After years of showing up to salsa and Latin jazz gigs only to find herself the only woman in the band, conguera and vocalist Rebecca Rodríguez decided she needed to take measures into her own hands. Born out of a desire to highlight the Bay Area’s deep pool of female talent, Agua Pura is an acclaimed all-femme salsa combo known for interpreting classic cuts by the likes of the Fania All-Stars and El Gran Combo with authority. It’s a celebratory, percussion and brass-driven sound delivered with swaggering power, the kind of salsa dura that Rodriguez describes as “party music you might hear from someone’s radio while walking through the Mission District.” More than an impressive ensemble, Agua Pura is a creative hotbed that encourages women players to stretch their improvisational wings.

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