Agua Panela
Salsa Band

Line up: 2-4 Piece Band Core members: Daniel Alvarado - Lead Vocal acoustic guitar; James Vielma - Lead vocal/ multi-Latin-percussion set; Plus Backing Vocals/ Electric/ Acoustic guitar; Bass Guitar

Highlights
* Great upbeat authentic Latin-flavoured band from 2-4 players
* Top talented musicians and male vocals
* From the Gipsy Kings to Cuban Salsa to pop arrangements
* Requests learnt for a nominal fee - whether for a special first dance or a favourite song
* Subtle PA system perfect for the acoustic sound of the band
* Available UK wide and abroad
*Perfect for Jazz World music Festivals
*Good value for events with small budget and space
*Cheaper prices from Monday Tuesday and Wednesday all year

The core members of Agua Panela are:

James Vielma
Born in El Valle during ‘63 in the city of Caracas Venezuela James Dean’s musical beginnings happened by chance in the basketball courts of El Barrio. James watched a samba class drumming in a nearby building and stared at the group from across the stairs. His parents wouldn’t let him go because it was very late; and they worried that it was too dangerous for a young boy to go out at night inevitably from there he got into the world of music and percussion. He started learning like many other musicians by playing in the street Salsa Merengue & other latin rhythms playing with different bands timbals bongos congas and vocals.When he went to the University of Los Andes in the city of Merida Venezuela he was called upon to play with different salsa bands emsembles and rhythms. This paid for his engineering studies.

In the UK he became a teacher of percussion and organized different afrovenezuelan and afrocuban courses in the Cervantes Institute in Manchester. He created an interactive on-line percussion course for beginners and potentials drummers; he worked with the NHS in Manchester conducting courses of percussion for youths with severe problems of paranoia and schizophrenia; he played with various well-known bands like soncaribe descarga animal jazz cubita mojito blukana performing in festivals such Festival Europe 2004 and events like the Commonwealth games The University of Manchester The Lowry Centre in Manchester; He performed in recording sessions with the BBC Miri Jazz Festival Malaysia KK jazz Festival Borneo and diferent festivals around the world.

Daniel Alvarado
Born in Lima Peru in a spring day of 1974 for him music has been always a remarkable part in his life, at the age of 6 he started to play the flute and in high school he discovered the amazing sounds of the panpipes and Andean music forming his first ever band where they performed the traditional Andean latinamerican music with pinepipes, quenas, guitars, percussion and charango, as a youngster he learned to play the guitar and became a street musician in the bohemian town of Barranco (Peru) where started to create his own music which was a mixture of latin pop with salsa beats. He travelled around Peru performing in bars, pubs & on the streets too just him and his guitar, an experience that helped him to learn more about music and his own country. His personality (a blend of musician, artist, bohemian and gipsy) pushed him to explore further lands and in 2001 he decided to leave South America crossing the Atlantic to Europe and then UK.

His experience as a dynamic vocalist and his guitar playing attracted the attention of very well known latin bands in the North West such as Salsa pa’ Gozar, Son Caribe, Mojito & Blukana being invited to perform with them several and several times.

Your Event
The band can be augmented, from a pool of musicians, to a 4 piece by adding Bass and Electric/ Acoustic Guitar.

Music between sets is available through an MP3 player and the band can learn requests for a small fee - please ask your agent for details.

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‘I felt comfortable when I made arrangements with Daniel & his band. They are prepared to discuss different options and give me straight forward opinion on what numbers of musicians are required. On the night they take command of the situation and will taylor the timing of your set to accomodate others time schedules. They have a good presence at the front of the band, providing a good mix of essential salsa and cha cha cha. performed at a tempo thats considerate to dancers. I recommend them whenever I can’. Colin Carter, Salsa community at Harrogate colindirect@googlemail.com 07718 782999

‘Agua Panela is a group of professionals and great performers, they make you dance all the way through’. Jose, ‘The Hillary Step’ bar manager

‘Great sound, my clients enjoy it a lot, that’s why they have a regular gig every month in this venue’

Chris, ‘Project X’ bar manager Buxton

‘We have had several occasions to offer contracts to Daniel Alvarado and his band, and they have always been professionally carried out, with good feedback.

I would have no problems recommending him as a talented and reliable musician’.

Nina

Please note: Agua Panela do not currently take enquiries more than 8 months in advance.