Mambo Stars (Belgrade/Serbia)

The (un)expected affinity of the people from this part of the world for Latino music has, among other things, resulted in the creation of the very praised band Mambo Stars, whose music has been moving and bending dancers at numerous salsa/Cubano parties throughout the region. Mambo Stars are a living institution of Latino jazz with numerous fans, both among general audiences and among musicians, many of whom aspire to spend at least a part of their careers in this band.

The expansion of the worldwide (and also Balkan) infatuation with the Latino sound started after the release of the films The Mambo Kings (with Antonio Banderas and Armand Assante), and Buena Vista Social Club; the year 1999, when the latter film was released, was also a turning point for Mambo Stars, because it was the year when the band was founded. After the band’s several brilliant performances at parties and in the media, countless similar bands were formed, but Mambo Stars is the one that has remained at the top, remaining irresistibly attractive to the fans of temperamental songs and dances, but also to the top vocalists, such as Lena Kovačević, Ana Sofrenović, Nada Pavlović, and others. The bandleader is the saxophonist Tiki Jakšić, and the lead vocals are two authentic Cubanos, Jose Felix Ceballos and Nidia Moya. The main idea that unites the members of the band and their fans is having good fun, and music critics claim that the Mambo Stars’ concerts are a true remake of happy times from some earlier era, such as the golden 80s. This year, their rhythms will also move the audiences in Gradić.