Grupo Bohemio, a six-man sizzling Latin fusion band, returns to the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series on Thursday, July 12. According to lead guitarist Manny Torres, Bohemio plays music for the soul and covers a hot brew of salsa, reggaeton, cumbia and other blends of Latin and rock.
A staple of Grupo Bohemio, sure to excite concert attendees, is a Santana tribute, honoring the music of legendary jazz guitarist Carlos Santana who pioneered in the late 1960s and early 1970s a signature fusion of rock, Latin music and jazz. Santana propelled his band’s sound to the top of the charts with Santana’s blues-based guitar lines set against Latin and African rhythms, deftly driven by popping Latin percussion instruments such as congas and timbales.
Bohemio has toured internationally, played frequently in the deserts posh casinos and at Disney’s California Adventure Park. “The band is tight,” said sax man and vocalist Juan Hernandez.
Joining Torres and Hernandez are Jacinto Cancino on drums and vocals, Ruben Cancino on keyboard and vocals, Kenny Hudson on percussion and vocals and Lupe Garza on bass.
Bohemio takes the stage at 7 p.m. Opening for Bohemio are Paul Carman and Friends at 6:30 p.m.
The concert takes place at the Idyllwild Community Center site on Highway 243 and is free to the public. Attendees are advised to bring flashlights to be used when leaving the concert and to arrive early enough to secure their choice of seating. With construction of the Community Playground, around 300 seats have been eliminated to the left, facing the stage.
Each year, ISCS producer Ken Dahleen and his board schedule and begin the series even though they do not have the full budget raised to fund the summer’s expenses. As of this writing, out of a series budget of $22,000, $9,500 has been raised. A ritual at each concert is the passing of collection jars. That and series sponsors generally wind up raising the full budget by end of the concert season.
See www.idyllwildsummerconcerts.org for more information about the season and how to contribute and become a series sponsor.
