Latin Music Band Brisa Azul Brings a Cool Breeze to Connecticut College

Brisa Azul is Connecticut College’s only Latin music band, although each member learned to play music through jazz. They practice in the MOBROC barn, a literal barn adorned with graffiti covering the walls, broken up by some foam soundproofing panels. MOBROC is Connecticut College’s “Musicians Organized for Band Rights On Campus” club, created so that student bands would be able to hold formal events, and have a voice in student council. The barn used to host shows, until the college banned events in the barn with a capacity over 30, for fear that the floor would cave in. Now it serves as a practice space for all kinds of musicians on campus, although the interior is not exactly a place the college advertises on campus tours.  I had the opportunity to sit down with three of the eight current band members of Brisa Azul on Saturday to speak about their experience playing Latin music, being in a college band, and the struggles and benefits of having such a large group. 

Let’s just start by telling me your names, ages, pronouns, and which instruments you play in the band.

Angel: Angel, he/him, I play guitar, and, oh yeah I’m 22.

Christian: My name is Christian. I’m 20. I play bass, he/him pronouns. We also have Elijah, who is joining us right now, he’s 18 or 19, trumpet player.

Formed three years ago by Fernando Rufino, who has since graduated and left the band, the original mission of Brisa was to expose Connecticut College students to Latin music. Conn is a PWI (Predominantly White Institution), and college records as of fall 2025 indicate that only 29.5% of undergraduates are students of color. 12.5% of those students are Hispanic or Latino, the second largest racial demographic after white students. Brisa is by far the most popular band on campus, and their shows are known for bringing huge, dancing energy to MOBROC events. 

What draws you to play Latin music?

Angel: I would say the fact that when Fernando started the band his goal was to provide that exposure to our campus. He wanted to make sure we were sticking to playing Latin music. I also think we just naturally like it, we like playing it. I mean, I grew up playing jazz so there’s a lot of Latin intertwined there. 

I feel like your shows are very high energy. Like, you’re always the closer, everyone’s getting crazy, it makes them wanna dance.

Angel: Yeah, I always try to tell everyone in the crowds to just get up and dance. Even if you don’t know it, like, you don’t know the lyrics or you don’t speak Spanish or anything. I think it’s a cool way to bring people from different backgrounds and cultures and just share a moment and just have fun.

You guys have had a lot of different members over the years. Were any of you part of the original band and how do you guys deal with getting and losing members so often? 

Angel: Yeah, Christian and I were part of the original band along with Fernando (on vocals) and Moises (on drums). So it was Fernando’s whole idea to start the band and he had connections with the rest of us and he asked us if we were interested in joining it and we said yeah.  

Christian: Kind of because we had all four years in that starting one, we kind of had pre-conditioned ourselves to the idea that we’re gonna be inviting in new members…I think especially this year in general Fernando left, and he left a pretty big void when he left because he was our vocalist, our rhythm guitarist, sometimes lead. But it was also, he just brought a lot of energy to the band and to the shows. So we knew we had to find a lot to compensate for that. So I think we had that idea of like, all right, we have to fill up these missing elements, but we also have to find the people that can capture this sound perfectly.

Who are your guys’ biggest inspirations individually?

Elijah: I’d say my biggest trumpet inspiration is probably Blue Mitchell. He’s probably like the first trumpet player I started listening to in like eighth grade, and I’ve been listening to him ever since. I just really like his phrasing and his tone. I feel like if you don’t have a good tone, you just don’t sound good in general.

Christian: Honestly for bass, I picked it up senior year because I was in jazz band and there was this senior, this bassist that was crazy to me. Just the coolest guy, and I wanted to play jazz bass too which is what I ended up doing senior year. But in terms of influence, I can’t really name a specific artist like that. And I think, especially in playing with this band I think my peers in the band have been more of an inspiration to me. I’m constantly listening to all the other members and taking what they’re doing into consideration. Whether that means I’m more complex, more simple, whether I need more bass, more treble, whatever. So, I think my band has been my biggest influence in my bass playing.

Would you say that you mostly fuse Latin music with jazz, pop, rock, or is it a combination of all of them?

Elijah: I feel like it’s a combination of everything, like even just for our most recent shoe we played “Got to Be Real”. We played “Beat It”, by Michael Jackson. 

Christian: We played “Oye Como Va”, which is like straight Latin. We played Paramore, and Alesis by Mk.gee. 

Do you guys find it difficult with so many people in the band? Does it cause conflict when you’re trying to get in a rehearsal at crunch time, or you’re trying to pick songs, and how do you deal with that?

Angel: Yeah, I mean at least with scheduling, that’s incredibly difficult. I mean, we have eight people. As for practices themselves, it can be pretty difficult because of how many people we have. I mean, we have three rhythm sections, two guitars, and piano. And so, a lot of the time those frequencies can clash. So it’s just about finding space and not trying to step on each other’s toes throughout the songs.

I would love to hear about your guys’ favorite show that you’ve played, with any iteration of the band.

Elijah: I feel like my favorite show in general, maybe Flo. Like last year Flo. I don’t know if it was really my favorite playing-wise, because I can say I’ve definitely played better. But just like the energy, performing in front of all my friends in the front row. (Floralia or “Flo”, as students refer to it, is Connecticut College’s annual spring music festival, where student bands perform alongside professional musicians.)

Do you guys have a favorite song that you play?

Angel: It’s called Sin Morir. 

Christian: Which means “Without Dying”.

Angel: It’s by Fabiansito and the whole message behind the song is like leaving a legacy before you die. 

And I feel like Fernando left that legacy on your guys’ band.

Christian: Yeah, I think it was the last song we played at our first show, and then it was the last song that we played at his last show for Flo. And he really didn’t want to do it cause he didn’t think he could get through the song without crying. But we played it, and then they turned off our sound while we were on stage because we went over time. We kept playing, man. Yeah. We played our song. That’s our song.

I ask the guys if there’s anything else they want to say before the interview is over.  “Yeah, What’s that one Mark quote, ‘Don’t be blue, be breezy’, Christian says. “I want that to be our quote”. They all laugh. Angel remarks, “Yeah, because Brisa Azul means blue breeze”.