San Jose Jazz

🥁 Bateria Batuki closes out Make Music Day SJ on Sunday with the rhythms of Brazil — capping a full afternoon of global sounds, part of the CityDance San José World Stage Series.

A Bay Area percussion, dance and vocal ensemble formed during the pandemic, Batuki draws on batuque — the percussion practices that powered ritual, worship and resistance in Brazil's Black communities. Their sets fuse Afro-Caribbean grooves with hip hop and funk through complex polyrhythms and kinetic movement, and they've become a staple of Bay Area Latin music celebrations from SF Carnaval to the CubaCaribe Festival.

Before Batuki takes the stage, the day rolls through the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Los Panaderos, Ajayu, a Latin dance class with Luis Valverde, a collaborative set and Carlitos y su Descarga.

🗓️ Sunday, June 21
⏰ 3–7:30pm
📍 Parque de Los Pobladores, 510 S 1st St, San José
🆓 Free, all ages

Schedule:
3:00pm – The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura
4:00pm – Los Panaderos
4:35pm – Ajayu
5:10pm – Dance Class with Luis Valverde
5:45pm – Collab Set
6:20pm – Carlitos y su Descarga
7:05pm – Batuki

CityDance San José is presented by the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with San José '26, San Jose Jazz and Filco Events. Made possible with support from SVCREATES and the National Endowment for the Arts' Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports grant. 🙏

Character Select is back to host next week’s Five Points Session on Mon, Jun 22!

Led by saxophonist (and SJZ Jazz Aid Fund awardee) Trevor Strohl, Character Select brings beloved video game music to life through high energy, head-banging arrangements. Most recently featured as part of this year’s New Works Fest, they’re gearing up to bring both heart-pounding video game music and exciting new originals to next week’s Five Points Session!

Featuring Trevor Strohl, Dylan Escudero, Jonathan Franaszek, Miguel Leyva and Nick Aganad.

8:30-11:30PM | 21+ only

169 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113

🎶 Make Music Day arrives in San Jose this Sunday — a free afternoon of global sounds at the CityDance San José World Stage Series.

The lineup opens with the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, young musicians from a Paraguayan community alongside a landfill, playing instruments crafted from garbage. From there the day rolls through cumbia with Los Panaderos, Andean music with Ajayu, a Latin dance class with Luis Valverde, a collaborative set, Carlitos y su Descarga and Brazilian batucada with Batuki to close it out.

🗓️ Sunday, June 21
⏰ 3–7:30pm
📍 Parque de Los Pobladores, 510 S 1st St, San José
🆓 Free, all ages

Schedule:
3:00pm – The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura
4:00pm – Los Panaderos
4:35pm – Ajayu
5:10pm – Dance Class with Luis Valverde
5:45pm – Collab Set
6:20pm – Carlitos y su Descarga
7:05pm – Batuki

CityDance San José is presented by the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with San José '26, San Jose Jazz and Filco Events. Made possible with support from SVCREATES and the National Endowment for the Arts' Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports grant. 🙏

🎺 SJZ is proud to partner with the City of San José on the next CityDance San José World Stage Series event: a Banda celebration with DJ Chalé Brown and Banda La Iniciativa this Thursday, June 18.

Don't worry about missing the 🇲🇽 vs. 🇰🇷 World Cup match — the full game will be screened on a pop-up display while attendees dance the night away. 📺

The evening also features Banda dance instruction with Lupita Suárez, local vendors and drinks from the SoFA Entertainment Zone. Free and all ages. 🆓

🗓️ Thursday, June 18
⏰ 6–9pm
📍 Parque de Los Pobladores, 510 S 1st St, San José

Info: bit.ly/2026SJCityDance

CityDance San José is presented by the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with San José '26 and Filco Events. Made possible with support from SVCREATES and the National Endowment for the Arts' Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports grant. 🙏

Continues tonight! Starting with last Friday's ¡WEPA! Fest, SJZ teams up with San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs to put on a special CityDance: World Stage series this June to celebrate FIFA! The evening before every home game, join us for a night of free live music, local artisan booths, and dancing at Parque de los Pobladores!

SoFA and Parque de Los Pobladores are now part of an entertainment zone. 🍹Grab a drink and bring it over to the event to enjoy while you dance!

🎶Genres include House and Disco, Banda, San Jose’s Make Music Day, Cumbia, and Afro Beat
🗓️June 15, 18, 21, 24, and 30
⏰6-9 PM (Make Music Day will include CityDance from 3–7 PM)
📍510 S 1st St, San José, CA (Look for the Boombox Truck)

👋All ages welcome & no experience needed
🆓Free entry

🚗Visit ParkSJ.org for parking information.
🚏Take VTA to the CityDance series!
💻For event information visit: www.sanjoseca.gov/CityDance

CityDance San José is presented by the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with San José ‘26, San Jose Jazz, and Filco Events.

🙏 A big thank you to SVCreates and the National Endowment for the Arts Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports grant supporting the Office of Cultural Affairs’ CityDance 2026 World Stage Series!

✍️Flyer Design by Kooltura Marketing

Hungry at ¡Wepa! Salsa Fest? Mama Roc has you covered.

Rochelle Cartagena-Segura — lovingly known as "Mama Roc" — is a Jersey Rican with a deep passion for Puerto Rican soul food and the flavors of Latin America. She sold out completely at her San José opening, having cooked for 300 people and running out in half the time she expected. The word is out, and we're thrilled to have her at the fest.

Join us for a full evening of Puerto Rican culture with live salsa music, dance instruction, food and drink and vendors at Parque de los Pobladores, Friday June 12, 5–10pm. 🎺🥁
FREE with registration at bit.ly/26WEPA 🎟️

Brought to you by MACLA & San Jose Jazz with support from San José District 1 Councilmember Rosemary Kamei and CityDance (San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs).

Meet Oscar Pangilinan — saxophonist, educator, community builder and the man at the helm of Summer Jazz Camp. 🎷

Born and raised in San Jose, Oscar has been part of the SJZ family since 2009 — growing from camper to faculty to Camp Director. Along the way he helped design SJZ Progressions, consulted on the SJZ Break Room and has led the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars program since 2021. A graduate of San Jose State University's Jazz Studies program, he's been shaped by the city's jazz tradition and has spent his career giving back to it — as a full-time music teacher at Peterson Middle School, a bandleader and a tireless advocate for the next generation of musicians.

We're thrilled to have Oscar leading the charge at Summer Jazz Camp.

A few spots still open, especially for vocalists and bassists. Secure your spot now at sanjosejazz.org/camp 🎶