Benefit for Celia Torres featuring La Colora is at the Jack London
An ensemble of Portland’s finest Salsa musicians will be performing a benefit concert to support local Latinx performing artist Celia Torres.
Julana Torres, known as “La Colorá” is a multifaceted artist gracing Portland and national stages for over 25 years. A classically trained dancer, singer and actor, Julana’s versatility as a performer, paired with her Puerto Rican roots, engages audiences in an unforgettable rhythmic experience. "La Colorá '' is an explosion of classic Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Pop/Salsa fusion. She is often joined on stage by her father, Bobby Torres, and brothers, Reinhardt Melz and Carmelo Torres, showcasing the legacy of her percussionist family.
Celia Torres is a performing artist that hails from a long family of entertainers. At the age of nine, she began singing and dancing professionally and by 18 years of age, she was a familiar face in Portland's regional theater scene, earning multiple accolades including first place in the solo acting category at the Oregon Thespian State Festival and first place in the regionals for the August Wilson Monologue Competition 2022. Celia's dreams came true when she was accepted to study with the esteemed University of Hartford's Musical Theatre program. Despite receiving numerous scholarships, she was still left with a $20,000 debt. To secure her opportunity, Celia switched to online schooling her senior year of high school and worked multiple jobs to save for tuition. After finishing her Freshman year, Celia was nominated as the head representative for Hartford's Musical Theatre class of 2026! Unfortunately, Celia’s journey with Hartford is now in jeopardy due to the financial burden of paying for college tuition. She is so committed to her craft and education that she returned to Portland this summer, working numerous jobs and 14-
hour days in order to raise money after having exhausted all loan and scholarship opportunities.
Despite her hard work, she is still left with $10,000 in tuition and needs a village!
Come celebrate Latinx Heritage Month and support this deserving talent’s academic endeavor to acquire her BFA with University of Hartford and continue towards her dreams of performing on Broadway.
All donations will go directly towards Celia’s tuition and school expenses.
