Michelle White

Wednesday May 7 2008
7th Dance Competition of Traditional Cuban Popular Dances and Casino
The competition will be hosted in Santiago de Cuba October 17-18, 2008. The objective of the competition is to promote traditional popular Cuban dances such as Danzón, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Pilón, Mambo, Mozambique, Rumba, as well as Casino and Rueda de Casino. Click here to read all the details in the announcement (en español y formato PDF).

Monday May 5 2008
Cubakultur in Denmark Announces Dates for Dance/Music Classes
Cubakultur in Copenhagen has announced the dates of their upcoming two-week classes in Cuba: this summer from June 26 - July 9 and in the fall October 12-26. The dance classes include casino, son, rueda de casino, mambo, cha cha cha and rumba. All participants get a Cuban dance partner to train with. Cubakultur can also assist in setting up lessons in congas and Spanish.

For all the details see Cubakultur's homepage.

Rueda in Cuba

Saturday April 26 2008
Another Anniversary during International Timba Month!
It's no wonder April is International Timba Month, yet another band has celebrated an anniversay. Klímax is now 13 years old and will be releasing their 6th studio CD in May. The new CD includes Dale cuatro malas which has been played for about a year now as well as the latest single, La permuta.

Monday April 21 2008
How Are You Celebrating International Timba Month?
Here in Stockholm we celebrated with a concert by Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son on April 12 (report to follow). In Canada they celebrated last weekend with Bamboleo in Toronto and Quebec City. Check Billy Bryans' blog for the details.

Tour Updates
The details are still very sketchy but we have a few more dates for groups such as Maraca, Charanga Habanera, and Orquesta Revé. Keep checking out the Tours section because we will be constantly updating. If you know about any concerts that we haven't listed, please send an e-mail.

Sunday April 20 2008
Soneros All Stars - La Timba Soy Yo
I really enjoyed Soneros All Stars first CD, Dime Nagüe, and after four years they are back with their next release, La Timba Soy Yo. Soneros All Stars is a project by Swedish tresero Janne Bogdan. The CD will be back from press next week, but you can already listen to the MP3s. I am very pleased with what I hear, and what's not to like? The new CD features Pupy Pedroso on piano, and on vocals Cristina Azcuy, Sinsonte, Mandy and Pepito. For more information about the CD and the full list of musicians see www.soneros-all-stars.com.

Saturday April 12 2008
Salsa Mayor in the Studio and on Their Way to Europe
Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor started recording ther next CD last week. Maykel tells us that very soon fans will be dancing to numbers such as La balacera, Llévala, Adivina papá, Marisela and Si le gusta repite. I have already seen both Adivina papá and Si le gusta repite performed live and have heard Marisela various times in rehearsal and can tell you that Salsa Mayor continues to produce true Cuban timba made for the dancers.

I have no doubt that the new CD will be another triumph for the group. It should also include Ella dice and Anda pégate, the hit singles that swept Europe during 2007, um...no pun intended with the barriendo coro. The video for Anda pégate has been at number 9 on the Piso 6 top ten countdown for the past few weeks. Check muchoswing.com for weekly Piso 6 episodes.

Hopefully the new CD will be out in time for their summer tour which runs from July 1 through July 31. The first date that I have for Salsa Mayor this summer is July 13 at the Carnival de Salsa festival in Poland. Keep checking back with us as the summer tour plans solidify.

Carnival de Cuba 2008 June 28-29
London's annual Carnival de Cuba will feature La Charanga Habanera as headliners both days. At first I was worried about the effect Juventino's stripping would have on the mild mannered British public, but then I remembered that this is the country that brought us "The Full Monty", so I think it will be well received.

MC-ing the event will be Ricardo Leyva, director of Sur Caribe. The carnival will also feature reggaeton and hip-hop with Emenecia Clasica and Telmary. Participating from the UK are Osvaldo Chacón y su Timba, Tumbao Tivoli and the reggaeton groups Papo Record and Kid Afrika.

Friday April 11 2008
Azúcar Negra celebrates 10th anniversary
In addition to being International Timba Month, April is the anniversary month for both NG La Banda, as we reported earlier, as well as Azúcar Negra. The band celebrated its 10-year anniversary on April 8. Clave Cubana threw a party for Azúcar Negra at El Diablo Tun Tun and on the 9th Azúcar Negra played at Salon Rojo del Capri where, word has it, the rum flowed freely that night.

The big celebration will be held April 19th at La Tribuna and will feature the participation  of Haila Mompie and Juan Formell y Los Van Van.

Today Azúcar Negra is in the studio recording the coros for the new CD.

2008 Cubadisco Nominees Announced
On April 1st, the nominees for Cubadisco 2008 were announced. The contemporary popular dance music category is of particular interest to timberos. The nominees are:
El mundo se acabo Mañengo - La Charanga Habanera
Mil razones - Suena cubano
Fresquecito - Elito Revé y su Charangón
Me mantengo -  Taínos de Mayarí
Mamborama - Directamente al mambo

Click here to see the entire list of Cubadisco nominees for 2008. Cubadisco will take place this year from May 17-25 and the theme is Africa and the Diaspora.

Paulo FG in Mexico
Paulo was originally scheduled to do some concerts in February but they were cancelled and rescheduled for April. Unfortunately we're a little late with the news. He performed the 3rd, 4th and 5th at Mamarumba Loreto and the 10th, 11th, and 12th at Mamarumba in Roma Queretaro. If you hurry you can catch him there tonight or tomorrow. The cover is 120 pesos and the concerts start at 10pm.

Thursday April 10 2008
La Habana Me Llama Video Underway
On the eve of their summer European tour  Manolito y Su Trabuco are ready to start filming the video of the title track from the soon-to-be-released CD La Habana me llama. The CD itself is under production and will be out very soon.

Sunday April 6 2008
Timba Celebrates 20 Years with NG La Banda
Twenty years ago on April 4th a group of creative musicians got together under the leadership of José Luis Cortés "El Tosco" and formed NG La Banda. In a recent interview on Piso 6 (see muchoswing.com) El Tosco said that everyone agreed that if the band wasn't successful within two years, they would break up, or as he put it "calabaza, calabaza cada uno pa' su casa". Fortunately for all of us, the band was a hit, and with the birth of NG La Banda came the dawn of the music that has profoundly touched the lives of timberos around the world.

NG La Banda has been celebrating their 20th anniversary by touring the neighborhoods of Havana. Last night was the main event with a concert in Plaza de la Revolución featuring the participation of Los Van Van, la Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo, Manolito y Su Trabuco and Pachito Alonso y Sus Kini Kini.

Timba.com congratulates and thanks El Tosco and NG La Banda, all members old and new, for the tremendous gift they have given us.

April Declared International Timba Month!
Those of us not fortunate enough to be in Havana for the concert can still celebrate. By the authority vested in me, by...um...myself, I am officially declaring April International Timba Month! It's high time we congratulate ourselves on our excellent taste in music and dance. So bake yourself a cake, invite your friends over, put on your Échale Limón CD and spend a few hours dancing casino, son, rueda, rumba or just analyzing gears to the fundadores de la timba.

La Nacimiento de la Timba - NG La Banda

Vintage NG La Banda - Te confunde ser esa mujer

Thursday March 27 2008
El Zorro's New CD Released Today!
Thanks to Denmark's DJ Estilo for informing us that El Zorro's new CD, Ay Como me Sube, is now available. Once again he has recorded with Ángel Bonne, Mayito River and Roberto Pulido Gonzales on lead vocals. Click here for MPs samples.

1. Cuarenta Y Seis (timba)
2. El Fenómeno (funkytimba)
3. Cumpleaños (timba)
4. Sabes Que (bolero)
5. El Sapo (merentimba)
6. Mi Tierra (cha cha cha)
7. Ay, Como Me Sube (funkytimba)
8. La Rumba Te Llama (guaguanco/timba)
9. Yo Le Canto A La Amistad (timba)
10. Noche En Blanco (balada)
11. Llegó, Llegó (funkytimba)
12. Ay, Como Me Sube (remix)

Photos of Los Van Van in Copenhagen
DJ Estilo also sent us a link to some great photos of Los Van Van's concert in Copenhagen. Amazing how some people can really capture the feeling of a concert in stills.

Monday March 24 2008
Los Van Van in Stockholm Concert Report
Yes, I know. The band has just finished their European tour and it's almost been a month since the concert in Stockholm, but better late than never I suppose. Click here to read the report from the Stockholm concert.

Sunday March 23 2008
Pupy's New Concert Dates in Canada
Pupy y Los Que Son Son have been rescheduled to perform in Canada at the end of May. Sherbrooke at Vieux Clocher on May 21st, Quebec City at L'Ozone May 22nd and the Toronto concert has been set for May 24th. The venue for Totonto still has to be announced so watch CubaInToronto for details.

Preliminary Tour Dates for Manolito y Su Trabuco
The first dates are coming in for the Trabuco's summer tour of Europe. The tour is still under construction so check back. We will update as more dates are confirmed. In the meantime, the master of the new Trabuco CD is finished and the discos are being pressed so we can expect the release very soon. Rumour has it that we are looking at another potential Cubadisco award for Manolito.

Tuesday March 18 2008
Pupy's Tour of Canada Delayed
Don't worrry, my North American timberos, Pupy is still planning to come, but the dates are changing. No, it's not due to any problems on Pupy's part, just a question of timing in Canada. We will update the tours section as soon as we know more. In the meantime you can keep an eye on CubaInToronto.

Bamboleo's Tour of Canada
Bamboleo will also be touring Canada this spring. They already have a date set in Toronto for April 18 at Six Degrees Nightclub. See Mister Bryans for more.

Sunday March 16 2008
Cubamemucho Video at YouTube
Participants in the Munich congress have been busy the past couple of weeks uploading video of some of the classes as well as music and social dancing. This link takes you to a list of all videos found by searching for "Cubamemucho 2008".

The Cubamemucho franchise is taking Cuban dance to locations around the world. It's cool to watch the videos of rueda groups from places as diverse as Indonesia, Mexico, Venezuela, the USA, Italy, Serbia, Hungary and Germany, to name a few. No matter the language barriers, when you put on some Los Van Van and call out "Enchufla!" your communication problems are at an end.

Here are some of the upcoming congresses.

Wednesday March 12 2008
Pupy y Los Que Son Son - Canada Tour Dates
Sticking with the Pupy y Los Que Son Son theme, I have updated the Tours section with the four concert dates for Pupy's upcoming microtour of Canada. They begin with 3 dates in Quebec: Sherbrooke, Quebec City and Montreal. The final date is in Toronto, Ontario.

DJing in Sherbrooke and Quebec City is our own DJ Melao, just back from Cubamemucho. The Toronto concert will be in conjunction with a Cuba festival including dance workshops. The opening party will be held on Friday May 9, the concert on Saturday and a goodbye party on Sunday the 11th. For more info see CubaInToronto.com

Salsani's Newsletter in English
Salsani sent us a link to her newsletter in English. Here you can read all the information about upcoming CDs by Vitaly y su Timba Habanera, El Zorro, and many more. You can also read her Los Van Van in Copenhagen concert report. Enjoy!

Tuesday March 11 2008
New Singer with Pupy y Los Que Son Son
Pupy's manager has confirmed that the newest of Los Que Son Son is a woman named Lily. No other details as yet. She also tells us that Pupy's new CD will be released next month! Excellent news!

Thanks to Rafa in Zurich for providing our first glimpse of Lily

Sunday March 9 2008
Ch ch ch changes
Well I'm back at work and just wanted to post a few updates about the current state of the bands in Cuba. As we all know, the more that things change the more they stay the same. So things are the same as ever in Cuba: changes in bandmembers, new CDs and new tour plans. Here are some updates, in no particular order.

La Charanga Habanera
As everyone knows by now, Lázaro Maya "El Bello" has replaced Leoni in La Charanga Habanera. However, he is not on their current tour. I think Dantes may be with them, but we will know very soon when the Cubamemucho reports start coming in. Charanga Habanera will close the Munich congress with a concert tonight. They continue with several more concerts in Germany this month.

Elito Revé y su Charangón
Elito has filled El Bello's place with Alexander "El Narra", and Eric "El Chino" has been replaced by Reyneir "El Galán". Elito tells us that they are both excellent singers. We will get a taste of them soon enough here in Europe when Orquesta Revé returns to Europe on June 26th.

Their latest release, Fresquecito, won the band "Best Album 2007" at Fiestacubana.net and Planet Records has included what may be my favorite song from Fresquecito, A sancochar boniato, on their CD Latino 23.

But not content to rest, Orquesta Revé is already at work on their next album. Elito has sworn me to secrecy as to the contents, so for now we just have to wait until we get the go-ahead to release some of the details. I haven't even told Kevin!

Pupy y Los Que Son Son
Pupy will also be back in Europe this summer from June 20-July 20 and will probably have their new CD with them. We have been listening to Pepito's Un poquitico al reves for a few months now, but the band has had some trouble finishing the new CD due to changes in the bandmembers. Both Lester Ciarreta and Norberto Gómez joined briefly and left abruptly. It looks like Pupy may have decided that the best man for the job is a woman. Recent photos from a concert in Havana show the singer line-up as follows: Mandy, Pepito, William and an unidentified woman. As soon as we know more, you will too.

Manolito y Su Trabuco
No exception to the rule of change, El Trabuco now features singers Amaray, Mayami and El Noro, who joined after the departure of El Indio. The new CD should be out within just a few weeks and may be named after Cucurucho's song La Habana Te Llama. This album contains quite a mix of songs including Control (timbaton), Muevete un poquitico (son), as well as a ballad with Andy Montañez and a Latin jazz number written by Miguelito "Pan con salsa". El Trabuco will bring their rave-reviews show to Europe in July and August, so get ready because as Amaray might say: "tú sabes quien llegará".

Salsa Mayor
Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor also have a new singer line-up, none of whom have toured Europe before. But even if you haven't seen him, you've already heard Pavel "La Figura" if you have the CD Live, Desde La Casa De la Música, where La Figura sings lead on Quitándome lo malo, Cambia tu faceta and the estreno Control. Yasser Ramos left Charanga Forever for Salsa Mayor to replace El Noro. And the most recent singer is José Antonio Rodriguez "Pepetín", who has worked with Azúcar Negra and also spent some time working on projects in Spain.

The changes in bandmembers have delayed the upcoming CD, but hopefully they will have time to get into the studio before they leave on July 1st for their summer tour. From what I've heard of the new songs, I think Los Mayores have another hit record on their hands.

Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra
The band will go into the studio next week to start recording their latest project. They should have it completed in time to bring with them for the summer tour, which will take place in July and August.

Other new CDs and Tours
Salsani from Salsa-dj.dk has released an newsletter in English with information about new CDs from Vitaly Osmachko and El Zorro, as well as a review of the Los Van Van concert in Copenhagen. My own review from Los Van Van in Stockholm will be up in a few days. Unfortunately I can't find a link to Salsani's letter in English so let me just give you some important details. Maybe we can update with a link to the full article later.

Vitaly y su Timba Habanera will be releasing a follow-up to the 2001 CD Desnudar tu cuerpo. Not only that, but they are planning a major European tour!

El Zorro will also have a release out at the end of March. The new CD is titled Ay Como Sube.

Soneros All-Stars long-awaited new CD La Timba Soy Yo will also be available in about 3 weeks, let's say early April just to be sure. This album features collaboration with Pupy, Pepito, Mandy, Cristina Azcuy and Sinsonte among others. At the turn of the month you will be able to hear all the new songs at http://www.soneros-all-stars.com/.

Thursday February 28 2008
Los Van Van - Los Que Batean 400
El Tren is back in Europe and they are echando humo! The band put on an incredible show in Stockholm last night. I've seen them several times before, but this concert was something special. We all know that Van Van is the elite level of musicianship, but last night they were also number one in showmanship, and not due to choreography but to intensity and passion. The audience shared the band's mood and came out strong, cheering and singing from the opening number Chapeando until the end of the encore, Te pone la cabeza mala.

Los Van Van in Stockholm

Unfortunately I am leaving tomorrow morning for a week, so I won't be able to file a complete report for about 10 days. But I just couldn't leave without telling everyone to look for the nearest concert, even if you think "Oh, I've seen them before," because this is one train you do not want to miss! The band is at the top of their game.

For those of you who will be attending Cubamemucho in Munich, here is a sneak preview of what to expect. El Maestro Chiqui Dixon, one of the intructors for Cubamemucho, was on hand for the Stockholm concert and Robertón invited him up to dance during Dale dos (Plan B). In just a few days Los Van Van and Chiqui will be reunited in Munich, so for your viewing pleasure click here or on the image below.

Chiqui Dixon bailando con Los Van Van

Monday February 25 2008
Manolito y su Trabuco Celebrate Their 15th Anniversary Today
February 15th in the official birthday of the Trabuco and they will be doing a matinee today at Casa de la Música Habana. I don't yet know what other special events may be planned. In his recent interview with Timba.com, Manolito said they might do a formal concert at Karl Marx and possibly something for "el pueblo" at La Tropical. He also expects to travel to his hometown of Camagüey and other towns in Oriente.

Photo ©Cristian Muñoz

And in other Trabuco news, the upcoming CD has been mixed and is being mastered right now. We may see a release as soon as mid-March! In the meantime, from everyone at Timba.com and on behalf of Timba Geeks around the world, Happy Anniversary Trabuco!

Sunday February 24 2008
Tumbao Habana Section Added
Tumbao Habana is an orchestra that has long been on my list of bands to see. On my first trip to Cuba their radio demo Amanezco was on the radio all the time and made me an instant fan. Finally on my last trip to Havana I was able to see Tumbao Habana at their Friday matinée larga at Café Cantante. I also spoke briefly with director and keyboardist, Pascualito Cabrejas.

I enjoyed the show, which was full of their hits and included a number of solos by various musicians. They are all very talented, but without question the most amazing solo was by the trombonist who can actually play the trombone with his foot. No, I didn't ask him where in the world he ever got the idea to do that. It will remain one of the great mysteries of timba, at least until I see him again.

Tumbao Habana has only released two studio albums to date, but they have had a string of hits with their demos such as Johana, La Vida Es Silbar and La Familia Cubana. I have to admit that La Familia Cubana gets me all emotional and I'm not even Cuban. Pascualito told me that they are preparing to record a third album this year, and we can expect the hits mentioned above to be on the CD.

The Tumbao Habana section includes a short interview with Pascualito as well as a video page with some of my favorites songs. CD reviews will be added shortly.

Tuesday February 19 2008
Concert Updates
Paulo FG
Paulo FG will be in Mexico City for a couple of concerts at the end of the month to celebrate Mama Rumba's anniversary party. The concert on February 28 is private and by invitation only, but on the 29th it is open to the public. Of course the concerts will be held at mama Rumba. I don't know if Paulo has any other concerts in Mexico.

La Charanga Habanera
The boys will be in Germany for an intensive 1 week tour, which begins at Cubamemucho on March 9th. Keep in mind that the Munich concert is only open to participants in the Cubamemucho congress so buy your ticket now before they run out and you'll get some of the world's best Cuban dance instruction by day and concerts by Los Van Van and La Charanga Habanera at night. Our own DJ Melao will also be on hand to provide music.

Los Van Van
El Tren will arrive in Italy in just a few days kicking off their 1 month  winter tour in Strincone on February 23.

Other Tours
We are also getting in more concert dates for Haila and for Adalberto Álvarez y su son who will be touring in March and April. Check the tours section for more information, and if you know of any concerts we're missing, please send an e-mail.

Tuesday February 5 2008
Report from Maraca at Bayerischer Hof
Our friend Tom Bauer was at the Fiesta Latina, Hotel Bayerischer Hof's annual carnival, where he saw Maraca y Otra Visión. As always Maraca y Otra Visión put on a high energy show with a flawless musical performance. He sent us a short report and 15 great pictures.

Maraca at Bayerischer Hof ©Tom Bauer
used by permission

Tercera Parte de la Entrevista con Aisar
Al fin terminé compilar los videos de la entrevista con Aisar Hernandez, director musical de Orquetsa Revé. Hablamos un poco más general sobre los músicos, los elementos del changüí que se encuentran en la música de Orquesta Revé, los trombones, etc. Pon clic aquí para leer la tercera parte.

Monday February 4 2008
Urgent News About Manolito y su Trabuco
Last Wednesday I did a telephone interview with Manolito that I haven't had time to publish yet because I am still finishing part 3 of the interview with Aisar Hernández. However, I think some of the information is important to get out now, so that those of you who are in Havana or on the way there in the near future, can plan ahead. The interview will probably be up in MP3 format by the weekend. But in the meantime...

The Trabuco Turns 15
On February 25th Manolito y su Trabuco celebrate their 15th anniversary. The concert details are not set yet, but Manolito would like to do both a more formal concert at Karl Marx and a concert "para el pueblo" at la Tropical. the band will probably also go to Camagüey to celebrate, since Manolito and several other bandmembers are from that area. So if you will be in Cuba at the end of February, keep checking with us. As soon as we have the exact details, we will publish them here.

¡Corre al Café!
For about a year Manolito y su Trabuco have had a steady, weekly gig at Café Cantante. Every Thursday fans have been able to see the Trabuco up close and personal during the Matinée Larga. But nothing lasts forever, and during the interview Manolito said that they will probably stop doing the peña at the Café within a couple of months. He said maybe they will begin doing a matinee at another venue instead, but as of yet, nothing is certain. So if you are in Havana and you get a chance to see the Trabuco at Café Cantante, don't put it off until next week. You don't know how much longer they'll be there.

Friday February 1 2008
La Segunda Parte de la Entrevista con Aisar
En este parte Aisar nos cuenta un poco sobre cada tema del disco. ¿De dónde vino la idea para El teléfono? ¿Por qué pasa A sancochar boniato desde rumba a timba y para el son? Creo que le va a interesar. Pon cliq aquí. La tercera parte la pongo la semana que viene.

Wednesday January 30 2008
Orquesta Revé Wins Best CD 2007
The French are way ahead of the rest of us. Our friends at FiestaCubana.net have already had their on-line "Best of 2007" vote. I don't know all of the results, but Elito Revé y Su Charangón have taken home Best CD for Fresquecito. This is a CD which we at Timba.com recommend highly, and I will not be surprised if this is only the first of many awards. The photos below are ©Alain Somvang APSARA Images pour AHINAMA.

Elito happily receives the award for Best CD 2007

Elito con Timbalero y Jack el Calvo

The complete results of the Best CD Category at Fiesta Cubana
(provided by Jack el Calvo)

1)"FRESQUECITO" ELIO REVE JR
2)"LIVE DESDE LA CASA DE LA MUSICA" MAIKEL BLANCO
3)"EN PRIMERA PLANA" ISSAC DELGADO
4)"EL REPARTERO DE LA HABANA" SAMA
5)"MI VERDAD" BAMBOLEO
6)"EL REY DE LOS CHARANGUEROS" CHARANGA HABANERA

Tuesday January 29 2008
Interview with Aisar Hernández Segundo
Due to my latest computer problems it is taking an unusually long time to compile the video from the interview with Aisar, which in itself was an unusually long interview. So I've decided to release it in installments. Tonight I am publishing Part 1 which basically covers his childhood, music studies and his musical history up to joining Orquesta Revé and working on the Fresquecito CD. I found his life story to be both interesting and surprising, so click here to get to know the musical director of La Revé.

Aisar Hernández Segundo

Stay tuned for the next part which will be a discussion of each song on the new CD.

Saturday January 26 2008
Manolito y Su Trabuco Update
Without question the biggest news item while I was in Cuba was the departure of El Indio from El Trabuco and the entry of El Noro. I am not going to speculate here as to why El Indio left. Instead I am going to update you on what is happening with the Trabuco at the moment.

Manolito has just signed an contract with Timba y Son S.L. in Spain. Timba y Son is now the exclusive European Manager for the Trabuco. They are organizing a European tour for July-August 2008. When we get the concert dates we will post them.

There is no doubt that 2008 will be a great year for timba CDs. The Trabuco will release their new CD at the end of February or beginning of March. I don't know too much about the new CD. No doubt it will feature Control, Loco por tus besos and Muévete. Manolito also said it will contain a song written by Cucurucho, author of one of my favorite new Los Van Van songs, Me mantengo.

Ok, alright! Quit nagging me! I am not ignoring the question of El Indio's dearture, I really just don't know what prompted it. What I do know is that El Indio will be working with Juan De Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars, but I'm sure he is fielding more offers than he has time for.

On the other hand, I just happened to be in Las Tunas with Salsa Mayor when Manolito called El Noro, so let me tell you the story from that side, including a report from El Noro's second concert with Manolito at Café Cantante December 27, 2007.

Thursday January 24 2008
Azúcar Negra Update
Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra will be touring again this summer in July and August. They have several new songs that have been released as radio demos in Cuba and are preparing to record a new CD this spring. While I was in Cuba, Limonta gave me a promo containing five songs, including some surprises. Fans are already familiar with the merengue Vitamina C, which was well received during the 2007 tour. In addition, the promo contains a timbaton No vale la pena enamorarse. Musically, this song is an evolution of the style used in Mi única vida but it's got just that je ne sais quoi that makes it a little hotter. I expect it to be popular. The biggest surprise for me was the bachata Pregúntale a ella. This is classic bachata in the spirit of Juan Luis Guerra, not modern pop-bachata in manner of Aventura.

The promo also contains two timbas: El estres, which is getting a lot of radio play in Cuba, and Ya llegué. Ailyn, who has changed her hair color to chestnut, sings lead on El estres. It's about a  boyfriend who is stressing her out. Ya llegué is about bringing good music to the fans. I happened to stumble across an Azúcar Negra concert in one of the squares in Havana one night. The fans already knew the lyrics and were singing along with the new songs. The new CD should be released in the fall.

Preliminary Tour Plans
In addition to Azúcar Negra, here are some of the preliminary tour schedules for summer 2008.

Wednesday January 23 2008
Timba in Stockholm
I am fortunate that I won't have to suffer too much from Timba Withdrawal after my trip to Havana. 2008 is off to a very good start here in Europe. We have Orquesta Revé on tour now, Eddy-K and Gente D'Zona are just starting their tour, Bamboleo in February, Los Van Van in February and March and  Adalberto Álvarez in April. Of course there is also the Cubamemucho congress in Munich March 7-9 featuring Los Van Van and La Charanga Habanera, which begs the question: when do Charanga Habanera begin their tour?

And here in Stockholm in the next month alone we have:
February 2 Cuban All-Stars
February 22 Calixto Oviedo
February 27 Los Van Van
February 29 Calle Real

Tuesday January 22 2008
Upcoming Revé Video Clip
When they return from the Winter Tour, Orquesta Revé plans to film the first video from the Fresquesito CD, not counting Fresquesito.com itself, which was released as a video clip with the 50th Anniversary CD, as all Timba Geeks doubtless already know.

Rumor has it that the video will be for El teléfono. Lázaro Maya "El Bello" sings lead on this song, which is a lament about the unexpected problems caused by owning a cell phone. Not only does it cost a fortune to keep it cargado with credit, but the fanaticas are calling at all hours of the day and night and his esposa's bloodpressure is skyrocketing.

Now before anyone gets any ideas, let me say that when I interviewed Aisar Hernández Segundo, bassist and musical director of Orquesta Revé and author of this song, I specifically asked if it was based on real life experiences and he said it was not. Well, not exactly. In fact he wrote it several years ago when he was still with Orquesta Maravilla de Florida, but they never used it. When Lázaro joined the band Aisar dusted it off, and updated it for the Charangón. If you want to hear the rest of the story behind the origins of this song, stay tuned for the full Aisar interview. I expect to have it finished by the weekend.

In the meantime, if you haven't seen it yet, you can check out my own video clip of El teléfono performed live in Copenhagen August 2007. "Y no te me pongas bravita titi".

Monday January 21 2008
Indochino's Website
This is actually old news, but it happened while I was in Havana so I haven't mentioned it yet. Photographer Indochino has opened his own website by popular request. Right now he has some great picture of Elito Revé y Su Charangón from the tour in February 2007 as well as La Charanga Habanera when Noel was still with them. Click here to check it out.

Sunday January 20 2008
Entrevista con Elito Revé
I was able to see Orquesta Revé four times during my trip: twice at the Changüí Festival and twice in Havana. Their latest CD, Fresquecito, has received aclaim from all reviewers and is Highly Recommended.

Despite his busy schedule preparing for the winter tour, Elito took time to invite Timba.com into his home to talk about the new CD and also to answer some of Kevin's historical questions about the band. Click here to watch the interview in WMV format (in Spanish).

Orquesta Revé en Guantánamo para el Festival Internacional del Changüí

Stay tuned for a long interview with Aisar Hernández, bassist and musical director of Orquesta Revé and author/arranger of most of the songs on the new CD.

Friday January 18 2008
Salsa Mayor Update

Maykel Blanco cumple 27 años el lunes

On Monday, January 21, Maykel Blanco, director of Salsa Mayor, turns 27. Right about now he and Salsa Mayor are celebrating his birthday at their regular Friday matinee at Casa De La Música Galiano, but today's concert will be anything but "regular". Manolito y su Trabuco will participate and there will also be a descarga with Lazarito Valdés and Tania Pantoja and other guests. I join DJ Melao in wishing Maykel a happy birthday, and for the fans my gift is an update on what is happening with the band these days.

Hmm...afterthought. Should be interesting to have the Trabuco performing with Salsa Mayor since El Noro is now with the Trabuco.

Salsa Mayor Concerts
In addition to their weekly matinee, the band is performing in various cities around the country. Last night they had a concert in Sancti Spiritus and tomorrow they are off to el campo again. The next European tour is already set to start on July 15th through mid-August. And in the meantime there are other tours in the works, but until they are confirmed I will say no more...

The New Mayores
By now you should be aware that none of the three singers who were on the first two European tours is still with the band. The new singers are Pavel "La Figura", Pepetín and unfortunately I still don't have the name of the third singer, but I know he came from la Charanga Forever.

Pavel is not really new to Salsa Mayor. Pavel and El Noro were the two singers on Live, Desde la Casa de la Música. So if you want to know what Pavel sounds like, pull out the CD and listen to Quitandome lo malo, Cambia tu faceta and Control. After Salsa Mayor he was with Chispa y los Complices for a while before rejoining Los Mayores.

I had to leave the day before the first concert with the new singer line-up, but I did see them in rehearsal a couple of times and I like the voices of the new singers. Both Pavel and Pepetín have a lot of fun making up choreography. I heard that their first concert went well, so it sounds like the new singers have settled in.

And last but not least there is also a new trombonista, but I don't know his name either. Sorry. I tried to get him to give me a bunch of information but he never got around to it, so he shall remain nameless for now.

The rest of the group remains the same as during the last tour: Polledo on first trombone, Ahmed and Raydel on trumpet, Orley on bass, Maykel on piano, Richard on keyboard, Osvaldo on güiro, Jaime on congas and Amaury on drums.

The New Salsa Mayor CD - All Killer, No Filler
As all devoted Timba Geeks know by now, Salsa Mayor will begin recording their next studio album in just a few weeks. It will contain 12 tracks. I can list 8 of the songs already: Anda pégate (possibly the title track), Ella dice, Control, La masa, Marisela, Si a la niña le gusta repite and Corre papá. Maykel said that they will also include a traditional number on the album.

Those of you who haven't been in Havana lately have at least heard Control and La masa from the highly recommended Live, Desde la Casa de la Música CD. Fans who attended the concerts in Europe have also seen Anda pégate and Ella dice. If you don't know these songs you'd better check out the Salsa Mayor video page.

I have been fortunate enough to see all of the songs listed above performed live. As for the three newest estrenos, I like them all. The arrangements feature good hooks, catchy mambos that have me whistling and coros that are easy to pick up so you can sing along the first time you hear the songs. And with the addition of a full-time keyboardist, the arrangements have a fuller sound.

As for the lyrics, Marisela is a romantic song with a pop feel and the coro "Yo no pido tanto, solo quiero que me quieras otra vez Marisela". Si a la niña le gusta repite is a song about...cooking...well perhaps there's a double meaning in there somewhere. And Corre papá is about a wayward husband who got caught. The main coro is "corre, corre, corre, corre papá que por allí viene mamá".

Knowing eight of the twelve songs I am ready to recommend the new CD already. En vivo the band sounds bien duro, and I believe that it will be one of those CDs where you never have to fast forward to get past the songs you don't like. Or as the saying goes: all killer, no filler.

Wednesday January 16 2008
Pupy y Los Que Son Son in the Studio
Last Thursday Pupy y Los Que Son Son entered the studio to begin a month-long recording session for their new CD. In concert they are already performing 2 new numbers: Un poquitico al revés by Pepito, which some of you may also have already heard on demo, and a new song for Mandy that I didn't catch the name of.

The band features a couple of new members, one of whom is a new bassist. No I didn't get any names. The singer line-up is back to William, Mandy and Pepito, since Norberto left after only a couple of weeks with the band.

Tuesday January 15 2008
Entrevista con Juan Formell
I was fortunate enough to spend more than an hour at the home of Juan Formell asking questions that Kevin had sent me to try to fill in some of the blanks in his "pre-timba" research. I also had a few questions of my own, of a more general nature.

Formell is a down-to-earth, friendly guy. He politely put up with our search for details, although I think that in may ways it's impossible for an artist to analyze his own music in the way that we do from the outside. My impression is that he has always enjoyed experimentation and didn't have any big plan to make sweeping changes in Cuban popular music...it just grew naturally out of his desire to try new things, while maintaining the overall sello of the group. He was also fortunate to have excellent musicians with which to collaborate. To watch the video interview (en español) and form your own opinion click here.

At home with Juan Formell...and his frog collection

Fans will be pleased to hear that 69-year old Formell looks strong and healthy. He is still appearing at the weekly Tuesday peña at Café Cantante in Havana, as well as other concerts in Cuba, but I don't know if he will be doing the upcoming European tour. The band will also be performing soon in Guadalupe and Martinique as well as at carnivals in the Caribbean before leaving for Europe in February.

Saturday January 12 2008
Back at my desk
Exactly one month since my last post I'm back in Stockholm at my desk downloading about 20 hours of video plus my photos and trying to recover from major jetlag. Coming soon: reports on the upcoming Salsa Mayor CD, report and video from the Changüí Festival 2007 in Guantánamo, plus interviews with Elito Revé, Aisar Hernández, Pascualito Cabrejas, Giraldo Piloto and Juan Formell.

Juan Formell's advice to young band directors - Respect and Good Pay

Grammy winner Juan Formell - What's his secret to maintaining a stable band?

After I finished the interview with Juan Formell another question occured to me, spurred by the recent whirlwind of personnel changes in Cuban bands. Of course I figured I'd missed my chance, but lo and behold, the next day standing in "la cola" who comes walking up but El Maestro himself! I must admit that I felt infinitely cool when he walked up to me in front of everyone and gave me the traditional kiss on the cheek and said "Me hiciste tremenda entrevista ayer" (granted most of the questions were Kevin's, but still...). Being the ultimate professional that I am, I told him I'd left out one question, so here is my recollection of his answer. See, this is why I film things because I can't ever remember everything, so this is actually paraphrased despite the quotation marks.

Me: Los Van Van es un grupo que ha sido muy estable durante los años ¿Qué consejo tienes para directores jovenes para que se pueden evitar muchos cambios de integrantes y intrigues en los grupos?

Formell: "Respeto. Todo el mundo tiene que tener respeto para todos. No hay ningún integrante que es más importante que el otro: el güirero es tan importante como el pianista". Y riendo dice "Y paga bien. Para mantener un grupo con buenos músicos hay que pagar o se van a otro grupo. Y tiene que ser claro. No pago igual a todos los músicos pero saben lo que pago, sin misterios."

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