More Hot Hot Hot! music this coming Saturday July 14 at 2nd Saturdays Downtown.

Dance to the lively beat of Caribbean drums from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Ronstadt Transit Center (NE corner of 6th Avenue and Congress St.), with Sticks & Fingers.

Richard Noel playing the steel drums with Sticks & Fingers

Sticks and Fingers is a dynamic percussion group that produces a joyful Afro-Caribbean sound. Their range of musical genres is vast… from Calypso, Soca, Reggae and African beat to American Standards. The artists integrate various percussion instruments into all these diverse compositions together with dance and vocals, transporting their audience to a festive, joyful experience in the tropics.

Founder/percussionist Richard Noel is from the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. He recently produced a new CD called “Taking it Higher”. I have been seeing & hearing Sticks & Fingers perform their dynamic music downtown over the past few years, and just recently met Richard at the 2012 Tucson World RefugeeFEST. He plays the steel drums and Congas, Bongos, Timbales, Djembe, and Bells.

Sticks & Fingers website: www.rdnoel.com.

More info about other happenings on and around Congress Street on Saturday: www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com

This is your chance to enjoy Brazilian & Caribbean music on April 14, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. all over Tucson’s 2nd Saturday Downtown. First off from 5:30pm-6pm: Batucaxé & Friends Procession along downtown streets.

On the Scott Avenue Stage (E. Congress/Scott Avenue):

6pm-6:45pm: Capoeira Brasil
6:45pm-7:45pm: Batucaxé (Afro-Brazilian drum & dance)
7:45pm-8pm: Flam Chen, accompanied by Batucaxé
8pm-8:15pm: Poi-Zen Fire Troupe
8:15pm-9:15pm: Key Ingredients of African Soul (Afro-Beat/Reggae)
9:15pm-9:30pm: Poi-Zen Fire Troupe
9:30pm-10:30pm: Latin Funk Project (Latin/Rock)

Over at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress, for free:

7pm-9pm: UA Steel Band brings a Caribbean dance party with the sounds of soca & calypso music! Photo and info below from Fox website:

The University of Arizona Steel Band program is comprised of two steel bands, UASteel and Blue Steel. The steel band program was founded in 1987 by Professor Gary Cook and then doctoral student, Jeannine Remy. Born from a small group of personal steel drums, the band now has over 50 instruments and involves students from across the campus. Eric Hines is the current Director of the UA Steel Band program.

UA Steel Band

Over at Ronstadt Transit Center (E. Congress/6th Avenue):

7-8:30pm: A Son y Sol Latin-American Music with a twist
9pm-10:30pm: Sticks & Fingers percussion ensemble featuring recording artist Richard Noel from the Caribbean island of Trinidad & Tobago.

Carnaval is coming to downtown Tucson! There’s going to be dancing in the streets!

And not to worry about Congress Street being temporarily closed (between Stone Ave. & Toole) due to the modern streetcar construction. Here’s a press release from 2nd Saturdays Downtown about parking & traffic flow (click here).

Not Caribbean, but FREE screenings on Saturday night for the 21st Arizona International Film Festival:
The Screening Room 127 E. Congress St.
5pm: Family Shorts 1
6pm: Family Shorts 2
7pm: Alligators Always Avoid Anchovies
8pm: Stardust and the Bandit (“A nerdy for mob accountant named Guy Bacon enters the Witness Protection Program and is relocated to Old Tucson Studios, the famous movie-set-turned-theme-park in southern Arizona. Things start to get a little hairy for Bacon, however, when someone recognizes him”.)
9pm: Comedy Shorts