When percussionist, bandleader, and educator Sal Ferreras takes to the stage during Symphony Splash, he’ll be doing more than making great music – he’ll be bringing Victoria’s rich, often overlooked Latin talent into the spotlight.
Ferreras’s dynamic Latin Jazz Sextet is almost entirely local: all but two musicians live in the region, showcasing homegrown talent with global reach.
“People are going to be shocked this band lives here,” Ferreras told Monday Magazine. “We don’t all work together all the time, but the talent is here.”
The ensemble includes vocalist Adonis Puentes, pianist Cynthia Rodriguez, trumpeter Miguelito Valdés, percussionist Hector Ramos and bassist Louis Rudner – all Victoria-based. Only trombonist Audrey Ochoa and pianist Miles Black are coming from out of town, though Black has deep roots in the local scene.
While Ferreras’s rhythms are magnetic, his legacy as an educator is profound. A former Victoria Symphony member, he taught at UVic, UBC, SFU and Vancouver Community College, and later served as provost and vice-president at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He’s taught generations of musicians – and sometimes their kids.
For this show, Ferreras arranged the entire orchestral score himself, blending authentic Latin rhythms from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic into a full symphonic sound. This isn’t Latin-lite – it’s the real thing, built for orchestral depth and festival joy.
“Latin America’s greatest contribution to the world is joy,” Ferreras says. “That’s the focus of this show – the love of rhythm, the love of music, the love of life. And whether you’re sitting on the lawn watching or you’re walking around the Causeway, or you’re sitting in a kayak or a canoe, the rhythm is definitely going to get you.”
Returning to Victoria's Inner Harbour Aug. 2 and 3, the re-imagined Spalsh offers expanded community stages, Indigenous and Latin music headliners and an unshakable mission: to make the Victoria Symphony – and symphonic music itself – matter to everyone in the city.
Plan your Symphony Splash experience at victoriasymphony.ca/splash
