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Pour It On

Got a problem?

Salsa Solution has the remedy.

As Bakersfield’s premiere full-fledged salsa music orchestra, Salsa Solution has been bringing local dancers to their feet with a heavy brand of old school style salsa music for little moer than a year.

They will perform Sunday, June 24, at the annual El Dia de San Juan Festival in Bakersfield.

Organized by Boricuas Unidos de California, the event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kern County Picnic Grounds, located at the Kern River Golf Course in Bakersfield.

Hundreds of music fans and dancers alike will get a chance to see what all the rage is about when the group takes the stage to headline the annual official “Day of the Boricua,” also known as “El Dia de San Juan,” the yearly music and food festival started in Puerto Rico to celebrate St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the one-time Spanish colony.
Even more, El Dia de San Juan in Bakersfield will give local Puerto Ricans a chance to express Boricua pride.

Members of Salsa Solution come from different backgrounds, including Puerto Ricans.
Founded in Bakersfield in 2006 by classically-trained violinist and pianist Darius Johnson, 25, Salsa Solution began as a dream project of Johnson’s, after becoming enamored with the culture and infectious music as a professional salsa dance instructor.

Describing their music as “salsa dura,” or “hard salsa,” similar to that of the ‘70s New York street style of groups like the legendary Fania All-Stars and Sonora Ponceña, the sound and lyrical content is largely devoid of the heavy romantic overtones of today’s Latin-pop style salsa music.

“We play authentic salsa and cha-cha dance music,” said Johnson via telephone from his current home in Oakland. “The way Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, and Eddie Palmieri did in the ‘60s and ‘70s. We don’t play slow songs.”

Moving to Bakersfield to work as an IT consultant from Houston, Texas in December of 2004, Johnson joined the string section of the Bakersfield Symphony six months later.
By getting to know local musician connections over time, Johnson met band co-founder Cindy Hicks, a Rusty’s Pizza Parlor owner who was also the symphony’s percussionist.
“I had never heard salsa music before I joined the band,” said Hicks, 45, of her introduction to the Caribbean-based rhythms that called her to become the group’s vibraphonist. “Now I love it. You can’t help but be happy when you hear it.”

Hicks soon introduced Johnson to stand-up bassist and Bakersfield school teacher Vincent Cardenas, who at the time was putting together a local rhythm and blues band.
Johnson made a mutual salsa fan connection with Cardenas, who also enjoyed the music, and it wasn’t long after that the three decided to make the transition from rhythm and blues to salsa, and the foundation for Salsa Solution was born.

“My dad was a musician, and I grew up listening to boleros, sones… Cuban music,” said Cardenas, 48, who started out playing guitar as a teenager, but switched to bass just two years ago. “I’ve been a fan of salsa music for a while, and I like bringing this culture and art form to the city. For being a young band, I think we’ve done pretty well.”

With a full rhythm section almost in place, other musicians were sought and eventually added to complete the large ensemble — each with his own unique personality and daytime occupation:

-Edgar Rivera, 29, a familiar face on the local salsa dance circuit and teacher at Richland Jr. High, keeps time as the band’s conguero.
-Timbalero Steve Winn, 29, also a teacher for the Rosedale Union School district, is a recent self-taught drummer.
-Saxophonist Aaron Mitchell, 24, who doubles as musical director for the band in the absence of Johnson, is a technical recruiter for Bolthouse Farms.
-Lead-vocalist Tom Board, 30, is a dual-language teacher in Lamont.
-Background vocalist Javier Valenzuela, 54, works for TJ Cross as a project engineer.
-Trumpeter Steven Eisen, 49, is a retired U.S. Army Band member and founder of the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop.
-Ken Bausano, 50, also on trumpet, is well known for his longtime involvement with a variety of local bands, including Chesterfield Kings and The Sultans of Swing.
-Bongocero David Rodriguez, 44, a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, works in the furniture sales business.
-Rounding out the band is full-time Bakersfield trombonist Joe Vazquez, 37.

While they may sound like quite the motley crew of weekend warriors just doing it for kicks, it is hard to deny the musical sincerity and charm the band projects to draw its audience. Even during rehearsals, the goal is clear — to become the ultimate dance partner.

“As a dancer, I used to be disappointed with bands before, because we weren’t connecting from the stage to the dance floor,” said Johnson about frequent letdowns during live shows with other bands. “This band has completed my experience, since there are actual dancers in the band who also perform and understand the rhythm as it applies to the music.”

After a shaky debut outside a local Chevron company office in August of 2006, the band began rehearsing incessantly, tightening their sound and show in the process. After a few smaller public shows, the band struck a deal with the Bakersfield Doubletree Hotel, organizing monthly salsa dance parties inside the hotel’s club the following October.

“We generated a lot of interest in Bakersfield after the first party,” said Johnson. “But we needed more songs.”

After building a large enough repertoire to perform more than a couple of short sets, the band came out swinging, performing to larger and larger crowds on a bi-weekly basis. The overwhelming response surprised and energized the band.

“The Bakersfield salsa scene has grown leaps and bounds since I arrived here,” said Johnson. “Now it’s like a dream come true.”

But just as the band’s recognition began to grow, they were dealt a mild blow.
 
Johnson was given an offer to work Oakland that he couldn’t refuse — an offer that could’ve potentially broken up the band for good.
 
But instead of calling it quits, Johnson commutes monthly to perform with the band.
 
He credits saxophonist Aaron Mitchell with keeping the direction of the band going when he’s gone, but admits there is not just one leader in the band.

“One thing I love about this band is that everyone takes on a leadership role,” he said. “So even if one of us is not there, it’s okay. That’s why I keep coming down.”

Looking forward to his band’s appearance at the upcoming Puerto Rican festival, Salsa Solution percussionist David Rodriguez is confident the band will continue to be a hit because of the upbeat vibe the band strongly emotes.
 
“It’s a positive energy,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of people dancing.”

El Dia de San Juan Festival!
Salsa Solution LIVE!
• Sunday, June 24, 2007
• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free
• Kern County Picnic Grounds at Lake Ming Golf  
   Course
• Details, 327-0190

*Originally Printed in Mas Magazine, Vol. 2 Issue 41 6/22/07