• Melinda Velasco-Martinez has performed Latin American music as a singer and guitar player since 1995. A San Francisco native of Mexican and Irish-American descent, Ms. Velasco bridges genres with improvisational vocal stylings and original music. Ms. Velasco completed her first CD project “Agua” with Bay area band Nova Trova in December of 2001. A recent arrival to Santa Cruz, Melinda has composed numerous musical works, has performed in the US and abroad and is currently engaged in graduate studies in Ethnomusicology. Melinda Velasco’s rich voice and passionate singing evoke powerful emotions in lovers of music.
• Daniel Torres started playing guitar in 1975; since then, he has performed, taught, arranged and composed in a variety of styles ranging from rock to mariachi, classical and Middle Eastern music. Known as a flamenco guitarist, Daniel also plays the cuatro puertorriqueno, a 10-stringed instrument from Puerto Rico descended from the
Spanish vihuela and related to the Columbian tiple as well as to the Cuban tres. Daniel alternates his faithful yet lively interpretations of Andalusian, Cuban, Puerto Rican and other Latin American folklore and traditional dance styles with more contemporary, innovative fusions of pop, classical, folk, jazz and World Beat music.
• David White, the bass player on our CD, has performed in various groups playing West and North African, Classical, Jazz, Latin, and Middle Eastern. Locally he has worked with AZA and Kosono, as well as Cabrillo College’s Latin American ensemble. Having studied music in colleges in California and Illinois, David continues a diverse interest by studying Flamenco guitar, and teaching on guitar and bass.
• Steve Uccello is a new addition to DULCE He is an accomplished player on stand up bass, both bowed and picked.
• Armando 'el Mafufo' Fojaco has been a percussionist for more than 30 years. He is the drummer for the bands SIROCCO, ORIENT’AL, NUBA and DULCE. He has been a fixture in the music scene in Santa Cruz since the 70’s and continues to be involved with Middle Eastern music as performer and reknowned teacher of the Doumbek. In 2001 he was honored with a Calabash Award from SCEAN and the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz for his excellence in the Ethnic Arts. Latin music has always been his passion and in his repertoire. Armando is well versed in the tradition of Cuban and Caribbean percussion.
• Hanya le Flash has played support percussion with Armando Mafufo in various Middle Eastern and Latin groups for many years. A good solid player, she is also in charge of publicity, scandal and rumors.
