Latin band is living

A LATIN music band based in Berwick is livin’ la vida after being gaining a spot in the Grand Final of the Contra Clave Contra Latin competition, a nationwide search for Australia’s best Latin rhythm band.
Furia recently won their recent heat of the competition in Melbourne and now will compete for the top prize.
Lead singer of Furia, Omar Pereira, describes the Contra Clave Contra competition as a positive step forward in promoting Latin music in Australia.
He said when he arrived in 1986, very few people knew about Latin music, but since then there has been tremendous growth in the number of bands playing Latin music.
Mr Pereira said Furia had been playing at events and cultural festivals throughout Australia for 15 years.
“Our friends and fans in the local area have been coming to our shows for years,” Mr Pereira said.
“It is just a pleasure to be able to sing and put on a good show for our friends and fans.”
The national finals will be held in Sydney on 5 November, with stars from world-renowned Latin group, the Buena Vista Social Club, flying in to perform alongside competitors.
The winner of the Contra Clave Contra competition will receive $10,000 and a place on the Contra Clave Contra national tour in 2012.