According to Jose Conde, a Park Slope resident and veteran of the Latin music scene, his music will “make you dance and move your hips whether you’re a devoted salsa dancer or a wallflower.”
On Saturday, Jan. 12, Conde and his band, Ola Fresca — which means “fresh wave” in Spanish — will join other Latin- and African-tinged bands, including Bushwick-dwellers The Budos Band, for the first ever “Mondo Music Festival,” a concert celebrating international music.
“This is a real special occasion,” Conde told GO Brooklyn. “You’re going to have some of the finest, most forward-looking bands in New York — who all happen to be based in Brooklyn — playing together and pushing the envelope in Latin funk and Afrobeat music.”
When he isn’t playing shows, Conde said he counts on seeing them at a handful of the borough’s hotspots to keep him in the international music loop.
“Barbes is amazing, and so is Southpaw,” he said. “Williamsburg is wonderful: I go to Zebulon and Bembe, which is one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn. I also listen to the dogs in Prospect Park each morning, and they really inspire me musically.”
So, whether the inspiration is coming from abroad or right here in Brooklyn, Conde packs the spice of life into his songs, which is precisely what makes them so delicious.
“The Mondo Music Festival” will take place at 7 pm on Jan. 12 at Hiro Ballroom (363 W. 16th St. at Ninth Avenue in Manhattan). Tickets are $15-$18. For information, call (212) 242-4300 or visit www.hiroballroom.com.
