Downtown Glen Cove showed off its rich culture during Friday’s salsa gorda performance. People were up on their feet and showing off their moves to Jose Trombone & Conjunto Rumbon.
Glen Cove has a large Hispanic community; 29.1% of Glen Cove’s population is Hispanic, making it the second most common ethnic group in the city, according to Data USA. The community came out Friday to fill the Glen Cove streets with dancing music and fun.
Jose Trombone & Conjunto Rumbon are keepers of the iconic salsa gorda sound that emerged in New York City during the golden era of salsa. Jose Rivera is a long-time trombonist who started his music career with his family band in East New York.
Jose was born in Puerto Rico and raised in both cultures. His father, Enrique Rivera, was a self-taught musician who was an influential pioneer in the NYC Salsa period. He established the family band with his wife and six children in the early 1960s. Jose became his father’s partner in composing their original music.
The family band, Orquestra Los Juniors, became popular in the ’70s and recorded two albums. Jose is currently the leader of Conjunto Rumbon and continues to arrange and integrate his original music into the performances.
This year The Glen Cove Downtown BID has been working to make Downtown Sounds more fun for the whole family. On Friday nights, vendors line the side street and games are provided to bring families some competitive fun. Next week free face painting will be available for attendees!
Downtown Glen Cove doesn’t just host great music, but great food, too. Attendees can choose to stop in for anything from quick snacks to fancy dinners. The options are endless and varied downtown so everyone can enjoy food from different cultures and price points while supporting local businesses.
The Downtown Sounds concert series ends with a bang next week! The next concert will be August 30 at 7:30 p.m. with Marvin Floyd and D’votion, an Earth, Wind, and Fire tribute group. This week will have another Teen Showcase performance! The Teen Showcase will take place at 7 p.m. before the concert on August 30 with performances by four teen soloists: Emma Filardo and Kendall Mathews, both students at Center Stage Music Center; Heather Alvarado from Glen Cove, and Phoenix Castle from Deer Park. August 31 will host a rain date performance for Let It Bleed, a Rolling Stones tribute group, at 7:30 p.m.
The Glen Cove Downtown B.I.D. thanks La Bussola for being August 23’s restaurant sponsor. Thank you to the Downtown Sounds Sponsors: Rallye Lexus, Glen Cove Hospital Northwell Health, Dr. Max Chiropractor, Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce, Glen Cove Printery, Mary Stanco Realtor, Men on the Move, Phillips Lytle LLP, Portledge School, Soca Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Glen Cove, The Downtown Café, Tocolo Cantina, Village Square Pharmacy, and X Legion Fitness.
