Pacific Mambo Orchestra ignites Oakland Museum crowd

"Having survived both the wild winds of the pandemic and the wild swings of the music industry, the Pacific Mambo Orchestra remains grounded and surprisingly invigorated. Led since 2010 by co-founders trumpeter Steffen Kuehn and pianist Christian Tumalan, the Grammy-winning, 20-piece ensemble recently released a new MP3 single, “Suite Tito Puente.” In the track's 12:33 minutes can be heard the unexpected mix people ironically expect from PMO: modern arrangements of classic Latin jazz music, traditional salsa tunes and boleros, covers of American jazz standards and R&B hits, and classical music such as Tumalan's mambo arrangement of Rachmaninoff's “Concerto #2 for Piano and Orchestra.”"

"Appearing May 22 in the Oakland Museum of California's Friday Nights series, the orchestra will light up the crowd with the new release and other tunes. The event in addition to PMO includes a gallery chat, DJ Sizzle spinning out a genre-bending blend of beats and a salsa dance lesson with Ramón Ramos Alayo. Off the Grid food trucks, picnicking and access to galleries make it a celebratory stop to end the workweek."

"Tumalan admitted the pandemic was an incredible blow to the ensemble. “We'd been working on our third album [ The III Side] and had big plans for it,” he said. “Right when we released it, the pandemic hit. We knew people might listen to it, but there was no chance to perform it before a live audience.”"

"What helped them rebound was strength found in their numbers. “When you're a soloist or with a very small group, it's very hard holding the boat,” he said. “With PMO, if I was having a rough time thinking of ideas, a singer or musician would say, 'I have an idea.' It compounds. If everyone keeps asking what we'll be playing, the spirit to keep going is still there.”"

Pacific Mambo Orchestra, a 20-piece Grammy-winning ensemble led by Steffen Kuehn and Christian Tumalan, released the MP3 single “Suite Tito Puente.” The 12:33-minute track combines modern arrangements of classic Latin jazz, traditional salsa tunes and boleros, covers of American jazz standards and R&B hits, and classical music, including Tumalan’s mambo arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s “Concerto #2 for Piano and Orchestra.” The group will perform May 22 in Oakland Museum of California’s Friday Nights series with a gallery chat, DJ Sizzle, and a salsa dance lesson. The pandemic delayed plans for their third album because live performance opportunities disappeared. Their recovery came from the ensemble’s collective creativity and shared momentum.

Read at East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda