Search Results for: World Salsa

The void left by Felix ”Pupi” Legarreta

Pupi’s life

Cuba has given the world a large number of artists who have left the name of the country very high, so it is always a good moment to talk about them. Such is the case of arranger, composer, singer and musician Felix ”Pupi” Legarreta, who sadly left this world last month.

Given that this great exponent of Cuban music and the charanga genre is no longer with us, we think it is a great opportunity to remember a little of his career and all the way to becoming the great artist he was.

Pupi playing the violin — Pupi Legarreta playing the violin on stage

Pupi’s childhood

Felix Legarreta was born in 1940 in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba, and from the very early age, his father nicknamed him ”pupi”, as he would be called for the rest of his artistic life. ‘’Puppy in Spanish means ”cachorro” (a very young dog), so this pronunciation was very interesting to Americans.

Around this same time, Pupi was not really interested in music as a profession, as his thing was carpentry at the time. However, he began being affected by severe asthma attacks due to the dust used in his daily work, so it was recommended to his father to take him away and make him dedicate himself to something else that would not damage his health.

This is how the young boy decided to become a barber and met a friend with whom he started taking music lessons, which could be considered as the first contact he would have with music.

The first instrument Pupi played was the violin. He admits it was not easy to learn how to play it, but with effort and dedication, he managed to become really good at music. However, he was faced with another challenge that would complicate the realization of his new dream: lack of money.

Like the majority of families in Cuba at that time, Pupi’s was also going through a complex economic situation, so buying everything he needed for his musical training was very difficult. However, it did not stop his father from getting down to work and raising the money necessary to buy his son his first violin.

In a 2010 interview, Pupi revealed that it took his father more than two years to raise 60 pesos to buy a used violin at a pawn shop, as it was the only way he could afford the instrument for the young boy.

Pupi playing a flute — Pupi Legarreta playing a flute in a studio

Formal beginnings in music

When he decided to travel to Havana, he was given the opportunity to play Orquesta Sensación, with which he earned about eight pesos a month to cover some of his basic expenses. It was very difficult for him to live with that little, but music helped him to support himself.

However, little by little he worked his way up and earned the respect of his fellow musicians, who consider him for their own projects.

In 1959, music also allowed him to travel to the United States, specifically to the state of California, but it would not be too long before he decided to try his luck in New York. Once there, he collaborated with artists such as Mongo Santamaría, Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Machito, Tito Puente and many more.

Fania All Stars

In 1964, he started collaborating with the Fania All Stars, which had more than 24 instruments, including trumpets, pianos, basses, singers and more. Pupi was so shocked that he could not refuse to work with the world-famous orchestra, as this number of musicians was something he had never seen before.

In total, he recorded between five to seven albums with La Fania on which Pupi was taken into account when issuing opinions about his work. If the artist considered something was not quite right and wanted to change it, the orchestra did whatever was necessary to satisfy him with the results of the recordings.

The only criticism that the Cuban issued towards the orchestra is regarding the excessive focus on the Puerto Rican market, in fact, the vast majority of musicians were Puerto Rican. This caused them to neglect other markets that may be useful for Fania. However, this does not exclude all the positive things that came for those involved during the time this union lasted.

When his time in the orchestra ended, he was working for an electricity company in New Jersey, but his family was in Philadelphia, so he decided to move permanently to this city, where he remained till the day he died.

Album cover for Pupi — Album cover for ”Pupi Legarreta Y Su Charanga”

Death

In the afternoon of July 3, 2023, Félix ”Pupi” Legarreta’s relatives issued a statement giving the deplorable news of the artist’s death the day before at the age of 83.

His daughter Frances Legarreta posted the following on her social networks on the already mentioned day: “I announce with great sadness the death of my father, Pupi Legarreta, on July 2, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife Frances, his son Michael, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and his daughter Otie in Puerto Rico”.

In addition to the above, he revealed that his father expressed his desire to be cremated and not to be veiled in a memorial service. She also asked that her entire family’s privacy to be respected in view of the pain that its members were going through.

Jimmy Rodríguez ”El Salsero Mexicano” talked to ISM about his career

El Salsero Mexicano

Jimmy Rodríguez ”El Salsero Mexicano” is a talented singer born in Mexico City, but spent a lot of his childhood in the city of San Luis Potosí, where he took his first steps as an artist.

Thanks to his brother and manager, Daniel Rodriguez, we had the opportunity to talk to him and learn more about the interesting career he has had in the world of entertainment. Meet Jimmy Rodriguez and the kind answers he gave to our questions.

Jimmy on stage — Jimmy Rodríguez singing on stage

Beginnings of Jimmy Rodriguez in music

By the time he got to high school, his talent for singing and charismatic personality made him the ideal candidate to participate in a talent contest, in which he would come in second place the first year in which he participated.

Jimmy told us that he entered the contest to live a new experience, but he did not expect to achieve such a high place, so he felt very excited and motivated because of what he could achieve thereafter.

The following year, he managed to get the first place in the same contest because he had spent a whole year studying and getting ready for that important moment. The previous time, he had only rehearsed the days prior, so he decided to take much more time on this occasion and the effort invested paid off.

As a result of this achievement, the Group Alfa Omega saw the potential in this young man, so they contacted him and offered him to join them. This would be his first paid job in music, which began to teach him how this business worked.

He began to play with Alfa Omega in events like weddings, and baptisms, which taught him how to entertain and charm an audience, and he is very grateful for this opportunity he had. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

In the end, Jimmy had to leave the group due to his move to Mexico City to continue his studies.

During his learning process, he developed their skills in playing the guitar and dancing in order to perform better on stage, keeping inmind that singing was his thing and that was not going to change.

When Jimmy arrived in the United States, he began taking singing lessons for more than nine years to improve his voice. Today, he continues with his vocal learning, as there is always something new to learn in this field.

Jimmy and Tito — Jimmy Rodríguez and Tito Nieves

Musical genres

It is not common to find a Mexican who sings salsa professionally, and more if we take into account that many of the most famous Mexicans sing ranchera, norteño music and corridos tumbados. So, we wanted to know why he chose salsa as the genre he wanted to pursue.

Jimmy explained to us that the first time he sang with a salsa orchestra on stage, half the musicians were Colombian and the other half were Mexican. At that moment, I felt like I had found my soulmate and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Besides, dancing is very important in salsa and I have always loved to dance,” Jimmy said.

He finished by saying ”salsa combines my three most important talents, which are singing, dancing and charisma”.

When asked whether he would enter more typical genres of his country, he pointed out that he loves ballads and would have no problem in performing fusions and collaborations, but his north is still salsa for the moment.

The Voice and proceeds from the show

Being in The Voice has always been one of Jimmy’s biggest dreams, which he finally achieved a few years ago and whose judges were Luis Fonsi, Carlos Vives, Alejandra Guzman and Wisin. The best of all is that he made it to the final and he says that his secret to achieving this feat is to always be focused, to give the best of himself, to have a good relationship with show’s production and his colleagues and, above all, to choose a genre that was not typical for a Mexican.

This particularity made people call him ”El Salsero Mexicano”, a nickname he has continued using to this day with pride in what has been achieved so far.

Jimmy and Carlos — Jimmy Rodríguez and Carlos Vives

While he was still participating in the contest, Adolescent’S Orquesta contacted him to have him in the group, which Jimmy accepted and became the first Mexican to be part of this Venezuelan orchestra. In addition to that, Jimmy kept releasing new music in order to stay alive in the public spotlight, as the singer understood that the fame that came La Voz was momentary and he had to take advantage of it.

Today, he continues touring with Adolescent’s Orquesta, working on an album with Marc Anthony‘s producer and taking singing lessons to further improve his vocal technique.

And speaking of Marc Anthony, this Puerto Rican artist has been one of the greatest inspirations for the Mexican, who wishes to one day reach that level of talent and fame, although he knows it will not be an easy way.

In addition to the already mentioned salsero, Jimmy has also been inspired and influenced by the styles of Rubén Blades and El Grupo Niche.

He has also had the opportunity to share the stage with Tito Nieves, Willie Colón, Jerry Rivera and many others.

Salsa and comparisons with other genres

When we wanted to know what Jimmy feels with the current situation of salsa, he says that he is well aware that this musical genre is not going through a good moment due to the popularity of trap, reggaeton and, more recently, corridos tumbados.

However, he ensures that he does not see this fact as something negative, but as a challenge of bringing salsa back to the place it occupied for years in past decades, so he gives his best every day to offer a fresh sound that appeals to new generations, and not only to fans aged 30 and older.

Jimmy and Gilberto — Jimmy Rodríguez and Gilberto Santa Rosa

It is what has led the artist to make modifications in regard to the technical aspects, arrangements, lyrics and other details. In the specific case of lyrics, he has opted for simpler words and phrases that can be understood by anyone who listens to them. He continues to maintain the quality and heart that salsa should have, while taking into consideration what new generations are looking for.

Jimmy understands that everything happens very quickly nowadays due to social media, so he has had to adapt his style to what young people are looking for on digital platforms. That is why when he shows his music on his social networks, he always tries to communicate what he wants from the first second so as not to lose the public’s attention.

End

The conversation concludes with a thank-you to all the people who still support the salsa genre and a recommendation to new talents to never give up on their dreams and to work continuously to achieve all what they want.

Jimmy used his case as an example, remembering that he started singing on buses to help his family and now he assists international awards and reach the level that he has today, so he ensures that dreams come true and we must not lose heart until we achieved them.

Israel “Cachao” Lopez Sobrado in fame and respect in the seventies was dedicated to maintain the tradition at the highest level

“Cachao Dos” for the year 1977.

It will be enough to mention the name of this celebrity to open a whole range of creativity and genius embodied in what is considered a cult discography.

Since 1931, the year in which he started musically as a member of the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, the precocious Israel would give a foretaste of the talent he had and that, as time went by, would be consummated hand in hand with his right-hand man and musical accomplice, Orestes “Macho” López, his older brother.

Certainly, music was impregnated in the DNA of the López family, a generating machine of musicians by tradition, something that Lázara Cachao, Israel’s niece and daughter of his deceased younger brother Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, reaffirms: “The tradition of being musicians comes from the grandparents and great-great-grandparents, all the Cachao are musicians”.

Regarding his transcendence, he and his older brother Orestes are said to be the creators of the Mambo, a rhythmic variation of the Danzón and a genuine musical expression that would mark a before and after in Latin music.

However, and as it is known, this contribution would change its clothing and would reach worldwide popularity when it reached the hands of another “inventor” born in Matanzas, Cuba, named Dámaso Pérez Prado, who as it is known, gave it another treatment and musical twist reaching surprising popularity.

“Cachao”, after a 31-year stay with the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, decided to leave Cuba, settling for many years in New York City.

As it is understandable, his presence in this city was more than important for the musical guild and music fans.

He was nothing less than one of the managers and protagonist of the famous Jam Sessions recorded by the Panart whose presence was capitalized among many others by Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Eddie Palmieri.

From the first one we could say, a whole school, a musician with a deep knowledge of his double bass and creator of his own style, bow in hand, and as a prolific composer, with approximately three thousand compositions together with his brother “Macho” López.

The years in New York were musically very good for Israel Lopez as well as in Las Vegas and finally Miami, where he lived until his last days.

Making a discography of him is quite a task and a challenge. However, after his arrival, I remember with great pleasure his collaboration for the album Latin Explosion by Joe Cain and his orchestra in 1964, where among others, Listen dos Trompetas and Mungo, Mungo Baby stand out.

Esta es mi Orquesta, theme/performance of Tito Rodriguez’s musicians emulating what Stan Kent and his Big Band did, or those performances as special guest in the famous Descargas at The Village Gate Live and Tico All Stars, among many others.

In the seventies, Cachao, with his fame and respect, dedicated himself to maintain the tradition at a supreme level, and from that period, punctually 1977, Cachao will present two epic works, the first one entitled Cachao y su Descarga Vol. 1 and then Cachao Dos, both recorded for Salsoul Records under the production of René López and Andy Kaufman.

The latter contains only a total of five tracks, but they are well fulfilled in their purpose of maintaining a fierce defense of the rhythms that Gran Cachao has been proclaiming for years.

This album, like everything else recorded by the double bass player, is genuine and of supreme quality, something that is due to Israel’s responsible and dynamic character, something that the leader Julio Castro can attest to, having not only known him personally but also having worked with his orchestra La Única, which arrived in NYC for a prolonged stay of a little more than half a year.

Repertory

Ko Wo Ko Wo: (Guiro): Julito Collazo

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julito Collazo: Vocal, Chekere, Conga

Mario Muñoz “Papaito”: Campana

Diane Cardona: Coro

Marcelino Guerra: Coro

Héctor “El flaco” Hernández: Coro

Zunny López: Coro

Frankie Rodríguez: Coro

Fela Wiles: Coro

Jóvenes del Ritmo: (Danzón): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julián Cabrera: Congas

Gonzalo Fernández: Flauta de Madera

Oswaldo “Chihuahua” Martínez: Timbales

Charlie Palmieri: Piano

Rolando Valdés: Guiro

Cuerdas:

“Pupi” Legarreta: Violín

Alfredo de la Fe: Violín

Eddie Drenon: Violín

Yoko Matsuo: Violín

Carl Héctor: Violín

Patricia Dixon: Cello

Centro San Agustín: (Danzón-Cha): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Carlos “Patato” Valdés: Congas

Gonzalo Fernández: Flauta de Madera

Lino Frío: Piano

Rolando Valdés: Guiro

Nelson González: Tres

Mario Muñoz “Papaito”: Percusión

Alejandro “El negro” Vivar: Trompeta

Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros: Trompeta

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Roberto Torres: Coro

Trombón Melancólico: (Descarga): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Manny Oquendo: Timbales

Charlie Palmieri: Piano

Barry Rogers: Trombón

José Rodríguez: Trombón

Andy González: Campana

Frankie Rodríguez: Percusión

Gene Golden: Percusión

Milton Cardona: Percusión

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Roberto Torres: Coro

Chambelona (Popurrí de Congas): Neri Cabrera

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julito Collazo: Bombo

Lino Frías: Piano

Mario “Papaito” Muñoz: Percusión

Oswaldo “Chihuahua” Martínez: Percusión

Virgilio Martí: Percusión

Eugenio “Totico” Arango: Coro

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Cachao

Joel Uriola

Latino America / Venezuela / Caracas

Joel Uriola “I am the best, because I surpass myself”

Very soon the theme will be released, Cuidadillo there ok

This Venezuelan pianist, arranger and musical producer was born on January 4, 1963 in Caracas, in the popular parish of Antímano, the same one that saw the birth of Sonero del Mundo Oscar D´ León, by chance or his destiny was already written and en route. towards a dream that over the years would come true; be the best and that your work is recognized both nationally and internationally.

In our gathering, Joel tells us that when he is classified as the best, he has nothing to do with competing with others or with airs of greatness, but with surpassing himself in everything he proposes, he tells us that “my path is longer, but I came as Joel Uriola”, his name is a seal that ensures quality work.

With 38 years of musical career, Joel Uriola has plenty of talent, level and experience, in each production he uses the best group of Venezuelan musicians and continues to be at the forefront of music, all this is demonstrated in the more than 1000 musical productions in which he has participated as a performer, director or musical producer, with national and international artists.

Joel Uriola The best?

“That’s right, metaphysics says that you can’t talk about yourself in a negative way, you can’t sell a product if you don’t have good marketing, you must see beyond, be your own manager, most record companies are in the hands of ignorant people. the music that drive the artist’s work”. “Artists have the obligation to cultivate themselves, learn and not only be musicians, we must project ourselves in a big way”.

How did your childhood develop and what was the atmosphere of the time like?

“I had a good education in my home, with values, a grandmother with character, who told me that no matter where you lived, your behavior would make a difference, she always motivated me, just like my mother who also instilled in me to prepare myself, my grandmother was an enterprising woman, my father was a rumba guitarist and a professor at the Católica”. “I remember that I saw the debut of the Trabuco Venezolano in the CC Propatria, as fate would have it, my mother had an office there, as did the people of the Latin Dimension.”

At what age did you start in music and with which orchestras did you take your first steps?

“My musical beginnings took place at the “Prudencio Esáa” School of Music, starting professionally at the age of 17 with a group called Galaxia, I was the conga player, it was a Son group and we rehearsed at the observatory”. “Then I became part of the Caracuchos of Joseito Rodríguez from 1977 to 1979, whom I met thanks to Jesús “Totin” Rebolledo, later with the Latin Dimension from 1979 to 1980, from Cesar Monges I learned a great deal, and from 83 to 87 with Oscar D´ León.

And why is there that change from the conga to the piano?

“Due to the noise I made in the house when I was rehearsing and the equipment turned on at full volume, my mother subliminally gave me an organ, it was less noise, and then I began to imitate what the pianists did in a self-taught way, I remember the theme of Pete Rodríguez… What things life has, life, life”. “Then my mother bought me a piano and took me to audition at the School of Music and I stayed, I was a student of teacher Tiero Pezzuti, Gerry Well and Samuel del Real”. “In the nightclubs of El Rosal I did many substitutions, there I polished myself, I had a good preparation and some great teachers who are my friends”.

Joel Uriola - piano — Joel Uriola – piano

What anecdotes do you have about your experience of working alongside Oscar D´ León, and about that piano solo on the song “Cuídate bien”, did you ever think that being so young, almost 20 years old, your name would remain forever on the mind of the salsero?

“The time with Oscar was glorious, I got to know many places, we toured for 3 and 4 months, we enjoyed ourselves but we also had a lot of fun, I learned a great deal and disciplined.” “I had the blessing of meeting many musicians that I admired such as Eddie Palmieri, Salvador Cuevas, Barry Rogers, among others, with Domingo Quiñones I made a great friendship.” “As for improvisation, I feel great pride, it was something that came out at that time, I don’t know if it will come out again -laughs-“.

Which musician has been your biggest influence?

Markolino Diamond, Eddie Palmieri, Papo Lucca.

A pianist you admire?

“Markolino Diamond is my idol, a lot of what I do has to do with this guy, if he were alive he wouldn’t exist…”. “He was irreverent, crazy, he broke the schemes.”

How do you see the response of the salsa audience with your productions?

“There will always be admirers and detractors, with the level of awareness that you gain, it doesn’t bother you that there are people who don’t like your work, I make music for everyone”. “Public opinion can kill you if you are not prepared for it, but you must believe in what you do.”

How do you see the support of the media to spread your music?

“Thank God the record companies disappeared, those who knew the least about music controlled them, they decided that it was commercial and that it was not, in the alternative media there is response and support, however, social networks allow you to reach in a matter of seconds many places and you can do your own marketing”.

What do you think about the fusions that you are doing with salsa, for example, salsa and reggaeton?

“It works perfectly, it’s urban salsa, reggaeton with its lyrical content has improved a lot, they’ve softened it, reggaeton artists have great economic and communication support.” “The good things are guaranteed, reggaeton is seen as Salsa was seen in its beginnings, with bad eyes, but you see, Salsa is worldwide even the Chinese dance it, people consume what the radio puts on it, even if it’s bad, there’s room for everyone”.

As a music teacher, what have you contributed to the country?

“Train the next generation, in values and discipline, and that seed continues to germinate, help people regardless of how they sometimes pay you.”

Why musician and not another profession?

“I wanted to be Disip (Venezuela’s intelligence corps), but when one is born marked for something, that’s what goes… My destiny is music.”

How do you see the music industry right now?

“Everyone is recording with their own effort, you make a song, you upload it to the networks, we have that powerful tool in our favor; the record companies limited you, hardly any albums are recorded anymore”.

Can you live from music?

“Well… Thank God I can do it, every day I get up like a conuquero to work, I can live from music.”

Of the 9 productions under your belt, which do you think is the best or the most important for you?

“Babalawo (2009), the best achieved, the best worked in all aspects, was sold in all religious houses.”

What motivated you to form your own orchestra?

“I’ve always been a leader, that’s why I decided to form my own orchestra, everyone has their moment”.

Isn’t it a difficult job to compose and arrange?

“You are born for this, it is not difficult, you must study and prepare yourself, my muse can arrive at 3 a.m., I get up and add or season my music in my own way, I listen to traditional Cuban music, jazz that inspire me.”

What is Joel Uriola doing right now?

“Currently I dedicate myself to producing for other artists of the Salsero genre, always offering quality, the most recent is the work with the Mercadonegro Orchestra with the theme Rumba Negrito”.

You are the arranger of the 3 songs that made the Bailatino orchestra known internationally, you have been the Producer and arranger in five songs of “Rumberos del callejón”, among other Venezuelan artists. What does it feel like to contribute so that other Venezuelans are successful?

“At the moment you do things, you do it with the best intention, and that is the greatest satisfaction, helping others grow regardless of how they pay.”

Do you feel that unity and camaraderie are lacking in the salsa guild?

“Totally, without unity nothing is achieved.”

What do you think of copying, imitating and not creating?

“He who imitates is destined to fail, one must have personality, you must not cling to something foreign to survive, what you do has more value, you must have creative capacity”.

Future plans or present?

“I am recording two songs, Cuidadillo there ok composition by Maurice Melo, a salsa with tasty rhythmic elements, timba and hard sauce, and the second song You are the teacher has a Christian connotation, with the Praise Orchestra, the song is my own. , a cool sauce with Christian sauce”.

Joel reaffirms us “My road is long, but I arrive as Joel Uriola, I am who I am, I am the best”.

Francisca’s

North America/ United State / California

Francisca’s. An Italian-Venezuelan Restaurant with Trendy Style

For several years Francisca’s has been in the heart of the Mission district in the San Francisco city. Its peculiar style and the combination of European and South American foods make it one of the trendiest restaurants nowadays.

Francisca's Restaurant - Manny and Katherine — Francisca’s Restaurant – Manny and Katherine

The owners: Manny and Katherine, whose partnership between them is revealing and innovative, it creates an atmosphere of hospitality with personalized attention that projects the value and story of each of the dishes that stand out in its menu.

Manny, a tireless Venezuelan chef with wide experience prepares each different dish daily in his tasting menu that you can try for $39 and if the whole table participates you pay $65. This menu is based on four-courses that this culinary art enthusiast prepares, undeniable, with a lot of dedication, imagination, and skill that have allowed Francisca’s to be positioned as one of the sure destinations to visit in San Francisco when delighting the most demanding palates is the point.

Although his first and powerfully popular restaurant was Mr. Pollo in 2010, it’s Francisca’s that has managed to surface this new trend of mixing Italian foods with traditional Venezuelan ingredients. It’s for that we can find in this restaurant seductive and hypnotic dishes such as Plantain Lasagna (Dish of greater receptivity) and Yuca Gnocchi. While the traditional Venezuelan breakfast “Arepas” is always present in the recommendations of Manny and Katherine for their visitors.

Francisca’s is attended by around 30 people daily to taste an affordable price the visual show of artistic decoration to make things more beautiful and then eat them. In addition to not being able to resist their cocktails duly identified with the origin country.

This restaurant with the inspiration of high cuisine, unique concept and mixture of sounds typical of a famous place for the quality of its food with fresh ingredients purchased directly at the San Francisco’s farmers market (Ferry Building) keeps alive the spirit of Latin American cuisine within of the trends recipes of European cuisine.

“Being a chef for me is everything.” Manny Torres

History

The ingenious idea of putting a woman’s name on the restaurant was Manny. Francisca is the name of his grandmother and his main influence to dedicate to the fascinating world of culinary art. She taught him the true value of obtaining fresh ingredients in the farmers market, as well as making him aware of the true importance and passion for hospitality.

But, let’s go a few years back. Before Francisca’s, Manny had four restaurants, one of them was “The Palace”, which had a considerable number of loyal visitors, however, a raging fire destroyed the venue in 2015. Nonetheless, Manny reopened this space after a complete remodeling and having undergone the corresponding inspections, and we know it as Francisca’s now.

For some time, Manny and Katherine were traveling on two continents. They visited countries such as Aruba, France, Spain, and Italy. And Eureka! From there derived his inspiration for the creation of his exotic and exquisite dishes. After him seeing a different perspective of the kitchen and its formulas for the preparation of the recipes, Manny obtained the main ingredient for the preparation of his Menu in Francisca’s; he had the creativity to make the perfect and successful combination in all his meals.

“In the United States, European food is cooked with so many rules. There are rules for everything. In Europe, there aren’t rules. No one follows the rules and it’s more relaxed”, Manny told an American digital media.

Venue: 3047 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Contact: 415.374.5747

Francisca´s opens:

Tuesday – Saturday Dinner: 5:30pm-10:00pm

Saturday Vegetarian Brunch: 10:30am -3:30pm

Sunday Regular Brunch: 10:30am-3:30pm

Manny’s Curiosities:

He studied at the Engineering School in Columbus, Ohio.
He arrived in the U.S. in 2001.
The names of Manny’s four restaurants are: Mr. Pollo, Roxy’s Cafe, The Palace, and Coco Frio.
He loves washing

4-course Tasting Menu:

First course: Soup or Salad

Second course: Appetizer or Pasta

Third course: Entree Protein-based, Vegetarian or Pescetarian dish

Fourth course: Dessert

Francisca´s Offers:

Capacity: Max seated: 29 people/ Max standing: 75 people
Noise Level: Moderately High
Accessibility: gender-neutral bathrooms
What to ask for: Arepas, Yuca Crispy, Tasting menu (without everyone at the table needing to participate), Plantain Lasagna and Yuca Gnocchi
Vegetarian Options: Three appetizers and tacos of vegetables available
Drinks: a full bar with wines available to buy
Reservations can be made

For more information, please visit: https://www.FRANCISCASSF.com/

SOCIAL CHANNEL: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCISCASSF/