New documentary film about Bay Area Latin jazz icon John Santos debuts at SXSW

A highly respected teacher and historian of Latin jazz, seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos is acknowledged as a “keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame,” using music to navigate the politics of culture, global migration and his Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean heritage.

"Santos — Skin to Skin" is directed, produced and edited by Kathryn Golden, a founding partner of Searchlight Films.

The documentary is a portrait of an artist who juggles the daily challenges of life: supporting family, creating art and the quest to propel Afro-Caribbean culture onto the world stage.

"Santos — Skin to Skin" debuts at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, showing March 12-19 in theaters in Austin, Texas.

The film will be available to stream online from SXSW March 13-15, but you must purchase the festival's entire online film package; no individual films are offered.

Listen for "Tichin" and "Tumbao de Corazon" from the John Santos Sextet album The Art of the Descarga this week on Saturday's Jazz Caliente.