​Have we died and gone to Cuba? Close, but no sweet, sweet, illegal cigar.

Skyline college students present in the cafeteria on Friday, Sept. 15 bore witness to the infectious musical styling of Nerio De Grassi and his Latin Jazz Quintet. The performance was organized by the ASSC to mark the beginning of Latino Heritage Month.

For several hours, the musicians unleashed their “mambo jazz” music, a progressive blend of, as the name implies, mambo and jazz. Students and faculty members watched the performers intently, some struggling and ultimately failing to resist the urge to dance. The performance was a much welcomed change from the usual rigmarole of daily life at campus. Students, such as Micheal Madden, commented on the refreshing nature of the unexpected performance at school.

“I like that it was here—it was different” said Madden. “It brightened up the school day.”

Although the music was unmistakably Latino, the members themselves were of varying backgrounds, with band leader Nerio De Grassi being Filipino. De Grassi, a San Francisco Native and musician for 40 years, found the experience to be a positive one, and concisely summarized his desire to play music.

“It’s in my blood,” said De Grassi. “Rich or poor, I play anyway.”

Band mate Leo Rosales also felt that the performance went well, and was particularly taken by the interest of the students as an indicator of their cultural receptiveness and tolerance.

“It was great” said Rosales, himself a Skyline graduate. “The students were very receptive because they didn’t leave. It was a very diverse group of people.”

The performance is just one of a set of various events planned for Latino Heritage Month. Future events include an upcoming dance performance, scheduled for Oct 12, as well as a panel discussion on Latino culture also scheduled for the 12.

Aside from an entertainment standpoint, the month, including the aforementioned panel discussion, seeks to spread a deeper knowledge and understanding of Latino culture.

Julian Rocha-Silva, a member of PODER and LASO, explained his interest in enlightening the community on the cultural differences within the community. “It’s my heritage,” said Rocha-Silva. “I want to show that Latinos are not just south of the border. That’s what we’re trying to explain at the conference.”

To see a slideshow of the quintet, click here.