North Island Concert Society is proud to announce, Empanadas Ilegales will take to the stage on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., at the Port Hardy Civic Centre. 

Empanadas Ilegales is a Vancouver-based psychedelic tropical music ensemble known for adventurous compositions and explosive live performances. Formed in 2017 by musicians with roots in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, the group merges Latin American traditions with surf rock, free jazz, and experimental psychedelia, creating a sound that is deeply rooted, unapologetically unconventional, and always grounded in rhythm. Winners of Global Artist of the Year at the 2026 Western Canadian Music Awards, they have built a reputation for pushing musical boundaries without losing sight of the dance floor.

Their debut release, Papayón (2021), captured their early jazz-infused experimentation and raw live energy. Creepy Mambo (2022) ventured into darker psychedelic territory, blending original compositions with reinterpretations of rare cumbia and salsa gems unearthed through deep dives into Latin America’s musical past. Creepy Mambo: Rooftop Sessions (2024) followed, capturing the band’s evolving chemistry and spontaneity in a live setting.

Released through We Are Time, Sancocho Trifásico (2025) brought the band wider international recognition. Drawing from Latin American folklore, ancestral rhythms, and cultural memory, the album embraces tradition while pushing into new territory through improvisation and genre-bending arrangements. Celebrated by Tigre Sounds for its ancestral memory and diasporic pulse, the record received coverage and airplay from CBC, KEXP, CiTR, and international music media.

Their fourth album, LABORATORIO TROPICAL (2026), released through We Are Time, ventures into a more expansive, unpredictable, and emotionally nuanced musical landscape. Moving between Caribbean and Amazonian rhythms, psychedelic cumbia, and unexpected sonic textures, the record explores migration, nostalgia, heartbreak, resilience, and the search for authenticity in an increasingly unstable world. Recording began at Montreal’s Sud Ouest Studios with William Poulin before continuing at Vancouver’s Afterlife Studios, where John Raham shaped and mixed the album. Mastering was handled by Grammy and seven-time Latin Grammy Award-winning engineer Adam Ayan. The result transforms personal and collective experiences into music that is as introspective as it is irresistibly danceable.

Having performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Calgary Folk Fest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Sled Island, MIXTO, and JUNOFest, alongside an artist residency at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, Empanadas Ilegales continue to build their reputation for electrifying live performances where hypnotic grooves, collective improvisation, and playful musical chaos collide. Their shows invite audiences to abandon expectations, surrender to the rhythm, and become part of an experience that transcends musical and cultural boundaries.

Tickets are available from Guido’s in Port Hardy, Essential Refillery in Port McNeill and Carol Prescott in Port Alice or at the door the evening of the show (cash or E Transfer). 

A concession sponsored by Port Hardy Secondary School is available as well as a raffle. Tickets cost $35 for Adults and $10 for students. 

For more information, please contact Malcolm Fleeton at 250-956-0452 or fleeton@telus.net. 

Come out for an evening of great entertainment and support the live arts in the North Island!