David Labrada Brings DLM Groove Collective to Lula Lounge
A Toronto Musician with Deep Jazz Roots
Toronto’s Latin music scene takes centre stage on September 18 when Toronto-based performer, composer, producer and music educator David Labrada More brings the DLM Groove Collective to Lula Lounge for a special edition of Latin Friday. The performance puts Labrada at the centre of an evening built around live musicianship, rhythm and collaboration, with the DLM Groove Collective joined by special guests. The night also includes a dance lesson led by Sarita Leyva before the music moves fully onto the dance floor.
David Labrada More brings considerably more than multi-instrumental versatility to the Lula Lounge stage. The Toronto-based performer, composer, producer and music educator has developed a career that stretches from formal musical training in Havana to performance, production and teaching in Canada.
His early accomplishments include an impressive three consecutive first-place finishes at the National Youth Jazz Competition in Havana, from 2006 through 2008. He later earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Higher Institute of Art in Havana before completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music at the University of Toronto.
That combination of composition, jazz and performance helps explain the breadth of Labrada’s work today. His musical interests extend across piano, voice and percussion, while his work as an educator also encompasses music theory, songwriting and production.
From Performer to Producer
Labrada is also the founder of DLM.Music Production, through which he has worked with artists from Canada and around the world. His credits include collaborations with British Columbia-based Cuban-Canadian artist Adonis Puentes, Canada’s Cassava Latin Band, Ernesto del Alma, Mexico’s Joel Sierra and other international performers.
That production background makes the DLM Groove Collective particularly interesting. Rather than approaching the September 18 performance solely as a bandleader, Labrada brings experience as a composer, arranger, educator and producer — skills that naturally lend themselves to a collaborative live ensemble.
More Than a Traditional Concert
The September 18 show isn’t designed simply as a sit-down performance.
It is part of Lula Lounge’s Latin Friday programming, where live music and social dancing share the evening. The addition of a dance lesson gives newcomers an opportunity to learn some basics before the floor opens up, while the DLM Groove Collective provides the night’s live musical centrepiece.
For Labrada, it’s also an opportunity to present the collective in one of Toronto’s best-known rooms for Latin and global music.
A Meeting Place for Toronto’s Music Communities
Lula Lounge has become an important stage for musicians whose work crosses cultural and musical boundaries. Throughout September alone, its programme moves through salsa, jazz, Brazilian percussion, Cuban music, reggae and other global sounds.
The DLM Groove Collective fits naturally within that environment.
Its September 18 appearance also demonstrates something increasingly visible across Canada’s music landscape: Canadian music isn’t defined by one genre or tradition. Artists working in Latin, Caribbean, African, Indigenous and other musical communities are all part of the country’s contemporary sound.
An Evening Built for the Dance Floor
For audiences, the appeal of the September 18 show is straightforward: this is music intended to be experienced live.
The combination of Labrada’s musicianship, a collaborative ensemble, guest performers and Lula’s dance-floor atmosphere should make this considerably different from listening to the same music at home.
And for listeners who haven’t yet explored the musicians working within Toronto’s Latin music community, it offers an accessible place to start.
Show Details
David Labrada More & DLM Groove Collective
Date: September 18, 2026
Venue: Lula Lounge
Address: 1585 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Featuring: DLM Groove Collective and special guests
Also: Dance lesson with Sarita Leyva
Ticket availability, admission, dinner reservations and timing should be confirmed directly with Lula Lounge before attending.