Global group set for Friday concert

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      The City of Las Vegas Cultural and Community Affairs Division will open its 1999-2000 concert season at 8 p.m. Friday with the global fusion music group Wild Mango at the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
      Fiery and passionate, the global fusion music of Wild Mango defiantly ignores musical boundaries to create a lyrical and infectious rhythm beyond simple description. When people of many cultures coexist and the airwaves ring with their music, rhythms and melodies begin to come together in a whole new way.
      Walk through the streets of Paris, London, Caracas or New York and one can hear a variety of sounds. Rai, rap, jazz, salsa, Indian ragas, rock and funk co-mingle as unwitting ambassadors in city neighborhoods. The result of this vital and diverse environment is "global fusion."
      The music reflected by Wild Mango is a combination of the members' own backgrounds and the sounds of San Francisco.
      This groundbreaking ensemble began in the '80s as Mango Jam. Although the group has undergone personnel changes and a name alteration, it has retained and expanded its reputation for presenting a blend of flamenco, jazz and funk influenced by Afro-Cuban, African, Middle Eastern and Brazilian sounds.
      Group members include Michaelle Goerlitz, Jan Martinelli, Donna Viscuso, Maria Marquez, Sandi Poindexter, Bob Crawford and Phil Thompson. As recording artists and guest artists at many festivals, universities, arts series, clubs and hotels, they have built a devoted following across the country and internationally.
      Tickets for Wild Mango are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster or by calling 229-6211.