Todo Mundo, Guthrie & Irion, and Ky-Mani Marley

by Chris Aaland

KSUT’s annual Party in the Park became an annual highlight to Durango’s music calendar more than a decade ago. I started going to these back when the Iguanas were regularly headlining. More recently, bands like the Subdudes, Greencards and New Orleans Suspects have appeared.

Last year, KSUT partnered with Music in the Mountains to bring Latin fusion band Todo Mundo to town. It was such a success that it deserved an encore. Todo Mundo again headlines this year’s Party in the Park on Friday evening in Buckley Park, with gates at 5 p.m., an opening set by the Durango jazzy, jam band SkyPilot at 5:30 and a pair of sets by the headliners starting at 7:30. Refreshments will be sold, including Zia Taqueria grub, BREW Pub & Kitchen ales, Guy Drew Vineyards wines and Silver Mountain Mules from Durango Craft Spirits. Tickets are available at musicinthemoun tains.com, the MITM Festival Office on Main and at the gate on the afternoon of the show.

I recently spoke with Todo Mundo drummer Matt Bozzone regarding the band’s mission of celebrating unity, equality and diversity through its music – a blend of rumba, reggae, jazz, rock and sounds from South America, Africa, Eastern Europe and beyond.

Todo Mundo brings Latin fusion to Buckley Park  this Friday.

He said last summer’s Durango show is one the band still reminisces about. “I think the general consensus was that it was one of our favorite shows of the whole year, if not our absolute favorite,” he said. “The energy level was through the roof. When we receive that kind of energy and crowd participation, it makes us give more energy back to the crowd.”

Giving back is something Todo Mundo is familiar with. It received a City of San Diego Human Relations Commission special commendation for its work celebrating diversity.

“It’s really a special honor for us,” said Bozzone. “Outside of gaining recognition for our musical talents, it’s really important for us that we’re making a difference in the communities that we’re connecting with ... It’s nice to know what we’re doing is helping to make a positive impact.”

Bozzone said that recent Supreme Court rulings and South Carolina’s decision to take down a Confederate battle flag near the state capitol reflect the feeling of unity that is embracing the country – and all of the work that still needs to be done.

“We’re not about pushing any specific religious or political ideology,” he said. “We just want for people to be recognized as equals ... There’s still so much to be done in the U.S. and across the world. It’s not going to happen overnight.

He said the band views music as a way to connect to people on a human level. “Getting people to come out of their shell is where it starts,” he said. “Music is a great way to do that.”

If you can’t make it to Buckley on Friday night, catch Todo Mundo live on the KSUT airwaves at 2:30 p.m. the same day.

Todo Mundo isn’t the only nonclassical artist that Music in the Mountains is bringing to town this week. Folk-rock duo Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion perform at 7 p.m. tonight at the Bayfield Performing Arts Center, located at the Bayfield High School. Guthrie & Irion, a married couple, have deep roots to the American music and literary traditions. Sarah Lee is the youngest daughter of Arlo Guthrie and the granddaughter of Woody Guthrie. Irion’s great uncle is John Steinbeck, whose works included The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row, among others. As a duo, the couple has released five albums, including 2013’s critically acclaimed “Wassaic Way.”

And Guthrie & Irion aren’t the only musical legacies being celebrated locally. Ky-Mani Marley, son of reggae icon Bob Marley, appears at the Animas City Theatre at 9 p.m. Tuesday in an 18+ Durango Massive production. The Marley surname certainly perpetuates Jamaican royalty, resonates worldwide recognition and represents the pioneer of a cultural, political and social revolution. But Ky-Mani has forged his own path. Raised in a two-bedroom house in Miami, his music has expanded beyond reggae to include hip-hop, blues, rock, world music and a grassroots sound.

On Saturday, the 10th annual Animas River Blues & Brews Fest takes place at Riverside Park in Aztec.  This year’s lineup includes Harlis Sweetwater, Kelly Richey, the Michael Lee Blues Band, Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry and the Austin Young Band. I had the pleasure of interviewing Perry a few months ago on KSUT, when he treated us to a 30-minute live set on the airwaves. Perry’s three decades of guitar playing for the likes of Willie Dixon, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Little Milton, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy rarely strays from his native Mississippi Delta style. The festival itself is a riot – much smaller than festers in Telluride or Pagosa Springs, with plenty of kids’ activities, regional brews and lots of BBQ and New Mexican cuisine.

If you’re heading up to Denver this weekend, Breckenridge Brewery hosts the Breckenridge Hootenanny at its new Littleton brewery Saturday. It features Leftover Salmon, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary and the release of both “Silver Salmon” – a limited edition 22-oz. India Pale Ale bomber – and “25,” Salmon’s soon-to-be-released live record. The two are packaged together, so check your favorite liquor store this fall. The one-day Breck event also features Anders Osborne, Zach Deputy and MilkDrive, among others.

Perhaps Music in the Mountains’ most anticipated event each year is Pops Night, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Festival Tent at Purgatory. Hear New Orleans jazz and Dixieland’s greatest hits. The $150 ticket includes live and silent auctions, fine wines and a Cajun menu featuring hot oyster shooters, Louisiana crab cakes, jambalaya with shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken, blackened duck breast and more.

The Rochester Hotel’s Secret Garden hosts weekly Wednesday night fundraisers for local nonprofits while promoting Durango’s lively music scene each Wednesday from 4:30-7 p.m. throughout the summer. This Wednesday features the Black Velvet Trio benefitting Durango Friends of the Arts.

Finally, the free Concerts in the Park presented by Alpine Bank and the Community Concert Hall bring a taste of Liverpool in the form of Fab Five tribute band Doctor Robert from 5:30-7:30 p.m. tonight.

Internet highways, subways, skyways and nobody’s hitching no more? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.