Christina Marsilia, a former Medford middle school band director, makes music of a different kind these days as leader and lead singer of Salsa Brava, a popular Rogue Valley band.

Salsa Brava showcases rhythmic Latin-American music. In addition to salsa, the band, under Marsilia’s leadership, has expanded its repertoire to include timba, a Cuban genre; salsa romantica; more Colombian, Puerto Rican and Nicaraguan music; and bachata dance music, a Dominican close cousin of salsa.

“This music is very infectious and exciting,” Marsilia said. “There is a certain joy and happiness that overtakes a person when they hear and dance to the music and its rhythms.”

She says the happiness of the audience is one of their motivating factors.

“We celebrate their happiness and let them know how much they are appreciated,” she said.

Her love of the music has its origins in growing up the daughter of ballroom dancers.

“They loved musical theater and dancing. They took us to many Broadway shows, and my dad taught me many ballroom dances. My favorite was cha-cha,” she said.

Cha-cha is a precursor to salsa, which also has its roots in another Latin dance style, the mambo.

“I danced cha-cha, mambo and rumba with my dad whenever we had the opportunity,” she said. “He was a great lead. My mother loved to listen to music, and she had a lovely voice herself. My parents had a wonderful Latin big band album by Tito Puente, which included mambo, salsa and Latin jazz. I played and danced to that album in the living room by myself over and over again as a kid.”

At one point, after seeing a production of “Oliver,” she announced that she wanted a career on Broadway.

“Unfortunately, my parents didn’t support that goal — not a good lifestyle, they said. They were probably right, but I was just a kid, and boy did I want to be the center of attention, belting out a song on Broadway!”

Broadway the Rogue Valley ain’t, but boy is she belting out the songs on stage — and has been since the mid-2000s.

Marsilia, a Talent resident, started Salsa Brava in 2008 with Anne Muth (keyboard) and Marshal Mueller (sax and vocals). The three had broken away from another band, Mambo Rico, to form the new group. Muth and Mueller have since moved and left the band.

Salsa Brava’s lineup today includes John Mazzei (keyboards), Jeff Addicott (bass), Theresa McCoy (congas and percussion), Mike Fitch (timbale and percussion), Gordon Greenley (sax), Tom Poole (trumpet), Joe Fascilla (trumpet) and Marsilia (vocals and flute).

“The quality of musicianship in this band is amazing,” Marsilia said. “We have some of the most sought-after musicians in the valley playing this genre with passion and commitment.”

As band leader, Marsilia organizes and hosts rehearsals at her home, books gigs, handles advertising, and coordinates social media outreach.

She also researches, purchases and copies music to distribute to band members, and keeps a library of digital and hard copies of all tunes.

Salsa Brava performs two times a month from May through early October.

“We have found the wineries to be our best venues,” Marsilia said. “We love the outdoor atmosphere, and we need a large dance floor to accommodate our guests.”

The band also has performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show, the Ashland Historic Armory, the World Music Festival in Ashland, the Garden Stage at the Britt Festival, at the Grants Pass Art Along the Rogue Festival and at various local events.

“One of our most memorable performances was opening for the professional touring band The Afro-Cuban All Stars at the Ashland Armory.”

Marsilia had her own up-close-and-personal Cuban experience in 2007. She participated in a trip to the island, organized by PlazaCUBA, which has put together trips since 2000 for participants to learn about Cuba’s culture and music.

“I studied musical genres and dance styles particular to Cuba,” she said, “as well as Afro-Cuban folklore.”

She also took flute and dance lessons for three weeks, then performed in a salsa band and also in a dance group.

“It was the thrill of a lifetime. The Cuban people were so gracious and so friendly, and the instructors were incredibly talented.”

Marsilia also loves to sketch and has delved into watercolor and acrylics.

“My favorite painting from my travels is the portrait I did of the famous artisan Jose Garcia Antonio. My husband and I visited his studio in his home on the outskirts of Oaxaca.”

The artist was partially blind when they met him, and he used his hands to see and sculpt. “I was very moved by him, and his face was a pleasure to draw and paint,” she said.

Marsilia enjoyed her teaching career but didn’t look back when she retired early and began her new musical life.

Originally from the Bronx and Mt. Vernon, New York, she studied art at the State University of New York in New Paltz, took a break on Maui, then settled in Eugene, where she earned a degree from the University of Oregon with a dual major in performance and music education.

She really wanted to perform but made the more “practical” decision to teach, securing a job as elementary and middle school band director for the Medford School District after graduation. Her home base was McLoughlin Middle School.

The highlight of her teaching career was starting the jazz band program.

“There were high school jazz bands, but nothing for the seventh- and eighth-graders,” she said.

She sold the idea to her principal and then to the superintendent.

“I saw the teaching of jazz as a historical journey of music, from its roots in the African-American communities of New Orleans to the present day,” she said.

The jazz band class became so popular another level was added, with beginning and advanced courses for burgeoning jazz artists.

She believes retiring early in order to pursue her own performance goals was a good thing.

So do fans of Salsa Brava.

Salsa Brava’s next show is Friday, Sept. 22, at EdenVale Winery, the second to the last concert of the 2023 season. For more information, check out their Facebook page.