Sabor Latino
Sound Waves Alumni: 2016–2022
Celebrating ten years in 2026, Friday Night Sound Waves continues a simple belief: good music brings people together. Our anniversary season honors the artists and moments that have shaped the series since day one.
If there is one band woven into the very DNA of Friday Night Sound Waves, it’s Sabor Latino.
From our early “test run” days with the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks & Recreation in 2015 through multiple seasons of the series, Sabor Latino has delivered nights defined by rhythm, movement, and collective joy.
Led by bandleader Ricardo Rivera, this powerhouse ensemble brings what they aptly call a Salsa Tsunami—a high-energy mix of classic salsa and Latin jazz that turns the park into a dance floor. Drawing inspiration from legends like Fania All-Stars, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, El Gran Combo, and more, Sabor Latino pairs musical precision with an infectious sense of celebration. Whether leaning into full-throttle salsa or easing into Latin jazz grooves, one thing is always true: everyone dances.
Over the years, Sabor Latino has anchored many of our Caribbean American and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, shaping nights that felt less like concerts and more like shared cultural experiences—open, vibrant, and unmistakably Sound Waves.
Sabor Latino doesn’t just perform at Sound Waves—they activate it.
And ten years in, their legacy still moves the crowd.
#MySoundWavesMoment:
It was a Sabor Latino night that sparked one of the most foundational Sound Waves traditions.
We met Roberta during a National Cachaça Day celebration and hired her and her Brazilian dance team for that evening’s band break. From that night forward, Roberta and her dancers became part of every Friday Night Sound Waves show—transforming intermissions into high-energy, crowd-moving moments that defined the rhythm and spirit of the series for the next ten years.
Have a memory from a Sabor Latino night?
Share it using #MySoundWavesMoment.
