Latin music fans can kick up their heels to the rhythms of local salsa band Caliente at WOW Hall Saturday.
The group’s name, which means “hot” in Spanish, is the perfect adjective to describe the sounds they create.
“It’s the rhythm of salsa that attracts people to it,” keyboardist Jeroll Johnston said. “It’s a complex style, but accessible enough that people all over the world are enjoying it.”
The 11-piece group has gone through many phases since its formation in 1987 by band leader and lead singer Fernell Lopez and former Lane Community College music students Enrique Rios, Alejandro Gonzalez and David Bender. They began as a Latin-jazz combination band, but around 1993, pianist Julio Jauregui turned Caliente’s music into real salsa.
“He became very involved in learning salsa and teaching it to us,” Lopez said. “He was the one who made Caliente a salsa band.”
Caliente has since performed along the West Coast and in Mexico; in 1997 it released an album, “Volces Morenas” (“Brown Voices”). The group has endured several member turnovers, and today’s lineup includes two former members of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies — trumpet players Dana Heitman and Sean Flannery.
Regardless of the members, Caliente has stayed true to attracting an audience of dancers. Lopez said their audiences have grown from just moving around to demonstrating true salsa moves at their shows.
“When we started out, the audience would move, but not with the right steps,” he said. “Now people with experience come to our shows, and we like to think that we contributed to their interest in learning to salsa.”
When it comes to the music, Caliente stays true to traditional forms. Lopez said “salsa” is a term used to define all Latin American musical styles. This includes the slow, sensual “cumbia” style from Colombia; the upbeat “merengue” from the Dominican Republic and the syncopated “son” from Cuba. Johnston said they also like to throw in a few cha-chas. All salsa tunes are based on a rhythm called “clave,” which is also the name of a percussion instrument — two wooden sticks that are knocked together.
“We do an authentic job and use traditional instruments,” Johnston said. “We’re not avant-garde. When we hear other Latin music, we say, ‘We like that song, let’s play it!’”
Caliente’s current configuration uses seven different instruments: keyboard, bass, timbale, congas, bongos, trumpet and trombone. Singers Lopez, Freddy Vilchez and Allison Rickenbaugh complete the ensemble by harmonizing lyrics in Spanish.
“The singers are dynamic people, but they’re not flashy,” Johnston said.
For audience members who are aching to dance on Saturday but don’t know how to move, Johnston will teach a half-hour pre-concert salsa class.
“It will give people an opportunity to have a dance to do during the show,” she said.
WOW Hall publicist Bob Fenessey said the venue’s floating dance floor will give attendees an opportunity to dance the night away to appealing music without the morning-after aches and pains. The floating floor is actually planted firmly on the ground, but has a dance-friendly give to it.
“Caliente puts on a show for the whole family,” he said. “It’s great music to dance to and also great music to listen to.”
WOW Hall is located at 291 W. Eighth Ave. and tickets are $8 at the door. Johnston’s workshop will take place at WOW Hall from 8:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and is free with ticket purchase. The show will directly follow the workshop.