Charanga Agozá

media release: Come and dance with Charanga Agozá at Robinia Courtyard on Thursday, June 2! Luis Armacanqui will start the night with a cha-cha lesson at 8:30 pm, followed by dancing at 9:30 pm. We'll be playing a variety of Latin styles including salsa and cha-cha, and DJ Armacanqui will play other styles throughout the night!

Charanga Agozá, a charanga ensemble based in Madison, Wisconsin, was formed in 2009. The group plays charanga, a dance oriented musical genre that originated in Cuba at the turn of the twentieth century and peaked in the 1950s. Charangas also became popular in New York City during the early days of the salsa movement in the 60s and 70s.

Musical styles featured in Charanga Agozá’s repertoire include danzón, cha cha, mambo, and some modern day salsa played charanga-style.

The group consists of Amber Dolphin on violin, Jessie Mitchell on flute, Yanzel Rivera on vocals, Paul Muench on piano, John Mesoloras on double bass, Brian Whitty on trombone, Alfredo Rodriguez on congas, Salar Saleh on timbales, José Madera on percussion, and Jake Kruse on the Cuban tres.