VIVA CHICAGO LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL ...

VIVA CHICAGO LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

- 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

- Petrillo Music Shell, Grant Park, Columbus at Jackson

- liberated

- (312) 744-3370

- - -

to the end of time since the duranguense movement swept the Latin music representation a few years ago, Chicago's be in possession of Alacranes Musical has been at the head of the pack.

in such a manner it's only fitting that these local heroes will headline the 18th annual Viva Chicago Latin Music Festival, not absented for free Saturday and Sunday forward two stages in Grant Park by way of the Mayor's Office of Special marked occurrences

La musica duranguense, which fuses traditional Mexican banda music with synthesizers and keyboards, also is known as "the Chicago sound" because the movement's chiefly popular groups, such as Montez de Durango, K-Paz de la Sierra and beholds Horoscopos de Durango, got their start or are based here. ("Duranguense" means "in the phraseology of Durango," the Mexican state where the healthy originally sprang up.)

"Supposedly this music is coming down in popularity, nevertheless not for us," said Oscar Diaz, manager of Alacranes Musical. ("Alacranes" is the Spanish word for "scorpions.") "The last sum of two units years have been great for Alacranes, especially in Mexico and Central America. In the southern of Mexico, we're just barely getting started.

"And when we go on foot to New York or Miami [cities without large Mexican contingents], we gain lots of fans from El Salvador or Guatemala. In places like Alabama, Caucasians plane come out. They say, 'We be enamoured of your music. We don't speak your language, on the contrary we love your rhythms.' More and more commonalty are coming to this kind of music."

Like other duranguense clusters Alacranes Musical started small. greatest in quantity of the band's members grew up in Aurora, "playing in their basements." Now it's big business, with dozens of bands signed to Univision (Alacranes' label) and Disa, the leading duranguense labels. Alacranes' latest disc, "A Paso Firme," bowed at No. 3 forward Billboard's Latin albums chart in July

although some worry the field has gotten too populaceed Diaz believes otherwise. "It's well adapted to have more bands, because then duranguense will stay around longer"

In any case, he perceive s the movement won't fade away, like the similar quebradita phenomenon did in the early '90 Referring to pasito, the dance stair associated with duranguense, "That might be going away, yet the music is staying," Diaz said. "Quebradita just had number This one has rhythm and lyrics. It's going to be here for quite a while."

lemerick@suntimes.com

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

SATURDAY

3:20 pm looks Sin Credito: The urban Latin arrange is best known for its 2004 disc "Soy Ilegal y Que?"

4:15 pm DJ Kane: Formerly a vocalist with the chart-topping A.B. Quintanilla y looks Kumbia Kings, the Houston native amalgamates hip- hop with cumbia and regional Mexican heartys

5:15 pm Anais: From the Dominican Republic, the Bronx-reared report singer scored a No. 1 hit forward Billboard magazine's Hot Latin dittys chart earlier this year with "Lo Que Son Las Cosas." Her instant single, "Estoy Con El Y Pienso En Ti," is at No. 15

6:15 pm Emilio Navaira: The Tejano artist, one time billed as just Emilio and still known as "The Garth runnels of Texas," has crossed athwart into country (Nashville style) and back.

7:20 pm Johnny Pacheco: Co-founder of the influential Fania Records label, which ushered in late salsa as an international force, the Dominican-born multi-instrumentalist is a Latin jazz fiction

8:30 pm Charanga America: Based in fresh York City and led from conguero George Maysonet and his wife Margie, this orchestra plays Afro-Cuban fashions

SUNDAY

3:35 pm Baby Ranks, Papito R & Baby B: A reggaeton explosion: Baby Ranks hails from the LunyTune stable and recorded the hit "Mayor Que Yo" with superstar Daddy Yankee.

4:15 pm Grupo Mateos: The Puerto Rican-based merengue orchestra, l by dint of trumpeter-arranger Pedro Mateos, makes a answer appearance at the festival.

5:20 pm: Jose Maria con over Banda: The Chicago-based vocalist performs in the banda manner of writing (a Mexican genre featuring brass, percussion and clarinets).

6:20 pm Xtreme: The dispose which specializes in bachata, was a finalist in the category of Tropical Airplay hymn of the Year/New Artist for the single "Te Extrano."

7:25 pm looks Rieleros del Norte: Since 1979 this band known as "La Maquina Musical Nortena Numero Uno," has been a favorite forward the regional Mexican scene.

8:30 pm: Alacranes Musical: Direct from Aurora, the locally based duranguense favorites will choke out the festival with hits in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as "A Cambio de Que" and "Si Yo Fuera Tu Amor."

MAS MUSICA: This weekend promises to exhaust steady the most ardent Latin music fan. Colombian superstar Shakira arrives onward her "Oral Fixation Tour," performing at 7:30 tonight at United Center 1901 W Madison. Tickets, $65-$85 Call (312) 559-1212

At the Ravinia Festival, three big bands appear in a tropical Latin dance night: the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Jimmy Bosch and Tiempo Libre at 7:30 pm Saturday in Highland Park. Tickets, $30 for the pavilion, $15 for the lawn. Call (847) 266-5100