The dust may have settled on the campus of Loyola Marymount University after the Alma del Barrio Salsa Fest VIII, but the memories still live on in the minds of everyone who attended. Who can ever forget the magic that was created on October 12, 2025?
The day dawned brightly, ensuring that the day would be a great one. The weather held for the whole day, classic Southern California weather that wasn’t too hot or too cold. This, being my second festival as part of the Alma team, I joined the other dj’s early in the day. We were there to review our various assignments, ranging from confirming the roster of performances to checking in the vendors and lots of other details in between. We each had a role to play.
Like last year, the action would go down in Lawton Plaza. And, just like year, the early birds arrived well before the 11 a.m. start time to mark out their spots. I think they realized what a perfect spot the plaza was for the festival with its amphitheater-like setup. Chairs and blankets soon covered the lawn around the dance floor in front of the stage.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
Rosalva Lara officially opened the festival by welcoming everyone to the campus. And, as always, José Cristobal “El Abogado de la Salsa” started to warm up the crowd with music for the early bird dancers. In fact, he would keep the crowd dancing between band sets until the very end.
First up on the stage was Rogê who entertained with his cool, Brazilian grooves, a nod to “The Brazilian Hour” hosted by Sergio Mielniczenko every Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. A handful of the salseros already in attendance showed off their samba moves during his performance.
Next up was Lázaro Galarraga & Sitara Son. Originally from Habana, Galarraga is a world-renowned master of Afro-Cuban music. A percussionist, he is a founding member of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba. He is also a choreographer and writer of Afro-Cuban music, culture, and folklore. According to the International Salsa Magazine, he is also “regarded as one of the great ‘Akpons’ or lead singers in the Afro-Cuban religious traditions and a master of the batá drums.” How lucky we are to have him call Southern California home now—and to have had him grace our stage.
With his group Sitara Son, he eased us into an exciting day of music with his take on traditional Cuban son, inviting dancers to start warming up. And, boy, did they! They were just itching to hit the dance floor. They appreciated and honored the master’s performance.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
After another break filled out by José, the crowd was treated to the first performance of Roosevelt “El Presidente de la Salsa” and his band. That’s right, Roosevelt has his own group and this was its debut for Alma fans. Roosevelt, who hails from Peru, is no stranger to the salsa scene because he has been the lead singer for so many salsa bands in Los Angeles—the Echo Park Project, Conjunto Oye, and Afro Son to name a few. But to see him heading up his own band was incredible. From the first down beat to the last, he had the audience in a tizzy. From dancing to flocking to the stage to watch his performance, people were enthralled. He and his band did not disappoint.
I spoke to Roosevelt after the festival and he said that he was very “gratified by all the good vibes” his band received. “They responded so well to all my original music since they are so used to covers,” he said. “And they wanted to know when we’ll have a CD out!” He assured me one was in the making, hopefully by next spring. He also thanked Alma del Barrio for giving him the opportunity to show off his band.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
To give time for folks to sort of settle down, José spun some more tunes as the stage was prepped for the closing band of the day. That honor went to Susie Hansen and her Latin Band. After 36 years delighting salseros in Southern California, she and her band were prepared to knock their socks off.
I had given Susie a call days before the festival only to find out that she was rehearsing with her band for the Alma festival. I remember thinking, why does she need to rehearse after 36 years? The reason is because she cares about the salsa community and always wants to deliver the best. And she did!
She started with one of her signature tunes “El representante de la salsa” and never looked back. Neither did the crowd. They also were drawn to the stage to watch the band’s performance, but mostly to pack the dance floor. I was sitting in the crowd and this young man from Cali could not get over her violin playing. He told me that it made him think of Alfredo de la Fe, the great Cuban violinist, but he admired her own unique style and swing.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
Because Alma del Barrio feels a responsibility to honor those who create this music we love so much, it’s a tradition to hand out special plaques of recognition during the festival. This year, they went to Alma’s very own Joaquín del Toro, who spent many years behind the mic delighting listeners of Alma del Barrio. He may no longer be on the airwaves, but he continues to be cherished.
Lázaro Galarraga was also awarded a plaque to recognize his excellence in promoting the best in Afro-Cuban music. Susie Hansen was also surprised with a plaque in recognition of her 36 years bringing us great music. She was so touched that she made a point of sending a heartfelt thanks to the whole Alma team following the festival.
To round out the experience for attendees, they had plenty of vendors to check out selling all kinds of goodies—not the mention the KXLU booth selling the 2025 salsa fest t-shirts and other station and show swag. And, if they were hungry, the food trucks had something for everybody’s tastebuds.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
Special thanks go to Lydia Ammossow and Alexandra Bell from KXLU who coordinate the festival and make the magic happen every year. And a nod goes to the student volunteers for their hard work. We also can’t thank the university enough for hosting this festival for eight years and counting.
Angela Fajardo did the official close of the festival at 6 p.m. and was joined by other Alma dj’s on stage. In addition to Angela, Rosalva and myself, this included DJ Larry, Hugo Rujeles, Nelson Rodríguez, Hailey Lara, and Lily Regalado. Guido Herrera and Hector Resendez were the only ones missing that day.
As to the fans who make Alma del Barrio what it is through their continued support, I don’t think a single person went home feeling unfulfilled by the 2025 Alma del Barrio Salsa Fest VIII. And, surely, they went home dreaming of next year’s festival.
Photography by Gabe Dresser (IG: @gabriel_dresser)
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