Unless otherwise noted, all events listed below are with The Bobi Céspedes Band, with Bobi Céspedes as Director and Lead Vocalist.
2023
CalArts House of Voices (livestream performance) - Friday, January 13, 2023 (Bobi Céspedes Folkloric Group)
2022
Healdsburg Jazz, Healdsburg, CA - Thursday, June 6, 2022 (Bobi Céspedes Band)
Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA - Saturday, April 2, 2022 (Bobi Céspedes Band)
2021
Freight & Salvage (livestream performance), Berkeley, CA - Saturday, June 12, 2021 (Bobi Céspedes Band)
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, CA - Sunday, May 2, 2021 (Bobi Céspedes Band)
2020
TBWIG (The Black Woman is God), virtual exhibition. December 2020.
San Francisco Jazz, San Francisco, CA. October 2020, “Fridays at Five” (streamed series of live-archived band performance)
Streamed performance, Kennedy Center Couch Concerts Series with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA. (Solo performance)
San Francisco Jazz, San Francisco, CA. March 2020 Global Voices—Women in Jazz Around the World. (Performance with folkloric group, Siguaraya)
2016-2019:
Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA. September 2019
SF Jazz Festival, San Francisco, CA. June 2019
Stanford Live! Palo Alto, CA. February 2019. Bobi as guest artist with John Santos Sextet and Special Guests.
Brava Theatre, San Francisco, CA. August 2018
San Jose Summer Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA. August 2018. Bobi as guest artist with John Santos Sextet.
Radio Active Resistance, UC Theatre, Berkeley, CA. BCE with special guest, John Santos. Program included multi-Grammy winner, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. May 2018
Ashkenaz, International Women’s Month, Maestra Series, Berkeley, CA. March 2018
The Sacred Roots of Latin Jazz, Eastside Arts Alliance & First Presbyterian Church, Oakland. Bobi as guest artist with John Santos Quintet. February, 2018
Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA. November 2017
Yerba Buena Festival, San Francisco, CA. August 2017
SF Jazz Festival, Tribute to Celia Cruz, San Francisco, CA. July 2017
Benefit concert for Giovanni Hidalgo, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley. Bobi as guest artist, along with Zakir Hussain, John Santos, and others. July 2017
SF Jazz Festival, Special performance at Funder’s Dinner. San Francisco, CA. Bobi with José Roberto Hernández on guitar. May 2017
Freight & Salvage, Berkeley. Bobi as guest artist with Junius Courtney Big Band. April 2017
Ashkenaz, International Women’s Month, Maestra Series, Berkeley, CA. With special guest, John Santos. March 2017
New Year’s Eve Celebration, La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA. December 2016
Friday Nights at OCMA, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA. November 2016
The Sacred Roots of Latin Jazz, Eastside Arts Alliance & First Presbyterian Church, Oakland. Bobi as guest artist with John Santos Sextet. October 2016
Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration--Dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Smithsonian Museum, Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage, Washington DC. With special guest, John Santos. September 2016
“Sounds of California,” Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Museum, Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage, Washington DC. Bobi as Special guest with John Santos Sextet. July 2016
SF Jazz Festival, Celebrating Celia Cruz. 2 shows at Joe Henderson Lab. 2016
2003-2011
During these years, Bobi Céspedes toured nationally with her band, promoting the release of the CD’s: Patakín and Rezos The following are highlights from those tours (approximately 10 tours):
San Juan Islands tour, including show at San Juan Community Theatre, San Juan Islands, Washington. 2011
Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Tacoma, WA. 2011
International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe, NM. 2010
International Folk Festival, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. 2009
Joe’s Pub, New York, NY. 2009 & 2003.
Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL. 2007
Milwaukee Latino Arts, Milwaukee, WI. 2007
Habana Harlem Festival, Aaron Davis Hall, NY. BC guest artist with Oriente Lopez and Roman Díaz. 2007
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. 2003
SOB’s, New York City, NY. 2003
St. Mary’s Park, Bronx, NY. 2003
Chicago Summer Dance Series, Chicago, IL. 2003
Dance Nights, The Skirball Community Center. Los Angeles, CA. 2003
Conga Room, Los Angeles. 2003
African Festival of the Arts, Chicago, IL. 2003
Harbourfront Festival, Toronto, Canada. 2003
1998-2006
Bobi performed as Lead Vocalist for Mickey Hart’s Bands on the following national tours, at multiple venues:
- The Rhythm Devils Tour. 2007
- Bembe Orisha Tour. 2000
- Planet Drum Tour. 1998
1985-2000
Highlights of performances with the band, Conjunto Céspedes (CC), which Bobi co-founded and directed, and was lead vocalist for:
Sidney Festival, Bacardi Festival de Cuba, Sidney, Australia. 2000
International Performing Arts Series, Lancaster Performing Arts Center, Lancaster, CA. 2000
The Conga Room, Los Angeles. 2000
Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival, Chicago, IL. 2000
Old Town School of Music, Chicago, IL. 2000
“The African Influence in Latin America,” CSU Dominguez Hills. 2000
SOB’s, New York. 1995
Talkhouse. Miami Dade Community College, Miami. 1995
Baird Auditorium, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington DC. 1995
Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco, CA. BC with Siguaralla. 1995
BAM Festival, Barcelona, Spain. This tour also included performances in Germany and Amsterdam. 1995.
Bomhard Theatre, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, KY. 1995
Embarcadero Center, SF Jazz Festival Benefit. 1993
San Diego Street Scene, San Diego, CA. 1993
Twilight Concert Series, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT. 1993
Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco, CA. 1991
Great America Music Hall, San Francisco
Celia Cruz Concert, Design Center, San Francisco. Opening band for shows in SF and Sacramento. 1988
Bryan Ferry Tour, Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley, CA. CC opened up for the Bryan Ferry Band during their California tour, which included additional venues. 1988
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, Opening Band for Ruben Blades. 1987
Bill Graham World Beat Festival, Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. 1985
Notes:
Conjunto Céspedes opened for such groups as: Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Willie Rosario, Los Van Van, and Bryan Ferry.
In addition to the venues listed above, Conjunto Céspedes played regularly in the following Bay Area venues: Yoshi’s, La Peña Cultural Center, Ashkenaz, El Rio.