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Tuesdays on the Terrace: Edwin Sanchez and Papo Santiago co-organized with Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

  • This event was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Edwin Sanchez

Summer Tuesdays come alive on the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden with free music highlighting artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned jazz community. This week, renowned Latin jazz pianist Edwin Sanchez shares the stage with local singer and composer Papo Santiago. Santiago has been one of the driving forces in the Chicago salsa scene for decades, both as an instrumentalist and as a world-class sonero.

About the Artists

Papo Santiago

Papo Santiago pauses from playing saxophone to sing into microphone

Papo Santiago

Photo: Charlie Billups

Papo Santiago has been a driving force in the Chicago salsa scene for decades, both as an instrumentalist and as a world-class sonero. Santiago started his musical journey in his native Puerto Rico, where he was recruited by La Terrífica in the early 1970s to play baritone saxophone. The band's international acclaim paved the way for Santiago's incursion into the world of salsa. In the 80s Santiago moved to Chicago, where he carved a niche for himself and mastered the flute, guitar, and his own vocal improvisational skills. In his improvisations, Santiago combines a street-wise sense of humor with a unique approach to rhythm and swing. Santiago is also the founder and leader of Infraverde, considered by Timba.com “as one of the more polished and progressive Salsa ensembles in Chicago in recent years.”

Edwin Sánchez

Edwin Sánchez plays keyboard

Edwin Sánchez

Photo: Charlie Billups

Chicago pianist Edwin Sánchez, raised in Humboldt Park, carries on the city's broadminded Latin-jazz aesthetic and blends it with soul and funk. This presentation of Sánchez's most recent original work is made possible through a partnership between the MCA and Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center in celebration of SRBCC's fiftieth Anniversary.

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center is the longest-standing Latino cultural center in Chicago. Its mission is to preserve and promote appreciation of the culture and arts of Puerto Rico and Latin America, with a focus on its African heritage. SRBCC develops multidisciplinary programs focusing on youth through dance, music, theater, and visual arts. SRBCC is currently engaged in a multiyear partnership with the MCA.

Funding