South Florida is known for its rich music scene, and it is about to get even richer. Sammy Figueroa, one of music's leading percussionists, will be one of the headliners of Jazz Fest in Pompano Beach, taking place this weekend on April 15-16.
Over 20 years ago, Figueroa was inspired by the Miami scene, which helped him to create his own Latin Jazz sound.
“I've come a long way. Since I got here, I have played all over South Florida. And [when] I did my first album, [I] never knew that that was going to be nominated,” says Figueroa. “I did it like any artist does an album, for the love of it, for the passion of playing music, and being heard and seeing what people want.”
He is also working on his sixth studio album, which the Grammy nominee says is the most exciting album of his life.
“The people that are in this band, I never even dreamed of having these guys. You know, I have one of the greatest, he's one of my heroes,” Figueroa says when referring to Gonzalo Rubalcaba. “I'm a big fan of his, but I never thought I'd play with him. I played with a lot of people but this is one of the guys I've always wanted to play with.”
Sammy gave us a little taste of what music lovers will experience when attending Jazz Fest this weekend.
Figueroa says “Well, I'm going to have a little bit of everything that I've done during the course of my life and the different albums that I recorded. So let's see what happens. I mean, we're very enthusiastic about being in Pompano.”
To get your tickets to Jazz Fest and see Sammy Figueroa live, visit www.pompanobeacharts.org
This Inside South Florida Segment is paid for by the Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department
