The John Santos Sextet at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society

More than a master percussionist, internationally renowned seven-time Grammy nominee, composer, producer, bandleader John Santos, is an educator and cultural activist. He is a keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz. A 2012 San Francisco Latino Heritage Arts Awardee, born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District amidst an extended family of Puerto Rican musicians, he’s been at the center of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene for over five decades. He has written, recorded and published well over 100 original compositions...

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More than a master percussionist, internationally renowned seven-time Grammy nominee, composer, producer, bandleader John Santos, is an educator and cultural activist. He is a keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz. A 2012 San Francisco Latino Heritage Arts Awardee, born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District amidst an extended family of Puerto Rican musicians, he’s been at the center of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene for over five decades. He has written, recorded and published well over 100 original compositions. A previous SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director, Santos has performed and/or recorded with masters such as Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Cachao.

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