Monsieur Periné

Colombian ensemble Monsieur Periné brings their effervescent blend of Latin pop, gypsy jazz, and Afro-Colombian rhythms to SFJAZZ as part of their "Tropical Charm" residency — a four-show engagement running July 30 through August 2. Led by vocalist Catalina García, this 2015 Latin Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist creates a singular sound that merges cumbia, bolero, tango, and the "simmering French jazz manouche of Django Reinhardt" with dance-inspiring traditional rhythms.

Expect a visual feast alongside the music: García's colorful stage presence matches the band's "uniquely colorful visual style masterminded by Colombian artist José Arboleda," featuring surreal album art aesthetics brought to life in concert clothing and choreographed moments. Live, the ensemble — anchored by García on vocals with guitarists Santiago Prieto and Nicolás Junca — transforms into an interactive celebration where the line between performer and audience dissolves. As one reviewer noted, their relationship with crowds is "not one of unattainable idealization but one of intimacy and complicity."

Their repertoire spans three albums, including the Latin Grammy-winning Caja De Musica and the Grammy-nominated Encanto Tropical. But it's their genre-blurring live approach that sets them apart — seamlessly moving from neo-bossa nova to 1930s gypsy swing sung in French and Spanish, adding Andean charango to jazz standards, or transforming boleros into mambo-tinged guitar showcases. The brass section of Jairo Alfonso and Abstin Caviedes adds playful choreography and "insane notes" while García's "liberating ecstasy" ignites the room.

This is music designed to make you move and sing along, with García often addressing social themes and Latin American pride between songs. Their "worldly, boundary-blurring approach" puts them alongside contemporaries like Natalia Lafourcade and Bomba Estéreo, but Monsieur Periné's combination of musical sophistication and joyful irreverence creates something entirely their own.