It was a spectacular Sunday night at the Toyota arena in Ontario,CA. The popular Mexican banda, Banda MS which was founded in 2003 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa put on an amazing show. Fifteen minutes before the show begun, concert staffs lifted a white giant victorian style curtain to cover Banda MS before their grand entrance. As the count down started, almost everyone raced to the restrooms or to get another beer can before settling in their seats. One minute left before the show and everyone had their cell phones out, on video mode screaming and whistling at the top of their lungs. Finally the curtains dropped and fire works bursted in the air, singers Alan Manuel Ramírez Salcido and Oswaldo Silvas Carreón along with 15 other band member who played instruments appeared on stage with great enthusiasm. They sang many hit songs such as “Mi Hermosa Experiencia, "A Lo Mejor" and “Por Siempre Mi Amor”.
In addition songs like "Por Mi No Te Detengas," "El Color de Tus Ojos” made the crowd jump on their feet for a wave of danceable quality music, men grabbing their women by the hand and up on their feet dancing like there was no tomorrow. One of the highlights of the night was when they performed their hit song "El Mechon" and were joined onstage by an energetic little girl, who won the hearts on the crowd by the way she was dancing.
Another memorable moment was they performed a romantic ballad melody of "Quien Pierde Mas” which had many women hold tight to their significant other. With so many hit songs under their belts it’s no question Banda MS is here to stay for a very long time. There is perhaps no group that has been more successful at popularizing traditional, brass-based Mexican Banda music than Banda MS. There’s only one reason people buy tickets to see Banda MS, and that’s to have a really great time.
It all started back in 2009, my brothers and I decided to move back to South Central, Los Angeles from the Inland Empire. Both my brothers attended music and film school in Hollywood. At the time I was working construction in Las Vegas for nearly one year, but I always knew I had a passion for photography, but didn’t know what or where to start shooting.
As soon as I finished working in Las Vegas, I saved up enough money to buy a Canon camera. A friend of mine who was a night club promoter at the time asked me to be a roaming photographer at his venue. I had little to no experience shooting anything or anyone, but I felt confident and plus I was a people person, so I knew both of those qualities would help me succeed in being a photographer. I was a club photographer for almost a year until I started meeting people and networking. Then eventually I met a club photographer who owned his own business shooting venues all over Southern California.
For the next five years, I was shooting many nightclubs in LA, OC, IE and the Valley, eventually booking my own gigs. I even shot at the RIO in Las Vegas on the weekends when I worked out there for three months. Additionally, I booked a local night club working Tuesday nights as a roaming photographer for almost three years. At the same time, I was shooting Tuesday nights at a radio station working for rapper Dub-C. So after working at the radio station, I would leave to shoot at the club at night…
But I always felt like I needed to do more and take it to the next level. I felt like I couldn’t possibly shoot night clubs forever. I eventually linked up with my brother who had been writing for Music Connection. And thus, I began shooting local concerts all over Los Angeles and nearby counties. I felt like this was my calling. Not only do I like shooting musicians I listen to, but occasionally, I get to meet them and network with people in the business as well. I love doing what I do, but I do not put all my eggs in one basket.
Aside from shooting clubs and concerts, I have organized photo shoots with models. I have shot many events including birthday parties, weddings, Quinceaneras and more. I feel as a photographer, I cannot stick to just one preference. I feel like I have to do it all and “NO” can’t be the answer. I believe my path may be difficult, but eventually, it will pay off.
