The UCSB MultiCultural Center is thrilled to present “An Evening of Afro-Cuban Music with Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca” at the MCC Theater Friday, Oct. 23, 2015.

Be prepared to sweat as the band kicks out an innovative blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and Pan-African styles that have been described as “seamless and infectious” by The Los Angeles Times.

Ricardo Lemvo is a Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry. He is the embodiment of the Afro-Latin diaspora, which connects back to Mother Africa via the Cuban clave rhythm.

Lemvo is truly multi-cultural and equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, and Kikongo.

Since forming his Los Angeles-based band Makina Loca in 1990, Lemvo has refined his craft and vision, raising his joyous voice with strength, singing songs that celebrate life, and most importantly, inspiring his audiences to let loose and dance away their worries.

Ricardo Lemvo was 8 years old and living in Kinshasa, Congo, when he first realized that music was his calling.

He moved to the United States at age 15 to pursue his studies. After earning a bachelor degree in political science from Cal State Los Angeles, Lemvo planned to study law, but changed his mind to dedicate himself to his first love, music.

He formed Makina Loca in 1990 with the goal of blending Congolese soukous and rumba with Cuban salsa.

Visit www.makinaloca.com for more information about the band.

— Carol Dinh is a publicist and marketing coordinator for the UCSB MultiCultural Center.