Summary: Rumba Caliente are one of the U.K.'s most exciting dance floor jazz groups with a unique and original Afro-Latin/Salsa-Soul sound. Led by Salsa Celtica's Toby Shippey and featuring Lino Rocha on lead vocals, the group were formed around the Edinburgh and Glasgow club scene bringing their mix of roots Afro Cuban, New York Latin jazz/soul, South American salsa and UK jazz to a normally DJ led club audience. Combining musicians from the heartlands of salsa (Venezuela, Cuba and New York) with some of Scotland's most exciting jazz and world music players the group effortlessly move from salsa to soul, latin-jazz to funk, raga to rumba and back to salsa again. The group have built a fantastic reputation for thrilling live shows, playing Jazz and World music festivals throughout the UK and Europe, and have appeared live in session on Radio Scotland, Radio 2 and 3. Thanks to the Tune Up tour fund Rumba Caliente will be taking their urban Latino sound to the East, West, North and South of Scotland for a pure latin-jazz celebration taking in everything from village halls to city club venues and concert halls. The tour will have two legs: October and March) with the group heading to the studio to record an album at the end of the first season (to be released on London's Freestyle label in 2009).
