The Music Festival is celebrating its 12th year in San Pancho. It features performing artists from the region of Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, as well as musicians from the United States and Latin America. San Pancho’s Music Festival is a vibrant, eclectic expression of performing art traditionally held annually for 3 days during the last weekend of February. The Music Festival attracts some of the most colorful musicians from around the world, including international acts from Europe, the U.S., Chile, Guatemala, France and Germany. Regional talent has also been retained to include the traditional Mexican and Latin music of local musicians.
San Pancho’s Music Festival began in 2001 with village residents John & Patricia Alexander when they invited 12 musicians to join their informal jam sessions on their back porch. It was a festive gathering and enjoyed by all. The following year some of the key players suggested to John that they gather again, and invite a few others known to have musical talents. With time word spread throughout the village and others wanted to participate. John and Patricia welcomed anyone wanting to play. By 2006, 116 performers were entertaining themselves over the course of three days in the Alexander backyard.
Eventually John and Patricia moved on, and turned the organization of the festival over to Craig Schumacher, an internationally known music producer and professional musician. Craig relocated the Festival to Plaza del Sol in 2007, providing attendees more comfortable seating space for chairs and coolers. Thus the Music Festival has evolved from a backyard venue of self-entertainment to a community endeavor that ultimately highlights San Pancho as the cultural heartbeat of the state of Nayarit.
This year the Festival Committee is expanding media coverage of the event while searching for a more diverse array of performing artists. They expect to broaden the public’s recognition of the cultural diversity in San Pancho and the village’s unique character as a vacation destination.
San Pancho Music Festival 2012 - Artist Lineup:
Friday 2/24
5pm – Nuiwarika (Grupo de Danza – Folklore Dancing)
6pm – Olivia de La Cruz (folk, contemporary, soulful ballads)
7pm - Frida’s Eyebrow (blues, folksy ballads)
8pm – No Walls (progressive jazz)
9pm – Steve O’Connor (jazz, guitar)
10pm – Jeff Oster (smooth jazz, trumpet & flugelhorn)
Saturday 2/25
6pm – La Turquesa
7pm - The Coolerators (rock-n-roll, pop, ballads)
8pm – Werther Ellerbrock (jazz, pop, guitar)
9pm - Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars (smooth jazz)
10pm -Jam Session
Jeff Oster, trumpet
Chas Eller, keyboards
Bryan Savage, alto sax
Steve Goldberg, flugelhorn
Werther Ellerbrock, guitar
Dov Schiller, percussion
Tom Lillienthal, bass
Lazaro Poey, drums
others to be announced
Sunday 2/26
5:30pm – Los Compas (Musica nortena)
6pm - Awacero (trova Mexicana)
7pm - Sons of the Beach feat. Jodi Moran (swing jazz, blues)
8pm - Latcho and Andrea (gypsy flamenco)
9pm – Tatewari (flamenco, fusion)
9:45pm – Jazz Tubo w/ Beto and Carlos Gonzalez (jazz)
10:30pm - Atrakadero (Mexican banda)
Please note: unlike in recent years the event will NOT be hosted in Plaza del Sol due to ongoing construction on the surrounding streets and the remodeling of the Plaza.
