The Bay Area-based Pacific Mambo Orchestra snagged a Grammy in January, beating out singer Marc Anthony for Best Tropical Latin Album, even though the group had no major-label recording contract. The 19-piece band, founded by pianist Christian Tumalan and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn, takes inspiration from the Latin big bands from the 1940s through 1960s. They join us for a live performance, and talk about funding their first album with Kickstarter and their work with school music programs.
Video of Pacific Mambo Orchestra