Things are sure to heat up on (and off) the Freight stage tonight, when the superb East Bay quartet, Cascada de Flores, presents a sizzling evening of Mexican and Cuban regional music and dance, spotlighting numbers from their new CD, Mi Sueño. With their heavenly vocal harmonies, masterful guitars and flute, and a variety of traditional Mexican and Cuban instruments like tres cubano, marimbol (related to the African thumb piano), guitarra de son, donkey’s jaw bone, zapateado (footwork), cajón, and the indispensable maracas and claves, this quartet has won hearts and set bodies in motion at the Freight in several sold-out and spectacular shows. Veering from whimsical playfulness to delicate beauty to searing emotion, the foursome are masters at putting their own subtle touch on the music, creating a wonderfully lush, intimate atmosphere.

Tonight Arwen Lawrence de Castellanos, Sabra Weber, Jorge Liceaga, and Jorge Mijangos plus guest artists Miguel Govea and Brian Rice bring their talents to bear on son jarocho, the traditional music and dance of Mexico’s Veracruz countryside and Cuban trova ballads, plus original tunes inspired by their recent trip to the Gulf of Mexico and Santiago de Cuba.