Alicia Jaggasar to launch Latin Fusion Music Festival

A new Latin music festival is to be launched with the mission of promoting more fusion of local genres and also to raise funds for youth and community-building.

La Casa de Fusión, led by Alicia Jaggasar, will launch the Latin Fusion Music Festival on July 6 at Estate 101, Saddle Road, Maraval, from 7 pm. The event will feature performances from Jaggasar, Mario Wallerson, Shauntel Skeete, Sonja Chase, Amrika Mutroo, EFX The Band. Baron will make a special guest appearance. Emile Fortune is the event's musical director, a media release said.

La Casa de Fusión is the brainchild of Jaggasar, who has won the parang queen title 11 times. It is dedicated to promoting concerts and festivals showcasing the fusion of local genres such as calypso and soca with Latin rhythms, which includes parang music, the release said.

The festival is set to be part of La Casa de Fusión’s annual fundraising activity, which will benefit youth and communities through the launch of a parang training institute in Trinidad and Tobago – El Alma de Parranda, The Soul of Parang, which will be managed by Jaggasar.

El Alma de Parranda is the formalisation of 30 years working with the nation’s youth, the release said. It said Jaggasar has produced several concerts, tutored and established parang groups, as well as young calypsonians, working with schools across the country.

The institute will provide knowledge and training on parang, in addition to using parang music as a medium to teach/learn Spanish, as TT moves to becoming bilingual, the release said.

A dance competition, Bailando, will also be a part of the festival. Dance schools, dancers and enthusiasts can enter the competition to compete for $10,000 in prizes for the top three finalists.

The Latin Fusion Music Festival will be hosted by Trini-Canadian actor, director, playwright, comedian and docu-filmmaker Rhoma Spencer.

Tickets at $350 are on sale at: https://www.estate101tt.com/events/, at Estate 101 at 101 Saddle Road, Maraval and Simon’s Musical Supplies at 20 Borde Street, Port of Spain.

For more info and to register for the dance competition, call: 785-0248 or 328-0383

Donations can be made at La Casa de Fusión’s Republic Bank account: 440 801 302 201

Follow: @lacasadefusion on FB and IG for updates.

-