Ketchum — It’s finally summer in the Wood River Valley—and that means it’s time for the first Sun Valley Center for the Arts outdoor concert of the season, at Hop Porter Park on Thursday, June 16.
Getting the season off to an amazing start will be the Grammy Award-winning Latin-funk band Grupo Fantasma. The 10-piece orchestra is widely known for its incendiary live shows, which NPR declares “seamless…whenever and wherever they’re on stage.”
The band grew out of Austin’s bustling music scene and is made up of musicians with Latin American and Texan backgrounds. Since its formation in 2000, Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre, drawing from various influences including cumbia, salsa, old-school funk, merengue, reggae and more.
El Existential, the band’s latest album, snagged a Grammy Award this year for “Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album.” The band’s guitarist, Adrian Quesada, says that “with so many genres combined into this one category with such fierce competition, it’s even more of an honor and statement of our hard work.”
Released on Nat Geo Music, El Existential is being praised by critics including the Huffington Post, who declared it “a sound done so right that you have to hand the crown to this group,” while Billboard states that by “tightly weaving Anglo, Afro and Latin musical genres, El Existential takes on an identity of its own.” Though this is Grupo Fantasma’s first Grammy, this was their second nomination in this category.
Even the Wall Street Journal was won over: “Latin music both new and traditional...vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification."
The band has backed Prince on numerous occasions, including performances at the Coachella music festival, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and at London’s 02 Arena, and their horn section recently performed with indie rock band Spoon.
To listen for yourself, visit www.grupofantasma.com.
Now is a great time to buy a multi- concert ticket package and avoid disappointment if a concert sells out. The rest of the summer lineup includes the Avett Brothers on July 13, Rickie Lee Jones on August 2 and Michael Franti & Spearhead on August 15. For details on series tickets visit www.sunvalleycenter.org or call 208.726.9491 ex 10.
Individual tickets for Grupo Fantasma are $15 for Sun Valley Center members, $20 for nonmembers and $5 for kids 12 and under. Purchase tickets online at www.sunvalleycenter.org,call 208.726.9491 ex 10 or stop by The Center in Ketchum.
Gates open at 6pm and the music starts at 7pm. Picnic baskets and low lawn chairs are welcome, but please come prepared for the weather and leave your pets at home. There will be food & drink available for purchase.
The concert is presented in association with the CSI Sun Valley Summer Spanish Institute and tickets can also be purchased through the College of Southern Idaho, which is teaming with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts for a fifth successive year to offer a Spanish-language concert in Hailey. The CSI Summer Spanish Institute is a week-long Spanish intensive including language instruction and cultural insight. For information about the Summer Spanish Institute, contact CSI at 208.788.2033.
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