP:
Fernando Sanchez (Congas): Cuban percussionist, Fernando currently resides in Farmington, AR., by way of Miami Fl. He was a founding member of the popular Salsa Band, Sabor Latino in Miami. As a Conga player, Fernando had the great opportunity to perform with Fania Record/Allstars piano legend Larry Harlow and his brother Andy. Along with other Tropical bands like Charanga Tipica Tropical, Hansel y Raul, Israel Kantor and Charanga Chateau. He has always been inspired by conga masters, such as Tomas Ramos Ortiz (El Panga), Miguel Anga Diaz and Eddie Montalvo.
Fernando Valencia (Timbales): Fernando Valencia hails from Bogota-Colombia. He is the former principal percussionist of The National Wind Symphony of Colombia. He has performed with The Bogota Philharmonic, The North Arkansas Symphony, The New Jersey Philharmonic, The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas Philharmonic among others. Mr. Valencia received his B.M. from the Universidad Javeriana and his M.M. from The University of Arkansas. He later went on to Temple University to pursue the Professional Certificate of studies with Alan Abel of The Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to his active performance schedule as a freelance percussionist, Fernando is a percussionist for theater projects such as "A Night at the Alhambra Cafe" in NYC and "Rosa de la Alhambra" in Philadelphia.
Andrew Thompson (Bass): An alumni of the University of Arkansas with a Masters degree in music performance, Andrew Thompson has been playing stringed instruments most of his life. Although starting on violin, he began playing bass at an early age and was attracted to tropical music because of the bass's role as both a rhythmic and melodic force. He is involved in a number of projects in the Northwest Arkansas area aimed at bringing Latin music to the live music scene.
Emily Cole (Vocalist): Born in southern Arkansas in El Dorado, Emily Cole has been performing since she was 7 years old. She has been living in Fayetteville for 5 years and studied journalism and the Spanish language at the University of Arkansas. Emily has written songs and done several projects and shows with soul and jazz bands. She recently recorded demos in Nashville, TN as well.
Catalina Ortega (Flute): A native of Colombia, is a flute instructor at the University of Arkansas. She holds a Master Degree in Music and a Certificate in Advanced Instrumental Performance in flute from the University of Arkansas, as well as a B.A in Flute from the Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. In addition to teaching Ms. Ortega has served 2nd flute/piccolo for the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and flute player for the Medellin Philharmonic Orchestra. She formerly taught at the University of Antioquia for 5 years before she came to the U.S.
Chase Cavalier (Trumpet): Born in North Little Rock, AR, Chase Cavalier was first exposed to music through his mother's piano lessons. Mr. Having graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Music degree, Chase began playing professionally as a freelance musician in Northwest Arkansas. Over the years, Mr. Cavalier has performed with such artists as Marie Osmond and Patrick Hession, and has performed with several tour
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