RICHMOND, Va. — The 17th annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival took place Saturday for the first time at Richmond’s 17th Street Market.
“Sweet” Louis Hidalgo, the “Voice of Latin Jazz,” who created the festival in 2005, said the music draws the masses.
“The music brings people from all over,” Hidalgo said. “The majority of our people at the festival… don’t speak Spanish. It’s the music that brings them, and that cultural exchange is what makes Richmond a great place to be.”
FULL INTERVIEW: Latin Jazz and Salsa Festival founder says ‘the music brings people from all over’
FULL INTERVIEW: Latin Jazz and Salsa Festival founder says ‘the music brings people from all over’
Hidalgo credited the festival’s success to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers and sponsors make the event possible.
“It’s not just the music festival. This is the end of our year the music festival. What we do during the year of book drives, food drives, blanket drives, we have. We connect with other organizations to help students, fill out FASFA applications. We do so many other things for the community, school supplies, backpacks, it can the list goes on.”