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Milonga frontman Nicolas Vigil leads the Spokane-based band during a recent performance. The Latin-inspired band will play the annual Fourth of July concert at Pavillion Park.

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Milonga headlining July 4 park concert
6/30/2015 12:20:43 PM

By Mary Kate Koch
Splash Contributor

The blaze of the summer sun and the blistering crack of the fireworks will have some competition for the hottest thing around during this year's Liberty Lake Fourth of July festivities. 

Milonga, a Spokane-based band manned by local Latin music aficionados, is set to headline the evening's festivities with a Pavillion Park concert featuring the band's signature sizzling style. 

Lead vocalist Nicolas Vigil started Milonga in 2001 after the break-up of his former jam band. Vigil wanted more direction and purpose in his next band, specifically a focus on Latin music. Out of desire to add more diversity to the local music scene, Vigil resolved that Milonga would not adhere to any one style of Latin music, but would encompass them all. 

"We play Latin music, but there are so many styles within that sort of umbrella term," Vigil said. "People are usually most familiar with the styles of mariachi and salsa. We play those styles, but we aren't a mariachi band or a salsa band." 

With a full horn and percussion section, Milonga mixes together everything from reggaeton, cumbia, merengue to mambo and much more. As the band likes to put it, Milonga is not just salsa, but the whole enchilada.

"There are so many different styles from different Latin traditions that we try to play a bit of everything to give people a Pan-Latin experience," Vigil said. "We want to expose people to a lot of different Latin styles of music."

According to Friends of Pavillion Park President Joe Frank, it is this unique Latin music blend that made Milonga the main draw for this year's concert.

"Our goal for the Fourth of July show is to bring in great local talent," Frank said. "We landed on Milonga because they are a great family-friendly band that brings a ton of energy. The band style and genre of music are quite different from last year's bands. Milonga has a Latin focus that neither of last year's bands had."

According to Vigil, "milonga" translates as "party and dance," with its roots in more urbanized Latin countries like Cuba and Argentina. At parties in these communities, musicians and dancers feed off each other's energy, movement and music to fuel the fun into the early morning. Although informal at first, such gatherings became a tradition that Milonga now proudly brings to the Inland Northwest. 

Noted for their raw energy and emotion, Milonga has taken off since its inception almost a decade and a half ago. Milonga has toured across the Western United States and opened for major acts like Los Lobos. The band is also very active in the local scene, with appearances at ArtFest, Borracho's, or the Night Market in Kendall Yards. It's certainly not Milonga's first go-round at Liberty Lake, but the band is more than happy to be back. 

"What we are most looking forward to is the people," Vigil said. "Liberty Lake always has a good crowd with a great age range. There will be everything from little kids to teenagers to adults to the elderly out, and we enjoy that. We like to reach everybody."

The music starts at 6 p.m. in Pavillion Park with opening act T. Scot Wilburn and the Shutup-N-Playboys. Starting around 7:30 p.m., Milonga will be sure to keep everyone's hips, old and young alike, shaking until the fireworks show begins after dark. For those who want to sneak an early listen of Milonga before the concert, the band's music is available on iTunes, Amazon and at milonga.magix.net. 

Before the Latin sounds of Milonga take center stage, T. Scot Wilburn and the Shutup-N-Playboys will open the evening with more of a western music influence. Wilburn plays fiddle, steel guitar and electric guitar and comes from a Montana family with a rich musical tradition. Along with his band of talented musicians, expect a patriotic dose of hillbilly swing and western tunes.

The Fourth of July concert at Pavillion Park is a product of the hard work and planning of FOPP. Frank said much of the success the beloved annual has enjoyed is due to the leadership of the FOPP concert chair, Chris Apted.  

"He has been running the shows for something close to 15 years," Frank said. "He has a love and passion for music along with the skills and leadership to pull it all together." 

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