Salsa del Soul, High 48’s and Cyr and the Cosmonauts will perform at the Memorial Auditorium

The event is part of the 2021 Minnesota Music Coalition’s Caravan North, a traveling showcase of Minnesota musicians, and will also include performances by modern bluegrass band The High 48’s and Americana band Cyr and the Cosmonauts.

“I think this will be a really fun and wonderful concert with just a ton of talent coming from our musicians, and I’m so excited for everyone to experience it,” said Joanna Schnedler, Executive Director of Minnesota Music Coalition. “And I hope they will join us.

Tickets are required for the concert, but the MMC also presents two free workshops for musicians before the show.

The MMC’s “Minnesota Music Toolkit” workshop will run from 3:00 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., and Scott LeGere will present “Music in Minnesota: Community, Careers and Creativity” from 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. In addition, a social hour of industry will start at 6 p.m.

The workshops are aimed at musicians, whether they are highly skilled and experienced or just starting out, Schnedler said.

“Toolkit” shows what MMC has to offer and summarizes the resources available to musicians in the state. LeGere’s workshop focuses on how musicians can market themselves and existing digital avenues that can help musicians build their careers.

“Our mission is to support and connect the diverse music communities of Minnesota,” said Schnedler.

Salsa del Soul is playing. (Photo submitted)

Saturday’s concert is a good example of this diversity. Salsa del Soul’s catchy dance rhythms come straight from the Twin Cities, though they play a wide variety of musical styles native to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic including son, son montuno, plena, cha- cha-cha, bachata, timba and – as you would expect – salsa.

The High 48’s, on the other hand, play more traditional bluegrass, but with lyrics and sensibilities that reflect their northern roots in the city of Minneapolis. Their eighth studio album is titled “Daddy Was a Bank Robber”, and the band’s name is originally a slang term for wagons carrying troops during World War I, which could hold 40 or 8 horses. Later, boxcars were used in the United States by travelers looking for work during the Great Depression, according to the group’s website.

Cyr and the Cosmonauts, a group of Duluth, have an American sound, but played with an unusual mix of instruments, including guitar, cello, viola, harmonica, and trombone. Their setlist could range from a folk tune on guitar on a “Greyhound Bus” to the sweet groove of a “Bossa Fossanova” or a ominous warning of impending doom in musical form, “Bones”.

“The Minnesota music community is quite remarkable statewide,” Schnedler said. “I continue to hear more and more of our musicians in all parts of Minnesota and everything I hear is phenomenal, it’s truly remarkable. We just have a ton of talent.

Advance tickets for the concert are $ 20 for adults and $ 10 for students, or $ 25 at the door for adults and $ 15 for students.