Who is Latin Americana?

Are you a lineup explorer checking out the #CTFolkFestivalAndGreenExpo coming on Saturday September 10th & Sunday September 11th. Are you striking out looking up "Latin Americana"?

Well Latin Americana is fronted by Rick Reyes. He explains the exciting project, in a video, from his site TheRickReyes.com.

"I wanted somewhat celebrate the similarities of the human spirit in a world where

everybody's so into discussing and pointing out the differences in each other. I wanted to focus on what is similar, what we have in common. Nothing does that, in my opinion, better than music.

The human spirit tends to be the same no matter where you go. Folk music tends to highlight that; and the fusion both Caribbean Latin music and American Folk music really point at that fact, that we are far more similar than different."

Rick Reyes

Dick Neal - Banjo & Mandolin

Jordan Jancz - Cello

Obanilu Allende - Percussion

Rich Zurkowski - Bass

Rick Reyes is a troubadour, a songwriter, producer, and a storyteller performer. Although born in Bridgeport CT, Reyes grew up in the countryside of his parents’ native Puerto Rico. It was here, listening to traditional Puerto Rican folk music, that Reyes forged his love of Jibaro – a music of the people full of wistful melodies and steeped in longing. Reyes and his family returned to Bridgeport. Feeling like an outsider, homesick, unable to speak English, he started to write as a creative outlet. He kept journals of his thoughts, impressions, and observations. His father bought him a guitar and he taught himself to play. When Reyes took one of his poems and set it to music his lifelong journey as a songwriter began. Read More at therickreyes.com/about/