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Soltron, A New Musical Message of Resistance

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Soltron’s activism is what Talib Kweli once called “the beautiful struggle”: a mix of political determination and feel-good party music.

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The band music influences come from Cuba, Brazil, Central America — but their life in the Mission District of San Francisco informs their music, which, since the group’s formation in 2014, has stood against gentrification and colonization. Now, their message has become global.

“This band has been political from the onset, but we were just focused on our immediate community of San Francisco, in the Mission,” says music director and Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) player Daniel Riera. “But I see now that we have to expand our focus and look at what’s happening in this nation, and the world too. Because Trump is not just impactful for the United States, but for the whole entire world.”

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Adriana Marrero, vocals; Roque Baron, vocals and MC; Daniel Riera, EWI and flute; Christian Navarro, trumpet; Ruben Sandoval, trombone; Manolo Davila, guitar; Remi Spiro, timbales and chekere; Arturo Blanco, drum kit; Ahkeel Mestayer, congas and pads, and former members Anthony Sierra, congas; Kai Lyons, bass; and Noah Rosen, tenor sax.

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