photo by Tom Ehrlich

One of the classic lineups for one of the classic bands of all time, one night only in New York City. It's rare that for any band -- even Revé over it's 55 year history -- to achieve the level of chemistry that the current incarnation of el Charangón has achieved. It's truly hitting on all cylinders. If you miss this you'll be kicking yourself for years. They're doing at least 5 songs from the new album, De qué estamos hablando, which is easily among the best of the 2000s thus far and a brilliant cross-section of the very best of the previous two albums and the previous 5 decades.

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Aragón is next up in 2010's string of historic performances.

I've created a special section for tour news .

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photo by Peter Maiden - by permission from Fuego Entertainment

Here's Peter Maiden's gallery from the first SF show - more coming from Tom Ehrlich in due time.

This Saturday, July 17th, Revé takes their unbelievably great show to SOB's.

The songs from the new album, De que estamos hablando are instant classics and had San Francisco singing along on the first hearing. With his third classic masterpiece in succession (Se sigue comentando, Fresquecito, De que estamos hablando), Elito Revé has proven once and for all that he's inherited his father's genius for putting together historically great groups. This current incarnation of the band can stand up beside any of its illustrious predecessors - one of the best rhythms sections ever, possibly the best horn section ever, and four great singers who work perfectly together, while presenting four very different and compelling personalities. All perfectly in sync with a genius musical director in the person of Aisar Hernández. Don't miss the chance to hear this group.

And hey, New York - I'm talkin' to you! Get off your butts. San Francisco sold out three nights straight - you should be able to sell out one on a Saturday night, eh? It's no wonder the Giants and Dodgers moved out here.

After New York, it's on to Miami and Tampa .

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Don't Miss tonight, Monday, July 12th, at KUUMBWA JAZZ CENTER in Santa Cruz.

07/12/2010 Mon  Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Club
07/14/2010 Wed  Oakland, CA Yoshis Jazz Club
07/16/2010 Fri  Winston, OR Riverbend Park
07/17/2010 Sat  Los Angeles, CA MacArthur Park 
07/23/2010 Fri  Lowell, MA Lowell Folk Festival
07/24/2010 Sat  Providence, RI Sound Sessions Festival
07/25/2010 Sun  Lowell, MA Lowell Folk Festival
07/28/2010 Wed  New York, NY River to River Festival, Wagner Park
07/29/2010 Thu  Huntington, NY Huntington Summer Arts Festival
08/01/2010 Sun  Rochester, NY NY Puerto Rican Parade Fest

The masters of Puerto Rican plena, Plena Libre will be touring the United States in July and August of 2010. Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a fifteen-year, thirteen-album career, this fine-tuned 12-piece Puerto Rican-based ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent Grammy nominations. And now, for the 2010-2011 touring season, Plena Libre has created an all-new exciting repertoire along with new choreography and compelling new stories told from the stage between songs. 

Unlike salsa bands, who usually only have two singers, Plena Libre features five vocalists singing in lush three and four part harmonies; a musical representation of a traditional community gathering. Further giving their live performances a memorable standout quality, occasionally, the entire band will vocalize the percussion parts of the plena, creating an a cappella polyphonic polyrhythm. These artistic choices drive home the core of the tradition in an aesthetic that appeals to broad audiences and aficionados alike.

Along with providing exhilarating entertainment, Plena Libre-which has performed in fifteen countries, from Morocco to Malaysia-has a deep commitment to educating their audiences about the traditional culture of Puerto Rico. Since the founding of the group, the ensemble has offered three levels of workshops tailored to the needs of particular demographics. For young audiences, the band has conducted hands-on demonstrations, taking an interactive approach to helping kids play Caribbean rhythms and learn various dance steps.

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