Noche Caribeña

Since 2017, PRAA has hosted the Noche Caribeña concert at Navy Pier’s Polk Bros. Park Lake Stage Lawn. In partnership with Navy Pier, this summertime event is free and open to the public. Featured are Cuatristas along with international and local artists with their groups, as well as, up and coming musicians. This concert offers audience members multiple music genres including Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean folk, popular Latin American, big band, salsa, ballads, bomba and plena interpretations. Set with a backdrop of Navy Pier, spectacular views of Chicago and the resonances of music draw Chicago residents and visitors for an enjoyable evening concert.

This year on August 8, 2020 PRAA was honored to present to you some of the most prominent local music artists from Chicago. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, social distancing was observed while limiting the amount of audience into the lawn space

Angel d’Cuba

As a youth in Havana, singer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Angel d’Cuba (born Angel Luis Badell) was already exploring music from the rest of the world at the same time that he was absorbing and sharing his own rich heritage. His early career on the island  included work with several bands such as the group formerly led by the late, great Emiliano Salvador. His time as lead singer with the supergroup Mezcla, which performed a broad spectrum of world music, soul, rock and jazz in addition to the more “traditional” Cuban styles, was the experience that probably had the strongest influence on his future approach to music.

Coming to Chicago (an unusual choice at the time for a Cuban performer), meant leaving an established, reasonably secure career to pay a new set of dues all over again, but he persisted while developing a following and attracting some of the city’s finest talent to his ensemble. In spite of having a star’s voice, outstanding original compositions and an elite band, he has remained relatively unknown in much of the United States outside of Chicago.

Papo Santiago

Papo Santiago started his musical journey in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the birthplace of some of the most celebrated musicians in Latin music history. Santiago pursued a degree in music at Universidad Interamericana, San German, Puerto Rico. He was recruited to play baritone sax with “La Terrifica" by its bandleader Joe Rodriguez. “La Terrifica" spun off from “La Sonora Poncena" in the early 70's and paved the way for Santiago's incursion into the world of salsa. The band's international acclaim took Santiago to the demanding salsa public of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and New York among others. After forging his musical reputation, he became a sought after musician, sharing the stage with upper brass of Afro-Caribbean music, including “Fania All-Stars,” “La Sonora Poncena,” “Ismael Miranda,” “Marvin Santiago,” Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Carlos “Cano” Estremera, Henry Fiol. Lalo Rodriguez, Eddie Santiago, and Nino Segarra.

Santiago moved to the city of Chicago in the late 1980’s where he found himself having to carve a niche in the city's music circles. It didn't take long for his talents to be recognized by the top tier of local musicians, including Orquesta Yambu, Ases del Merengue, Joe Rendon and friends, La Tira and Cuatrisimo. Cuban flutist Jose Fajardo dubbed him “the child prodigy” after discovering his skills on the instrument while touring the Windy City.

Roy McGrath

Roy McGrath is a Chicago based tenor saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and educated in Boston, New Orleans and Chicago, Roy brings to bear these diverse influences in his playing and composing. In addition to leading and recording with his own jazz ensembles, he is a member of several others and an in-demand player in the city’s jazz, funk, Latin jazz and salsa scenes. He has led international tours to Mexico, Singapore, Korea and China. As a composer and arranger, Roy is firmly in the jazz tradition, but his Latin American heritage is an ever-present mind set, leading to wholly original works that are a true expression of who he is. His plans for 2017 include recording and releasing a new album of original compositions, Remembranzas, and leading two special big band tribute projects honoring legendary Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández and Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra.