Berry Rockin': Live Music Jams at Strawberry Fest

Celebrations without music are a bland affair. Luckily this weekend’s will be just the opposite of that. The 17-year-old festival that is planned meticulously during the whole year will be a hub of not just strawberries or strawberry inspired cuisine, but also a center of local and international rhythms as 14 live bands show off their skills.

“We have a setup for both days, and it caters to almost every ethnic group,” said Doug Mattos, director of the Watsonville Strawberry Festival. “From country music to rock, from salsa to banda.”

On Saturday, old school music and contemporary rock lovers will have their musical buffet. Tribute bands for The Beatles, Santana and Tower of Power are expected to perform on that day, along with other contemporary musicians of all genres.

While on Sunday, Latin music fans will have their fiesta with local and international musicians.

“I am very pleased to say that this year were were able to book two very well renowned bands,” said Tony Valencia, sales manager and promotions director for Univision 67, who also organized the Latino musical guests of the festival last year. “Autentica de Jerez, who has had over ten big hits recorded, and Los Grandes de Tijuana, that also have been in the top of the charts with their latest CD’s for the past three years.”

The Mexican bands, “Los Grandes de Tijuana,” and “Autentica de Jerez,” are considered to be the two biggest musical guests of this weekend. Both play their own unique forms of “banda” music, a popular genre of Mexico, which can be described as a cocktail Latino musical styles that makes heavy use of brass instruments.

However, banda will not be the only Latino musical genre of the day, other styles will also be played.

“I usually try to have a variety of music for Sunday,” Valencia said. “We can go anywhere from the band ‘Song by 7,’ which is merengue, salsa and tropical, to a kind of a like a norteño with ‘Los Grandes de Tijuana,’ then to the mariachis, so there is a great variety.” 

Valencia believes that you will be in for a musical treat even if you have never heard of these bands or are not generally a fan of Latino music .

“Sunday is a little bit more customized to be the Latino day,” said Valencia, “but the music does welcome all, whether you come from Europe or elsewhere, it welcomes everybody.”