Grammy nominated artist to perform April 18 in the Main Theatre

Four-time Grammy nominated recording artist, John Santos, will grace the stage of the Main Theatre on April 18.

John Santos is well known as one of the foremost advocates of Afro-Latin music in the world, and is widely acknowledged for combining traditional music forms and instruments with contemporary music. This combination has earned Santos critical acclaim not only as a musician, but also as a record producer.

Santos’ concert and presentation is the third leg of a four part concert series sponsored by the Stewardship for Equity, Equal Employment and Diversity (SEEED). Rosemary Bell, SEEED coordinator, says the concert series has been a year in the making. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to see some truly amazing music” Bell said.

Santos and his band, “The Machete Ensemble,” released their newest CD to celebrate their 20th anniversary in May of last year. This double CD is the eighth and ninth CDs released to date by Santos and “The Machete Ensemble,” and the sixth and seventh for Santo’s own independent music label, Machete Records. According to the labels 20th anniversary press release, the label was started out of concern that the music retains its original integrity and not be influenced by the commercial demands of the market. Besides his musical accomplishments, Santos is an instructor at the College of San Mateo, as well as a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. Santos is currently on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West of Rhythmic Concepts Inc.

“Music is education, honesty, documentation, freedom, physical and spiritual release, an extra-sensory form of artistic human expression which speaks to issues of the heart and mind,” Santos said on his website. “Music is a gift which deserves the utmost respect from practitioners and listeners alike.”