Los Pinguos was formed by Argentinean musicians that have been living in Los Angeles for the past eleven years. Their music is a mixture of Latin rhythms with Argentinean accent. With seven independently-recorded albums, Los Pinguos have been performing around the world for years. Los Pinguos’ live shows are a feast of dance, entertainment and joy.

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Los Pinguos: They came to the US from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a mixture of Latin rhythms, performed with Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres, Peruvian cajón (box-drum) and harmonizing vocals. Vivacious and infectious, the sound of Los Pinguos has claimed fans worldwide, from their hometown to the streets of Los Angeles. The story began in 1999 when Adrián Buono, José Agote, Juan Manzur, Juan Manuel Leguizamón and Enzo Buono formed the band to play in clubs, bars, and private parties throughout Buenos Aires. Their exciting, passionate live shows garnered a devoted fan base, inspiring the talented ensemble to pursue global attention. So they packed their bags and headed north to the Californian shores. Newly arrived to the City of Angels in early 2001, Los Pinguos began playing at local bars such as The Latin Lounge, The Knitting Factory, Key Club, Temple Bar and Little Temple. As their popularity grew, they were invited to perform at the end-of-season party for the hit FOX show “Dharma and Greg”. It was when they started to perform for the crowds at Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade (a Los Angeles shopping/restaurant hot spot) that the band realized their potential to reach a wide and diverse audience. While performing, they were spotted by a talent scout who urged them to audition for a new television show, “The Next Big Star”, hosted and produced by Ed McMahon of “Star Search” fame. In spite of fierce competition from more seasoned groups, and being the only Latin band to perform, Los Pinguos won the audience vote and rightly claimed the Grand Prize. Soon after this, new bassist Santiago (Fefe) Lee joined the group, giving Los Pinguos a strong backbone and groove to the music, new and old. Since then, they have recorded five new albums –"Camino Bueno" (2002), “Serenata” (2003), “Live In Los Angeles” (2005) a live double CD on Kufala Records “Peripecias” (2006) and “California” (2008). They’ve played with such acts as Ozomatli, Yerba Buena, Charlie Zaa, Pablo Montero, Paul Anka, Plácido Domingo, Charly Garcia and famed Argentinean rockers Bersuit Vergarabat. They also appeared at the 2005 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL with female songstress Suzanne Vega. Los Pinguos’ music has appeared in TV shows such as “The Shield”, “The L Word”, and is featured in the Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson film “Imagining Argentina” as well as the new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie. The band also participated in the award winning documentary on street musicians entitled, “Playing for Change”. Most recently, they have appeared on three of the world famous Putumayo World Music compilations, “Baila!”, “Radio Latino” and “World Party”. Currently the band can be found touring throughout the U.S. and beyond, including Mexico, Canada and most recently were invited to play at the renowned Blue Balls Music Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Cinco Santos: Cinco Santos came together in 2009 to create a Latin genre of their own. Their music is a fusion of revamped sounds from Latin rock, pop, and gypsy guitar, with urban Latin beats to provide the groove that’s really rockin’! This combi- nation of styles created Cinco Santos’ unique genre of music. Their sound is as original as the band members them- selves thanks to the vast differences in their backgrounds, as each of them came to Los Angeles from different coun- tries, cultures, and musical influences. Together these eclectic members have an amazing chemistry that has enabled them to bring a new contemporary, exciting, and infectious sound to the world. Cinco Santos began its journey in 2007 in Los Angeles when guitarist/songwriter Lorenzo Montero, born in Canada and from Spanish decent, founded the band and began his search for Latin artists in LA to create the sound he was craving. Lorenzo brought in vocalist and songwriter Daniel Jimenez (originally from Colombia), who he had worked with before on the Roxing Kafe Colombian rock project, and then lead guitarist Willard Lozano (native of Mexico). The instant collaborative chemistry and magic between the three musicians led to a solid foundation and the begin- ning of the Cinco Santos sound. Lorenzo not only acts as the band’s leader and rhythm guitarist, but he is also an accomplished songwriter and vo- calist. Daniel, a native of Bogotá, came to the band and brought his soothing voice, guitar, and songwriting abilities along for the ride. Willard, born in Mexicali, adds the gypsy spice with his astonishing playing style and precision as the band’s lead guitarist. The three recorded their first material for the upcoming album “Duplicidad” over the next 2 years. They had the good fortune of working with some of the Latin music industry’s most respected artists on the album, including Walfredo Reyes (Santana), Richie Garcia, and Alex Acuña. In addition, they worked with producer Shawn Sullivan, engineer and Grammy-winning production credits for groups such as The Mars Volta and Reel Big Fish. Shawn co-produced “Duplicidad” with Lorenzo Montero and gave the album its polish and intensity. This album has been a labor of much inspiration comprised of songs born from very personal experiences of the band members. “Duplicidad” represents the inspirational duality inside of all of us; it’s an inner force and desire that lives inside of everyone and manifests itself as an alter-ego that emerges when inspiration ignites one’s passions. Hopefully, the music will spark emotion in you as it has in the band. After the birth of the band’s first album material, Lorenzo continued his quest to complete the band, and Emiliano and Jesse entered into the Cinco Santos scene. In 2008, the group’s path crossed with Emiliano Almeida (native of Argen- tina) in Los Angeles and immediately they knew they were ‘hermanos’. He quickly became the heart of the band with his driving beats from La Plata, Argentina. Emiliano brought his talent as a renowned drummer and percussionist, but more than that, he emotes a passion and intensity that brings the Santos music to life. After countless auditions and a year of searching for the just the right bassist, in 2009, the group found bassist Jesse Stern from Los Angeles. He was the finishing touch Cinco Santos needed to become complete. Jesse has worked and toured with with world-renowned artists such as Grammy winner Airto Moreira, Grammy nominee Luis Villegas, Latin Grammy winner Jovino Santos Neto, Jordin Sparks, and so many more. The combination of his groovin’ style and immense passion made him the perfect fit for the group’s vibe. He is a major talent and a big part of the five souls that form Cinco Santos. Stay tuned for our new album release... We hope you enjoy our music and our passion, and look forward to hearing from you! twitter.com/cincosantos facebook.com/cincosantos youtube.com/cincosantosband