Salsa, bachata and more: Local acts will shine at the 53rd annual Puerto Rican Festival
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Several performers are set to take the stage at the Puerto Rican Festival this weekend.
The Puerto Rican Festival takes place Thursday, Aug. 3, through Saturday, Aug. 5, at Innovative Field in downtown Rochhester and features live performances throughout.
Event headliners are:
Thursday: Alex Matos
Friday: Christian Alicea; Baby Rasta & Gringo
Saturday: Luis Figueroa; Los Hermanos Rosario
Local acts will also showcase cultural music and dance. Here are some highlights of who Puerto Rican Festival attendees might see during this year's celebration.
Sonidos Unidos
In 2015, siblings Thalia and Julio Pabon debuted Sonidos Unidos, their first band. They are a multifaceted group that plays traditional Latin music and blend their Latin roots with covers of pop and jazz hits.
They have had shows at festivals like the New York State Fair and the Rochester International Jazz Festival, as well as some local venues like Tapas 177 and the Rochester Public Market. Now, you can see them perform at the Puerto Rican Festival.
Sonos Unidos is scheduled to perform at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3.
Boriquen Dance Theatre
During the Puerto Rican Festival of Rochester in 1981, Borinquen Dance Theatre was born after Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez took on the challenge of offering dance classes to adults in centers and school gyms across Rochester. From her family’s native island of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez taught her students bomba and plena, traditional folkloric dances.
While working in the Rochester City School District, her work emphasized the need for dance for students. In hopes of improving the graduation rate among city students, Rodriguez shifted her focus to helping children and teens through the discipline of dance.
Borinquen Dance Company was established as a nonprofit in 2002 and has been meeting at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance since 1985.
Learn more about the organization at borinquendancetheatre.org/press-kit/
Borinquen Dance Theatre is scheduled to perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.
Bachata Rebelde
Siblings Thalia Pabon and Julio Pabon were born in Puerto Rico and grew up with a love for music and their culture.
They both individual careers until coming together in 2015 to form their band, Sonidos Unidos. And now, along with musical director, Anthony Santiago Canchani, they founded the band Bachata Rebelde in 2021.
Bachata Rebelde is expected to perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.
Los Infieles
Born in different parts of Puerto Rico, the members of this group came together in 2020 after owner, Christine Reyes and friends Julio Lopez and Angel Carrion came up with the name during a vocal practice.
The group says music has the power to bring people together, evoke emotions and is a constant source of inspiration and joy.
Los Infieles has had performances across upstate New York at local venues and festivals.
Los Infieles are slated to perform at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.
What is the full lineup for the 2023 Puerto Rican Festival in Rochester?
This is just a sample of the entertainment expected to draw crowds in honor of Puerto Rican heritage and culture.
To see the full lineup of performances, see prfestival.com/festival/
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY Puerto Rican Festival local acts in 2023
