About these Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands

Add some intense spice and flavour to your event by booking a Latin or salsa band to entertain you and your guests! Largely originating in New York during the 1970s, Latin and salsa music combines Afro-Cuban rhythms and is particularly influenced by the funky sounds of 1970s American funk and R’N’B music. Absolutely music for dancing, Salsa music is the perfect for an events like birthday parties, where you want everybody on the dance floor long into the night.

"Having been involved with booking live acts for 9 years I have gained a little bit of knowledge about musicians - that being said I can say that Rikki and his band have been comfortably one of the best acts I have had the pleasure of working with. They are both consummate music professionals and all round good people - their Latin sound is unique and clearly well-honed whilst being a delight to listen to. They have the ability to tailor their set to both large and small audiences, and because of this flexibility we have come to book them on a regular basis. Having known Rikki now for a number of years I would strongly recommend both him as a solo artist, duo and trio act also."

Rob's review of Rikki Thomas-Martinez

Ideal for:

Ideal for weddings and birthday parties, a professional Latin / Salsa band will bring an atmosphere to your event that no other live band can produce and you can guarantee neither you nor your guests will regret it. They will also be perfect for any kind of themed event, such as public shows at hotels or cultural events.

When booking Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands:

When searching for the right Latin or salsa band for hire, it’s important that do as much research as possible to ensure you find the best band for your needs. Decide on your favourite songs from their repertoire and ask the band include them in their set list. Most bands will also learn new songs if given enough notice, so you should never miss out on your favourite songs. It’s also recommended that you listen to live recordings or videos of them performing at a past event as this will give you a good impression of exactly what they sound like live.

Once you have a suitable band, make them aware of any restrictions that the venue may have in place so they can plan their set accordingly. Some venues have sound limiters and live music curfews which, if ignored, could result in the power being cut to the whole venue or in some cases a large fine. It’s also important that you supply the band with everything they will need to perform - the band should supply you with their technical rider, which details their needs.

Prices for Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands:

Each latin act will charge differently, usually depending on how many members they have in the group. A Latin duo will usually start at around £300, with larger acts charging a minimum of £600. If you're looking to cut down on travel costs, try using the "advanced search" feature to find Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands near you.

About Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands repertoire:

Latin bands will usually play a mixture of Cuban son, traditional mariachi and other Afro-Cuban music styles. They will also blend in elements of funk, rhythm and blues and possibly even hip hop!

Some latin bands will stick to more traditional material like "Oye Como Va" and "Guantanamera", where as others will choose to cover more recent pop and rock chart hits, in their signature latin style. Other "Boogaloo" classics might make an appearance, like the Pete Rodriguez hit "I Like It Like That".

A lot Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands repertoire will depend on their instrumentation. Most bands will be centred around the acoustic guitar, with the addition of close harmony singers, percussion and possibly even double bass and brass instruments. Often, the larger your band is, the more versatile they will be, and the larger selection of material they will be able to cover.

If you have any special requests that you would like your band to learn, make sure you give them plenty of notice, as it will often take a long time to arrange and rehearse these tunes - especially with a large band!

The Latin Bands featured on this page are all members of the LastMinuteMusicians.com entertainment directory. Use the refine section at the top of this page to find local Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands close to you. Simply choose a county or enter a post code into the "available in" box to refine the listings to your local area. Click the "visit listing" button to see the full profiles of the individual Latin / Salsa / Mariachi Bands. With over 3300 active listings you are sure to find the perfect entertainer, musician, band or entertainment service to make your event just perfect. Don`t forget you can use our online chat (below) to get instant help with your booking.