Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Our city attracts artists of every kind - writers, actors, creators of objet d'art, and of course, musicians. And while Vallarta attracts its fair share of the creatively gifted, it is also a haven for art lovers. The River Café is one such aficionado.

To help share their love for music, The River Café will present two very special musical events in February and March: Black Swan with Diamonds and Katmandu.

Former members of In Focus, Gabriela "Gaby" Santiago and Yann Kostic joined forces to create Black Swan with Diamonds. This musical duo blends styles from around the world, giving them a diverse repertoire of 70's and 80's music that appeals to all ages.

Gaby, a Mexican native, began her career as a child performer for ABC Internacional Radio and XEW Radio. She sang traditional Mexican styles such as ranchero, boleros, and her specialty, huapangos. Her passion for music continued as a student of vocal artist, Cristina Ortega, at the Mexico City opera studio Angel R. Esquivel. Gaby performed at countless concert and theatrical events in the capital city and in the late 90's she became the lead vocalist for the well known Manzanillo-based group, "Jonathan and His Band." Today, the talented singer is accompanied by Yann, a French-American musician who shares the philosophy that music should be an aesthetic experience for the listener.

You can enjoy the 70's and 80's sounds of Black Swan with Diamonds every evening beginning at 8 pm from February 28th through March 2nd at The River Café. For more information about the band, visit their webpage.

Then on March 5th, The River Café will present Katmandu. Named for the city in which it was formed, Katmandu, Nepal, this eclectic band will treat you to the lively sounds of East Indian raga as well as Latin jazz and blues. Katmandu successfully marries the sultry sound of the sitar with Western rhythms to delight audiences with what they call "Indian Sitar Jazz Infused Concerts."

Katmandu is a multifaceted group featuring the sounds of drums, flute, and soprano sax. One of the most impressive instruments is the 20-stringed sitar played by Canadian native and Puerto Vallarta resident, Don Pope. The sitar is a 12th century instrument offering a resonating jiwari effect which creates a buzz-like rhythm that is lush and hypnotic. A sitar is unlike any Western stringed instrument, and it blends perfectly with Katmandu's east-meets-west style.

Don studied classical Indian ragas for five years in London and then in Calgary with Aashish Khan, the grandson of the legendary Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan. In the early 1980's, Aashish recruited Don to play in his fusion group, "The Third Eye," allowing him to tour India along with fellow Canadian, Rhonda Padmos. Rhonda, a classically trained pianist and jazz vocalist, has enjoyed an illustrious career as a recording artist, musical director, writer, and performer with "The Third Eye" along with Canadian vocalist, Ann Mortifee. Rhonda lends her sexy vocals to a long list of Katmandu favorites. Don and Rhonda have been playing together for over thirty years, and together with local musicians from the Rocky Horror Show and Sordid Lives, they combine their talents to create the one-of-a-kind Katmandu sound.

Katmandu will be performing at The River Café for one night only. This must-experience event starts at 8 pm on Tuesday, March 5th.

Open daily from 8 am to 11:00 pm, The River Café is located at Isla Rio Cuale #4 in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (322) 223-0788 or online at RiverCafe.com.mx.

Click HERE to learn more about The River Café.