Salsa De La Bahia – is the musical companion to The Last Mambo and showcases some great unsung hits heard only on local radio and in nightclubs. These pieces are sterling reflections of the state-of-the art Salsa music that artists in the Bay Area have culled. “Rita and I chose the songs with the idea of this CD being a dance record that showed the musical diversity of what the Bay Area scene has to offer,” comments Wayne.

There is no better person for the task of producing the soundtrack for The Last Mambo than Wayne Wallace. From playing to the pen, Dr. Wayne, a title bequeathed to him by the great Pete Escovedo, is a student of Cuban music with impressive Salsa and Latin Jazz credentials. They include being musical director of the Pete Escovedo Orchestra, John Santos & The Machete Ensemble, and Conjunto Cespedes as well as sideman gigs with luminaries like Tito Puente and Manny Oquendo & Libre.

The musical spectrum of Salsa De La Bahia shows the kaleidoscope of Afro-Latin musical colors seen and heard around the Bay Area. Complimenting this rich collection are three original pieces recorded at an all-star session in 2012. “Everyone understood that this was an opportunity to make a collective musical and artistic statement about the music we have played for years,” explains Wayne. “We spoke of the lineage of Cal Tjader, Carlos Federico and the many musicians who helped create this music.”

Salsa De La Bahia truly honors those who have dedicated their careers to playing and advancing Salsa and its Afro-Caribbean off shoots as well as the people that surround the scene to dance, listen and cheer their hometown heroes. It pays due to a scene now recognized internationally for the caliber of its musicians and dancers but that is still largely ignored for its artistic merit by the mainstream media.