5.5 Sunday (Latin) Nectar & Solid Sound present Cinco de Mayo with Cuban multi-instrumentalist & singer: LA DAME BLANCHE with Wasabi Samba $25adv 7pm, 21+ Nectar Lounge 412 N 36th St www.nectarlounge.com -La Dame Blanche With her explosive mix of hip hop, cumbia, dancehall and reggae, the Cuban singer, flutist and percussionist Yaite Ramos Rodriguez, aka La Dame Blanche delivers a powerful and compelling sound which summons the spirits. Born and raised in Pinar del Rio, the westernmost province of Cuba, she was surrounded by music and dance from birth. She was the daughter of Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos, the artistic director of the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club and was frequently immersed in music and dance. Later on she learned classical flute at the conservatory but was always searching for an authentic form of self-expression. As La Dame Blanche states, “in my country, popular music was focused primarily on tradition: the sound, la rumba, the batá drums, etc. In Paris, all borders being open, there was a melting-pot of rhythms and melodies!” Living in Paris, she became inspired to begin her musical career, taking on the ironic stage name La Dame Blanche which nods to the legend of the white lady (a mysterious ghost). She was part of the all-girl salsa band Rumbana, the Grand Orchestre du Splendid, a back-up singer with Sergent Garcia, and live singer for El Hijo de la Cumbia. Eventually finding her own voice, La Dame Blanche has been a prolific performer across the world and created numerous albums. Her newest titled Ella is set to be released in September 2023. La Dame Blanche uses her music to expound powerful messages, taking on racism, colonialism, desire, and women’s empowerment. As Remezcla notes on a recent album review, “with Ella, La Dame Blanche isn’t scared to turn the mirror inwards in order to start much-needed conversations. Through her own empowerment, she encourages women to find their own.