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Papi Fimbres, a pillar of Portland’s music scene, is throwing a benefit concert on behalf of his big sister on June 22 at the Get Down. Performers on the bill are powerhouse singer Edna Vazquez fresh off an international tour with Pink Martini, and Fimbres’ own cumbia band, Orquestra Pacífico Tropical.
“I asked one of my most influential and beautiful friends in the music industry, Edna Vazquez, to perform and she said she’d be honored to do it, so it’s incredible,” Papi Fimbres says.
Fimbres’ sister, Michelle Fimbres, has cancer and is on dialysis. She has been having to pay her medical bills out-of-pocket for the past few months after her health insurance said they would not pay for as much of her treatment. Michelle Fimbres, 52, is a mother of five and splits her time between Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Papi Fimbres grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Portland in 1999. He has been in scads of bands over the last 25 years, including WW best new bands Sávila and Máscaras, Dreckig and Sun Angle, in genres ranging from psych punk and German club music to cumbia and Latin pop. Fimbres sings and mainly plays drums and flute.
It has been a remarkably difficult month for the Fimbres family. While Papi was busy planning the concert for Michelle, one of their other siblings, Daniel Fimbres, died last week at age 50. Papi is flying to El Paso, Texas, for the funeral this weekend.
“I’m three of four siblings so it’s been really tragic and really sad, but we’re just hanging on,” Papi Fimbres says. “The music community here has been so supportive and filled with love and compassion.”
GO: An Evening Benefit Concert for Michelle Fimbres, Featuring Orquestra Pacífico Tropical and Edna Vazquez. The Get Down, 615 SE Alder St., Suite B, tixr.com/groups/thegetdownpdx/events/orquestra-pac-fico-tropical-edna-v-zquez-104402. 9 pm Saturday, June 22. $20. 21+.
