Some artists perform music. Carlos Rivas & Mexsal create movement.

We are thrilled to announce that Carlos Rivas & Mexsal will return to the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival for another electrifying performance. Since the festival's inception, Carlos and his powerhouse ensemble have been a cornerstone of our celebration: and for good reason. When this band takes the stage, something magical happens. The energy shifts. The crowd doesn't just listen. They leap from their seats and flood the dance floor.

Because when authentic Latin salsa hits, sitting still simply isn't an option. 💃🏽🕺🏽

A Day One Staple of the Scottsdale Jazz Festival

Carlos Rivas has been with us since the very beginning. From our first festival, he understood what we were building: a world-class celebration that honors the transformative power of jazz while embracing the full spectrum of its influence across genres, cultures, and communities.

Year after year, Carlos has delivered performances that transcend entertainment. His music creates connection. His rhythms spark joy. His band doesn't just play for the audience: they play with the audience, inviting everyone into a shared experience of movement, celebration, and cultural expression.

That kind of artistry is rare. That kind of consistency is even rarer. And that's why Carlos Rivas & Mexsal have become synonymous with the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival itself.

The Mexsal Experience: Where Jazz Meets Latin Fire

Mexsal isn't just a band. It's a cultural force.

Blending traditional Latin rhythms with contemporary jazz sensibilities, Carlos Rivas & Mexsal deliver a sound that's simultaneously timeless and fresh. Their repertoire spans salsa, mambo, cha-cha-chá, and Afro-Cuban jazz: each song a masterclass in rhythm, precision, and passion.

Carlos himself is a distinguished percussionist and bandleader whose career spans decades of performances across Arizona and beyond. His ability to read a crowd, to sense exactly when to build tension and when to release it, makes every Mexsal performance feel like a conversation between stage and audience.

And the musicians he's assembled? World-class. From the brass section's punchy accents to the piano's cascading montunos, from the congas' driving heartbeat to the bass's grounding pulse: every element of Mexsal's sound is designed to make you move.

The Dance Floor Don't Lie

Here's what happens at every Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival when Carlos Rivas & Mexsal begin their set:

The opening notes hit. A collective recognition ripples through the crowd. Smiles break out. Feet start tapping. And then: almost as if choreographed: people begin streaming toward the dance floor.

Veterans and newcomers. Couples and solo dancers. Folks who've been dancing salsa for decades and folks who are about to learn their first steps right there in the moment. They all converge in front of the stage, drawn by rhythms that speak a universal language.

Because Latin salsa isn't background music. It's not something you experience passively. It demands participation. It invites you into the circle. And once you're there, once you feel that clave pattern lock into your body, there's no going back.

This is the Carlos Rivas & Mexsal effect. And it's exactly what the jazz festival scottsdale experience is all about: music that breaks down barriers, builds community, and reminds us why we gather in the first place.

Jazz Education Arizona: The Heart of Our Mission

While the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival is a joyous celebration, it's also a mission-driven event. Every ticket purchased, every sponsorship secured, and every moment of music enjoyed contributes to a larger purpose: providing free music education to over 3,000 students across Arizona.

Together, we've partnered with schools, community centers, and youth organizations to ensure that young people: regardless of their economic circumstances: have access to quality music instruction. Our network of professional Music Teachers works year-round to introduce students to jazz history, music theory, instrumental technique, and the creative confidence that comes from artistic expression.

The International Jazz Day AZ Foundation believes that music education isn't a luxury. It's a necessity. Study after study confirms what Music Teachers have always known: students who engage with music demonstrate improved academic performance, enhanced cognitive development, stronger social-emotional skills, and greater cultural awareness.

And when students see artists like Carlos Rivas & Mexsal on stage: musicians who've dedicated their lives to their craft, who honor their cultural heritage through sound, who create joy for thousands: they see what's possible. They see a path forward. They see themselves.

Celebrating 15 Years of UNESCO's International Jazz Day

This year's festival holds special significance. We're commemorating the 15th Anniversary of UNESCO's International Jazz Day, a global celebration that recognizes jazz as a tool for peace, unity, dialogue, and cooperation among people.

Since its establishment in 2011, International Jazz Day has grown into the world's largest jazz celebration, bringing together communities in more than 190 countries every April 30th. The initiative highlights jazz's role as a universal language that transcends borders, builds bridges between cultures, and promotes freedom of expression.

The Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival proudly stands as Arizona's premier contribution to this global movement. By featuring artists like Carlos Rivas & Mexsal: musicians who embody the cross-cultural exchange at jazz's very core: we're not just hosting a concert. We're participating in a worldwide conversation about the power of music to unite, inspire, and transform.

What to Expect: A Full Day of Celebration

When Carlos Rivas & Mexsal take the stage at the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival, you're not witnessing a brief performance. You're experiencing a full-blown celebration that will have you on your feet, your hips swaying, and your spirit soaring.

Here's our advice: Bring your dancing shoes. Seriously. Wear comfortable footwear designed for movement, because you will be moving. Pack sunscreen, bring water, and make plans to spend the entire day with us. The festival features multiple stages, diverse artists, food vendors, and a family-friendly atmosphere that celebrates jazz in all its glorious forms.

But when Mexsal's set begins? Clear your schedule. Find your spot near the stage. And prepare to dance like nobody's watching (even though everyone will be watching, because the collective joy on that dance floor is something to behold).

A Tradition Worth Continuing

Popular demand brought Carlos Rivas & Mexsal back to the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival. But it's the quality, consistency, and pure heart they bring to every performance that keeps them at the center of our celebration year after year.

In a world that often feels divided, music like theirs reminds us of what we share. The rhythms that move our bodies. The melodies that stir our souls. The collective experience of creation and celebration that makes us unmistakably, beautifully human.

This is what jazz has always done. This is what Latin salsa continues to do. And this is what you'll experience when Carlos Rivas & Mexsal return to the stage at the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival.

The question isn't whether you'll dance. The question is how soon you'll get there once the music starts. 🎺🔥

Mark your calendars. Gather your crew. Prepare to move.

The Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival returns, and Carlos Rivas & Mexsal are ready to prove once again why they've been a Day One staple of this incredible celebration. We'll see you on the dance floor.

For more information about the Yrēfy Scottsdale Jazz Festival and our year-round jazz education arizona programs, visit jazzdayaz.com.