This party is now being hosted by Jennifer Jonary of despelotedance.comand DJ Adrian will still be there. Please support these guys! (For
the record, I didn't make this flyer.)
December 26, 2005: January and a new year in Boston
A quick update before the new year to showcase my new flyer (yes, this
is really all I do with my spare time) for the January salsa cubana event at
Ryles...a more thorough update (incuding pictures from the party in December)
to come in January once I'm settled back in Boston for a very long spring semester.
Happy timba year!
November
22, 2005: Coming up in December
Reynaldo González will give a workshop in
Afro-Cuban rumba on Saturday, December 3 from 3-5pm at the
Dance Complex in
Boston. The workshop will cost $20 for two hours. Reynaldo will cover rumba's
three styles -- columbia, yambú, and guaguancó -- and we will
practice dancing with partners. He will also break down how to incorporate rumba
movement into salsa dancing. Come expand your knowledge of Afro-Cuban folkoric
dance or pick up some new flavor for your salsa! Rumba classes are a rare species
north of New York City, don't miss this opportunity!
About Reynaldo: Reynaldo González, born in Matanzas, Cuba, has been dancing,
singing and playing percussion since early childhood. After graduating from
the Escuela para Instructores de Arte in 1984, he became one of the principal
dancers and choreographers for the prominent Cuban group Afro-Cuba de Matanzas
and toured with the group to the U.S. in 1996. He teaches Afro-Cuban folkloric
dance on Sundays at the Dance Complex in Cambridge.
Next month's Salsa
Cubana at Ryles party on Friday, December 16 will
feature live salsa from Son La Clave, which will include some of Boston's best
Latin musicians like pianist Aruán
Ortiz. They've promised to deliver salsa a lo funky...don't miss
it! Over 160 people attended the last party, proving that Boston is hungry for
música cubana. Check out the pictureshere.
Gozando en Ryles...
November 13, 2005:
Cuban salsa party on Friday
Not much to report other than the monthly Salsa Cubana at Ryles party
this Friday. Help make this a new Boston salsa tradition. It's time there was
a space for música cubana in Beantown. Classes start at 9pm. Dance the
rest of the night with Boston's best-kept secret directo from La Habana, Cuba,
DJ Adrian. Click here
for a flyer.And if you don't believe it was a blast last time,
check these pictures
out.
Mr. Fabuloso DJ Adrian
October 27, 2005: Blog, pictures, and new website
I've been remiss at updating my little corner of the sprawling timba.com
website...
The October Salsa
Cubana at Rylesparty has come and gone and was
a major success. And, I'm not just saying that. I'm still floating from the
amazing energy and fabulous turnout at the party. I posted a little review on
a blog that I started. Click here
to get to it. Video clips from the performance of Afro-Cuban folkloric dance
(dances for the orishas and a rumba) by local group Raices Negras are also posted.
Pictures from the party can be seen here.
In other website news, with the help of Bruce from timba.com, I set up farandulera.com
to keep track of dance class and party details. Visit often!
Yerba Buena is
in town this weekend at the Middle
East Club in Cambridge. Should be a good show if you're around.
I'll be on my way to Toronto para charanguear...
Next Cuban salsa fiesta is November 18 at Ryles. I'm telling you now so you
have no excuse to miss it!
September 19, 2005: Pictures from Ryles and Cuban salsa in Boston Yahoo group Gracias to all who came to Salsa Cubana at Ryles. In October at Ryles,
everybody's favorite man from Matanzas, Cuba, Reynaldo, will be doing a performance
of Cuban folkloric dance with other local musicians and dancers. Details to
come soon. Pictures from last Friday can be seen here.
I can't believe I've never posted it here, but for more information
on the Cuban dance and music scene in Boston, visit our Yahoo
group. To subscribe to the group, send an email to cubansalsaboston-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
September 11, 2005: Back in action
Lots of stuff to report...
Latin music at Wally's: Live Latin music atWally's
Cafeon Mass Ave and Columbus. Thursday nights are Latin Jazz,
with Los Cinco Elementos, presenting jazz in Cuban rhythms. This night has been
around for 11 years, and is going strong. Wednesdays,
Latin Express performs Cuban favorites a lo tipico: charanga y TIMBA. Very danceable.
Both nights have some of the area's best latin musicians in action. Presented
by Tim Mayer.
New casino classes in Boston and Worcester: click here
and here for the
details.
Fieeeeesta...Salsa Cubana at Ryles: It's THIS FRIDAY with a
special performance by some amazing Cuban dancers from New York City. Details
are here.
La Timba Loca: They are perfrorming September 24 at the Beantown
Jazz Festival. Support your local timberos!
July 30, 2005:
O, La Habana
I've been lucky and my summer has been filled with live music from
Tumbao Habana, Bamboleo (I may have broken attendance records with them), Elito
Revé y su Charangón (now with Michel Maza!), Manolito y su Trabuco,
Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Angel Bonne, Azúcar Negra, Tirso Duarte (sounding
amazing in my opinion), Yoruba Andabo, and I think that just about covers it.
Los Van Van and Charanga Habanera have been tour, and I guess you just CAN'T
have it all. Oh, and I'm still trying to catch Adalberto, Sur Caribe, and La
Barriada.
Anyway, my time here is almost up...and I am getting ready for the
August 19th night of Salsa Cubana at Ryles by gathering some musical treats
to raffle off to people who come to Boston's only regular Cuban salsa fiesta.
I've been telling musicians here that they have fans up north in the ol' US
of A, and they are tickled to hear it. I will also be doing a short advanced
Cuban style salsa class at Ryles from 10-10:30pm, right after the beginner class.
Please stop by to hear what Cuba has been dancing to this summer! All the details
are here.
June 17, 2005: Ryles this summer
The dates
for Salsa Cubana at Ryles for the summer:
Friday, July 15th
Friday, August 19th
Both nights start at 9pm with a Cuban style salsa lesson.
Cuban pianist and Boston resident Aruan
Ortiz will be hosting and DJing the night in July.Stop
by to see what tricks he has up his sleeve.
I'll be back in August with plenty of surprises from Havana. See you then...
June 12, 2005: Timba weekend coming up
This Friday, Salsa Cubana returns to Ryles starting at 9pm with a Cuban
style salsa dance lesson and dancing all night to the latest salsa from Havana.
Ryles Jazz
Club
212 Hampshire St.
Inman Square
Cambridge, MA
617-876-9330
Then on Saturday, June 18, Miami-based timba band Tiempo
Libre will play at the Cambridge River Festival at 5pm on the Regattabar
Stage. Tiempo Libre just released a new CD and will have it for sale at the
show.
June 7, 2005: Cuban dance classes in Montreal
Folkloric and popular Cuban dance classes in Montreal starting July
9. Click here
for all the details.
May 25, 2005: Salsa Cubana at Ryles says gracias!
Thank you, once again, for your
support of Salsa Cubana at Ryles! We had 100 people last night dancing to and
enjoying the latest salsa from Havana. Como
dicen en Cuba, ¡la fiesta se formó!
Photos from the night, taken by
the lovely Anthony of salsafrenzy.com, can be seen here.
The next Cuban dance party at Ryles
will be Friday, June 17. Also, the next day on June 18, Miami-based timba band
Tiempo Libre will be playing Boston at a
location TBA. Check their site
for more details.
I will be interviewing several
Cuban timba musicians in Havana this summer and plan to let them know that Boston
quiere timba!
Stay tuned for new features and
surprises at Salsa Cubana at Ryles later this summer and in the fall...
May 9. 2005: Welcome Boston's newest rueda group: Baila
con Timba.
May 3, 2005: Next Salsa Cubana at Ryles night is coming up!
Mark your calendars for May 20th starting at 9pm. Click here
for more information.
April 29, 2005: Bembé/Salsa at Harvard and the Boston-timba connection
Students of Professor Matory’s Afro-Atlantic Religions seminar
invite you to...
BEMBE/SALSA 2005
Thursday, April 28 from
7pm-1am
45 Mt. Auburn Street
Harvard Square, Cambridge
Featuring...
Cuban Santería dance
performance and workshop by master teacher and former member of Grupo Afro-Cuba
de Matanzas, Reynaldo González.
"The Caribbean Aesthetic:
Santería and Vodou Arts." Photography exhibit by Grete Viddal. Altars,
Temple Paintings, and Ceremonies in Cuba, Haiti, and Boston.
Altar Installation for the
deity Elegguá, Cuban Trickster and Gatekeeper, by Natalie Broadnax and
Reynaldo González.
A presentation on the influence
of Santería on contemporary Cuban dance music by Linda Rodríguez
with music to follow for a salsa dance party.
Facilitated by Anna Walters
and Oludamini Ogunnaike.
Co-sponsored by the DRCLAS
Cultural Agents GSAS Workshop Series, the Undergraduate Council, and the Harvard
Divinity School.
And the random Boston-timba connection factoid of the week: Irais Brito,
former bassist for Tumbao Habana, currently lives in the Boston area. He is
looking for fellow musicians who want to start a timba band! Email me if you
or anyone you know is interested so I can connect you with Irais.
April 23, 2005: Gracias from Salsa Cubana at Ryles
Thanks for supporting Salsa Cubana at Ryles! We hope you had as much
fun as we did listening and dancing to the sounds of Cuban salsa and timba...
Mark your calendars for
the next Cuban salsa night, Friday, May 20! The night will begin at 9pm with
another Cuban salsa dance class. Spread the word and
bring your friends so we can make this night a new Boston happening with lots
of sabor cubano.
For people interested in
learning more Cuban-style salsa moves, I am teaching Sundays at 1:30pm at the
Dance Complex at Central Square through May 1st. This is a beginner class, and
all are welcome!
Pictures from the night can be seen here
thanks to Anthony of salsafrenzy.com.
April 8, 2005: Timba lives in Boston
Ven a disfrutar y gozar a lo cubano...
¡SALSA CUBANA
AT RYLES!
Every 3rd Friday of the month
Starting FRIDAY, APRIL 15 (For THIS night only, we will begin at 10pm.)
Admission is $10 and includes Cuban-style salsa class at 10pm
Dancing all night with DJ
Enjoy an evening of the
hottest salsa sounds direct from Cuba. Today's Cuban salsa (also known as "timba")
takes the roots of Cuban music like the son of
the Buena Vista Social Club and injects it with influences from hip-hop, reggae,
and funk.
Los Van Van, Manolito y
Su Trabuco, Paulito FG, Charanga Habanera, y más...this is music made
to make you dance!
Rueda dancers are welcome...try
your moves to the infectious rhythms of timba. There will also be a Cuban-style
salsa class at the beginning of the evening for those who want to get things
moving.
Ryles
Jazz Club
212 Hampshire St.
Inman Square
Cambridge, MA
617-876-9330
Email Linda@timba.com
for more information.
March 28, 2005: Food
for thought
There are a slew of Cuban musicians
(some with timba experience) who make their homes in Boston. Most of them play
Latin jazz, and of course I would never assume they'd want to get together and
play timba occasionally, but gee, wouldn't it be nice? Here are links for a
few of them:
When I realized I had to move to
Boston, shivers went down my spine. It seemed about as far away as you could
get from the sounds of timba...other than Miami of course. Bad joke. Still,
I envisioned a wasteland with no timba activity and one or two casineros to
help me find my way along. For the most part, I was right but there are some,
and have been recently, hints of timba life in the city that just need to be
nurtured (and nurtured and nurtured) so that timba can find a home in Beantown.
A brief recap:
1) Timba has some history here. Promoter Pedro Aizcorbe has worked in the past
to bring Los Van Van, Charanga Habanera (when I interviewed Tirso Duarte in
January he told me he remembered Boston as the "cleanest" city he
had ever seen -- go Boston sanitation!), and Issac Delgado, among many other
Cuban acts, to the area. I am hoping to work with Pedro on setting up a once
a month timba night at some locale around town. Stay tuned for more details!
2) La Timba Loca formed here. Although
they are off galavanting around the country now and taking their brand of timba
to bigger and bigger audiences, they seem to have schooled the locals on the
finer points of timba instrumentation and Cuban dance (always incorporating
ruedas or despelote demonstrations in their shows). People at least have a feel
for how timba differs from other kinds of salsa.
3) A small group of casineros now roam the clubs here. Thanks to casino instructor
Guenael who lived in Boston for two years, there are now some folks who realize
that Cuban-style salsa is not just about rueda de casino but that it can also
be danced in partners (hi guys!). We get together on a regular basis to practice...and
I am actually going to start teaching beginner casino in April. Click here
for the class schedule. And feel free to send me an email
for more information on our group.
Some other exciting developments: last fall, Guenael and I organized four noches
de timba cubana at salsa spot Sophia's. As far as I know they were the first
PURE Cuban salsa nights that Boston has ever seen. Harvard also played host
to a timba party in February of this year that was amazingly well attended.
DJ Gary from New York and instructor Becky Bliss came up to lend their talents
and energy for the night.
So, while Boston may not be in line to steal the crown from Havana as the hotbed
of timba activity, we have some things percolating and hope to add more and
more in the future.
