La Rumba Buena at the Jazz Fest
Johnny Marcia, leader of La Rumba Buena, was born in New Orleans of Honduran parents. He started his musical career at a very young age, surrounded by music as his father was leader of the popular Latin group that played in Louisiana for more than 35 years, Los Sagitarios. Johnny joined his father’s band when he was 16 and eventual became the band leader, a leader with a new vision. He changed the name of the band to La Rumba Buena and hand-picked the best musicians around town to join the band. Rumba Buena soon expanded to play more genres of music and perform at different and larger venues. Today, this group is one of the most popular local Latin groups specializing in Salsa, Merengue and Bachata rhythms. With his 25 years of experience working in and for the New Orleans Latino community, Johnny felt something was still missing when it came to promoting the Latino culture, especially the musical heritage. With the addition of a local Telemundo affiliate in New Orleans, he saw a good opportunity to put together a television program that would fill the void. With fellow musician and band leader Javier Olondo, he developed the concept for a weekly 30-minute show, Que Pasa New Orleans. Today, Johnny and Javier are co-producers of the popular show. The show, designed to educate and inform the viewer, especially Spanish Speaking viewers, revolves around the many socio-cultural resources of the area, “New Orleans needed a show like this and we believe it will continue to grow in popularity. There’s lots of talent in this city and the culture is so rich here that we never run out of material to spotlight. Que Pasa New Orleans will be around for a long time.” To hear how they sounded at Jazz Fest, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FwFg146AT4.