Otilia’s current project – “Otilia Donaire Band” – has her combining her singing talents with some of the Bay Area’s finest rock and blues musicians that consistently deliver a fun and interactive show filled with a huge repertoire of upbeat/danceable classic blues, rock, R&B and soul/funk tunes that'll keep you on the dance floor. Otilia self-produced and independently released her new album, "Bluesin' It Up" revamping some of her originals from her last EP, The Queen Bee recorded at Greaseland, and added new Blues-Rock originals/covers with a full horn section and keys on Jan. 1st 2024.
You can find Otilia and her bandmates rocking the house at clubs, bars, festivals and parties around the San Francisco Bay area and beyond! [link to shows]
Regular Line up:
Bandleader/Lead Vocals: Otilia Donaire
Guitar/Vocals: Joe Lococo
Bass: Edgar San Gabriel / Chris Matheos (musical director on last EP and current album)
Drums: Robi Bean
Keys: Pamela Charlles Arthur AKA: PAMMA JAMMA
OTILIA DONAIRE
SINGER, SONGWRITER, BANDLEADER
A San Francisco native, Otilia Donaire is a natural-born performer — and it shows the moment she steps on stage.
From singing in school talent shows as a child, Otilia always had a deep passion for music. But like a true blues story, that passion was put on hold for many years.
She didn’t pursue her musical dreams professionally — until a life-changing moment in 2008 during her final performance workshop at San Francisco’s Blue Bear School of Music. That night, something clicked. The blues called to her soul — and she answered.
Otilia’s mentor and instructor at Blue Bear was the late, great Johnny Nitro, a legendary figure in the San Francisco blues scene. He saw something special in her and encouraged her to take her talent seriously. His guidance lit the spark that would become Otilia’s musical fire.
In 2009, Otilia co-founded her first blues rock band with a fellow Blue Bear alum, performing original and cover material at venues throughout the Bay Area and releasing an album of original songs. Craving more creative freedom, she branched out solo in 2014 — determined to build her own path in music.
Since then, she’s worked tirelessly to carve out her place as a standout vocalist and performer. In 2016, she released her first EP, “The Queen Bee,” recorded at Greaseland Studios, showcasing her signature blend of sass, soul, and blues grit. Most recently, she released her full-length album, “Bluesin’ It Up,” on January 1, 2024 — a collection of blues-rock originals and reimagined covers recorded at Afterdark Recording in San Francisco.
Otilia continues to write, collaborate, and evolve — always working on new material and always pushing her sound forward. Her journey proves that it’s never too late to follow your calling — and once Otilia found hers, she never looked back.
JOE LOCOCO, GUITARIST
Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter/Bandleader Joe was born in Buffalo, New York. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 12 from a local Buffalo Music teacher who had been a student of Andres Segovia. Growing up in the midst of a flourishing Music Scene, Joe was a motivated student and spent many cold winters indoors as a kid practicing guitar and honing his craft. Taking advantage of every opportunity to play with some of the great Buffalo Musicians, Joe learned to play blues, jazz and rock & roll. It was in Buffalo that he began to make a living as a musician. In the late 70’s Joe moved to San Francisco and became established over time as a guitarist/sideman/bandleader and vocalist. He’s played thousands of gigs with hundreds of different bands, learning the business side of music, dealing with agents and club owners, booking, promoting and putting great bands together for special occasions. He’s played on many records, including his own solo release, “Smokin” released in 2019. As a seasoned pro, Joe Lococo, is highly respected by his peers as a sideman and bandleader. He currently plays regularly in a number of bands, including residencies at San Francisco Saloon with the late Johnny Nitro’s Door Slammers, Lucky Strike, and the Lisa Kindred Band. Joe was a member of the legendary saxophonist Jules Broussard (Carlos Santana, Van Morrison) Band for over 15 years.
EDGAR SAN GABRIEL, BASSIST
Edgar San Gabriel is a musician with 44 years of performance success coupled with touring experience in eight countries. Born in Puerto Rico, Edgar was exposed to many musical styles and he is familiar with Caribbean, Central and South American, and Iberian genres. Edgar is also familiar with North American genres such as Blues, jazz styles, urban (Soul, Funk, Gospel, Hip Hop), Country and Western and Rock. Edgar has performed or recorded with: Barry Finnerty - guitar (Miles Davis, The Crusaders, The Brecker Brothers, Ray Barreto) James (Mingo) Lewis - percussionist, drummer (Santana, Return To Forever, Al Di Meola, The Tubes) Jose (Chepito) Areas - master percussionist formerly with Santana (Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman, etc.) Ernest (Boom) Carter - drummer formerly with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (played on "Born To Run") Edgar has recorded with the following acclaimed producers/engineers: John Cuniberti (Joe Satriani) Michael Rosen (Rancid, Testament, Tesla) Andrew Buckton (Crowded House)
CHRIS MATHEOS, BASSIST
Bassist, Chris Matheos from Rochester, NY is a super skilled and true veteran player that has impeccable timing, tone and a rhythmic "sixth sense" in knowing how to hit just the right notes in holding down a tight rhythm section. As a freelance musician he plays with a variety of bands across many genres which include notable NY blues artist, Bobby Radcliff. Spanky McFarlane, Clarence Clemmons and Johnny Burgin. He is also an accomplished Instructional Method Book Author, Music Instructor and Instrumental Jazz/Fusion/New Age bandleader with many CDs of original compositions.