1. Kalle on Broadway (Hector Acosta, Elvis Crespo, Grupo Mania, Toby Love)
Here's a really special concert for New Yorkers. Hector Acosta and Toby Love will serenade you with both traditional and urban bachata while Elvis Crespo and his old bandmates from Grupo Mania should really get those dancing feet moving with some fine merengue.
- Mar. 6: New York, NY - Nokia Theatre Times Square
2. Daddy Yankee
Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee has had an interesting year from endorsing a political candidate to making his first film Talento De Barrio. It looks to me like the film went straight to DVD but the soundtrack album fared better making a dent in some of the Latin music charts.
- Mar. 13: Atlantic City, NJ - Trump Taj Mahal
- Mar. 15: Washington, DC - Dar Constitution Hall
3. Gilberto Santa Rosa & Victor Manuelle
Puerto Rican salsa doesn't get any better than a double bill of Gilberto Santa Rosa and Victor Manuelle - unless we could add El Gran Combo to the mix.
- Mar. 13: Houston, TX - Arena Theatre
4. Premio Lo Nuestro Latin Music Awards
Premio Lo Nuestro is one of Latin music's big nights; you can watch it on Univision but it would be oh-so-much more exciting to see all your favorite artist live! By the way, here's the list of this year's nominees.
- Mar. 26: Coral Gables, FL - Bank United Center
5. Franco De Vita
Venezuela's Franco De Vita's is hitting the road on the heels of his new album Simplemente La Verdad. He has three dates at some big venues at opposite ends of the U.S. so lots of De Vita fans will have a chance to hear the pop singer live.
- Mar. 5: New York, NY - Nokia Theatre Times Square
- Mar. 7: Miami, FL - James L. Knight Center
- Mar. 20: Los Angeles, CA - NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE
- Mar. 22: Orlando, FL - NEW UCF Arena
6. Los Temerarios
Los Temerarios combine traditional ranchera with more modern instrumentation to create what some have called 'bubblegum ranchera'. Sweeping ballads are the signature sound of Los Temerarios and this is the group that provided the romantic soundtrack to a lot of people's lives.
- Mar. 13: Los Angeles, CA - NOKIA Theatre LA Live
- Mar. 14: Primm, NV - Primm Valley Resorts
- Mar. 15: San Diego, CA - San Diego State University - Cox Arena
- Mar. 19: Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
7. Pistolera
NYC's pop/rock group Pistolera should warm up Minneapolis this month and just in time. Since its Minneapolis, you know its still cold. But Pistolera's En Este Camino is an album you can enjoy in any climate.
- Mar. 12: Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
8. Afro-Cuban All Stars
The Afro-Cuban All Stars, led by Cuban band leader Juan de Marco, are actually on a national tour where they will be treating some forty U.S. cities to their popular Cuban music. The link above only has a few of the larger venues; you can find a complete list of their March concert dates at the Rock Paper Scissors website.
- Mar. 13: Madison, WI - Overture Hall - Overture Center
- Mar. 22: Cincinnati, OH - Procter & Gamble Hall
- Mar. 27: Brookville, NY - Tiles Center Concert Hall
- Mar. 28: New York, NY - Town Hall
9. Jaguares
Mexican rock has really made a dent in the Latin music world in the past few years and the Jaguares' 45 just won a 2009 Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Album.' Here's a chance to hear them perform it live.
- Mar. 6: Seattle, WA - Shobox SoDo
- Mar. 7: Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
- Mar. 12: Richmond, VA - The National
- Mar. 13: Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Theatre
10. Chango Spasiuk
If Argentina's Chango Spasiuk were playing in L.A., I'd be the first one in line for a ticket. Spasiuk brings the listening public a type of music you don't hear often outside of Argentina: the infectious rural chamame.
- Mar. 26: Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
- Mar. 27: New York, NY - Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
11. Jorge Villamar & Azul Azul
The popular duo Bacilos has broken up but vocalist Jorge Villamar is still going strong. At this concert he's paired with Bolivian quartet Azul Azul
- Mar. 19: Boston, MA - Roxy
12. Ozomatli
Ozomatli is the Aztec god of dance and music. Ozomatli, the band, hails from Los Angeles and plays a special kind of funk and rock en espagnol. If you're interested in learning more about this terrific group, you can read the interview with Ozomatli's reed man, Ulises Bella.
- Mar 6: St. Petersburg,FL - Jannus Landing Courtyard
- Mar 7: Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
- Mar 8: Orlando, FL - Club Firestone (w/Bad Brains)
- Mar 10: Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
- Mar 11: Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel (w/Chali 2na)
- Mar 13: Baltimore, MD - Sonar
- Mar 15: Troy, NY - Revolution Hall (w/Chali 2na)
- Mar 18: Boston, MA - House of Blues (w/Chali 2na)
- Mar 27: Chicago, IL - Nightlight
