Latin Flair Gets Colton Dancing

On Aug. 4, residents of Colton and neighboring communities gathered together at Fleming Park for another night of music and entertainment. A band named Latin Flair headlined the night’s celebration and filled the park in the most successful and populated concert in Colton’s Community Services Department’s “Concert in the Park” series to date. Seats were packed alongside the dance floor as soon as the event kicked off. Latin Flair played a mixture of languid and up-beat tempos in addition to switching between Spanish- and English-language songs throughout the night. Regardless of the song or tempo, residents were off their seats and on the dance floor directly in front of the stage. Latin Flair consists of six band members that include a saxophonist, trumpeter, traditional drum set player, tom-tom-style drum player, conga player, keyboardist, bassist, and guitarist. Music from artists like Johnny Cash and Santana filled the streets of Colton and could be heard blocks away from the park. Latin Flair has been playing music together for more than 20 years and has gone through multiple players. Bernice Henley, a member of the Original Sacrifice band who had played at the park in previous years, commented, “It’s a really fun event. The weather is great, the music is good. We have played at the park in the past so it’s also great to come and support our fellow performers.” During intermission, the Heart and Soul Line Dance group came out and showed a few of their routines to popular and classic hits. After they were done, they invited and sought out members of the audience to come to the front of the dance floor and learn a routine with them. The crowds at the park soon migrated to the dance floor and before long the huge group of residents and Line Dance group members were squeezed on the dance floor. The event offered its guests tacos, kettle corn, and fresh lemonade to enjoy during the concert. There are still two more concerts happening on the following two Sundays. Ray and the Rhythm Beat Band and The Flamingo Band will be performing in those weeks to come on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The Concert in the Park series is a five-week-long annual event that will continue to be held each summer.