For months DJs and fans have been uploading videos of Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera performing their 2013 hit "Me Dicen Cuba", only to be forced to remove them. Finally the official video is up and it will hopefully be there to stay!

What can I say about this song? It is another brilliant Alexander Abreu lyric and in my opinion "Me Dicen Cuba" is the new timba anthem for Cuba. The video is a montage of everday scenes of everyday Cubans. It is the product of collaboration between EGREM , the José Martí Cultural Center and the ICAIC. I will be surprised if some tour agency doesn't pick this up as part of an ad campaign! Enjoy!

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First thing to say about the Grammy Award Show is that experiencing the event live is very different than watching it on TV. This year things really got started when Robin Thicke joined classic rock band Chicago for some powerful showmanship and HORNS! Real live music finally brought a sense of satisfaction. The sound quality was really good, pleasant yet powerful without being harsh. What you would expect from the music industry's top show. They got that right. 

On the Cuban music front... members of the San Francisco based, 19-piece Latin big band the PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA are still pinching themselves after defeating Salsa icons Marc Anthony and Sergio George - as well as Colombian pop star Carlos Vives - by taking the 2014 Best Tropical Latin Album Award. It was an honor for these independents to be included, but after this win there will be plenty of head scratching over at Sony Music Latin and Sergio's camp. You can read a review of their well-crafted, self-titled debut release here. For many then, the PMO pulled off something truly unique and special. The Mambo is back for real with their full, rich sound and clever arrangements. It seems they couldn't set the bar any higher for themselves. It will interesting to see how the Pacific Mambo Orchestra follows this up.

In related news, La Santa Cecilia, a Los Angeles based rock / alternative band that mixes boleros, cumbia, bossa nova and Cuban music won for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. LSC is signed to Universal Music Latino. Their winning album is called "Treinta Días" (30 Days). 

The independent, Brazilian music release "Song For Maura" from Trio Corrente (piano - bass - drums) and Cuban clarinetist / saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera won for Best Latin Jazz Album. 

Also worth mentioning is the Clavo Records release "Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra", which won for Best Instrumental Composition (the late Clare Fischer composer, Clare Fischer Orchestra performing).  Clare Fischer composed the famous Latin Jazz standard "Morning". Clare's son claimed the award and in his moving speech mentioned that signing an acceptance for a Grammy Award was the last document his father ever signed. 

Here are some selected PMO photos from the Nominee celebration, Grammy pre-telecast & telecast. 

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Click here for Peter Maiden's review of the new Rebel Tumbao CD featuring José Claussell. 

"Rebel Tumbao is a revelation. It is many things: it is perhaps the most successful album meshing Afro-Cuban and Reggae music to date; it is an exceptional example of deeply felt spiritual and political lyrics; and, in the tradition of Gil Scott-Heron, it has jazz roots and scorching spoken word." - Peter Maiden 

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ENGLISH: In December 2013, Mezcla unveiled a new  DVD of a live performance that included many of the best Jazz artists in Havana.   You might not be able to obtain a copy of this yet, but watch for it - it is phenomenal, and you can read our review here.    Incidentally, Mezcla is also in the process of finalizing a CD of last year's live performance at Yoshi's and has plans to tour the US again later this year.   

ESPAÑOL:  En diciembre de 2013, Mezcla reveló un nuevo DVD de un concierto en vivo que incluía muchos de los mejores artistas de Jazz en La Habana.  Puede que no sea capaz de obtener una copia de esto todavía, pero mantenga los ojos abiertos  - es fenomenal, y puede leer nuestra reseña aquí. Por cierto, Mezcla también está en el proceso de finalización de un CD del concierto en vivo en Yoshi's en 2013 y tiene planes de montar una gira por EE.UU. de nuevo a finales de este año. 

ENGLISH: Omar Sosa just released a new solo piano CD, Senses. This is a very contemplative recording, and you can read our review here.   It isn't classical music but may appeal to listeners who enjoy that genre as well.  Omar has also been performing live with an aggregation called The New AfroCuban Quartet, which includes Childo Tomas, Ernesto Simpson and Leandro Saint-Hill.   A studio recording is expected in the next several months. 

ESPAÑOL: Omar Sosa  acaba de lanzar un nuevo CD de piano solo, Senses.   Es un fonograma muy contemplativa, y puede leer nuestra reseña aquí. No es la música clásica, pero puede apelar a los oyentes que disfrutan de ese género también. Además, Omar ha estado tocando en vivo con una agregación llamada The New AfroCuban Quartet, que incluye Childo Tomas, Ernesto Simpson y Leandro Saint-Hill.  Una grabación en el estudio se espera en los próximos meses. 

New reviews:   More than a dozen new CD and DVD reviews of Cuban recordings have been published this month in our Reviews section this month with more to come.   These include traditional, Jazz and Timba recordings. 

Nuevas reseñas:   Más de una docena de nuevas reseñas de CDs y DVDs cubanos se han publicado este mes en nuestra sección Reseñas con más por venir.  Estos incluyen grabaciones tradicionales, Jazz y Timba. 

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