Student Jazz Ensemble Shares Afro-Cuban Music, Culture

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS -- After technical difficulties delayed the start of the recital, SF State’s Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble smoothly transitioned from microphone checks to a vibrant, exciting performance that energized the audience in Knuth Hall in late October. John Calloway, music lecturer and director of the 20-student ensemble, conducted the performance while playing the guiro, a handheld Latin American percussion instrument. Despite its unfamiliarity, Orellane says she fell in love with the music. “It’s very beautiful,” Orellane said. “It’s mostly dance songs. It’s very energetic and it gets the crowd invested. Everyone in the ensemble is pretty advanced, but they’re all very sweet people who made me feel immediately welcome.” The performance drew a large, vibrant crowd to Knuth Hall. One of the students in attendance, Jessica Monroy, came to see her roommate perform in the ensemble. “I love this type of music,” Monroy said.