Wednesday
July 1 2009 permalink
Orquesta Revé vs Havana D'Primera - Knockout 2009
One
of the hottest concerts this tour season will be the July 13 double billing
of Elito Revé y Su Charangón and Alexander Abreu's Havana D'Primera at Cabaret
Suavage in Paris. Both Gabriel
and I rate these two groups at the very top of our favorites list. She has some
great concert reports at her blog from her recent Havana trip.
The concert
is an interesting match-up. Odduara
has paired Cuba's oldest salsa band, still at the top of the charts after 53
years, with the hottest newcomers who held their first concert just 18 months
ago. Revé's album "Fresquecito" was the best of 2007 and Havana D'Primera
is in the running for the best of 2009 with their début album "Haciendo
historia", which has just become available.
If you live
in France this concert coincides well with holidays, so what better way to get
things started than with a double header. And if you live elsewhere in Europe
this makes for the ideal "long weekend". Get your tickets now (ticnet
and digitic) so you aren't left on the sidewalk outside the venue hoping in
vain for some kindhearted scalper to sell you a ticket. Cuida'o con los
timberos descending on France! It's going to be hot in Paris in July!
Change
to Cubamemucho Program in Toulouse
A little farther south in
Toulouse Cubamemucho has a congress July 3-5. However, La Charanga Habanera
has postponed their turn and will not be performing at Toulouse on July 3rd
as planned. Instead you can dance to Manolín and Eddy-K. Don't worry,
you can catch the boys a few weeks later at Festival
Bayamo de la Seyne-Sur-Mer, where they are still scheduled to perform
with Haila. This is another festival worth the trip no matter where you live.
Monday
June 29 2009 permalink Salsa
Mayor Tour Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor have sent out the concert dates
that are confirmed so far for the
summer tour. They will be doing the festival circuit: Milan, Rome,
Belgium as well as a number of concerts in Italy and even in Copenhagen. Stay
tuned for more tour updates.
Friday June 26 2009 permalink Patrick
Bonnard on Havana D'Primera Last week on a whim photographer Patrick
Bonnard and some friends decided to rent a car and head out to
the countryside to catch Havana D'Primera. I'm glad they did. The concert was
held in a field under a big tent and the atmosphere was lovely. Patrick has
shared a few of his great photos from that evening with us. Click
here to see the gallery.
Wednesday June 24 2009 permalink La
Barriada to Europe It's been a few years since I've seen La
Barriada but they are coming back to Europe riding the wave of
popularity after the 2008 release of "Havananza". The CD was one of
the Best Of 2008 pick at Descarga and made a strong showing among Cuban music
fans. the band will be touring in October/November. If you haven't seen them
before, makea point of finding a concert near you. We will post the concert
dates as soon as they are available. In the meantime enjoy the video of "Sigue
con la rumba".
La Barriada con "Sigue con la rumba"
Tuesday June 23 2009 permalink Los
Van Van Info The tour cancelation as far as we know only relates to the European
tour dates. The concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival with Afro-Cuban All Stars
on July 12th is still on according to the Jazz Festival, you North Americans
don't have to worry.
Report
from Calle Real Release Party On Monday June 15th, 2099 Calle Real celebrated the release
of their second album, "Me lo gané", at Mosebacke in Stockholm.
It was an outdoor event and well attended despite the chilly temperature. Click here
to read the concert report.
Monday
June 22 2009 permalink Samuel
Formell is OK but Los Van Van Tour Canceled
for the Time Being Rumors
have been circulating for days now after Samuel's accident. Fortunately, the
original horror stories of a car accident were not true. However, he
did burn his face in a cooking accident. Samuel told us that he is undergoing
treatment which will be completed in 15 days. No surgery is required and it
is not expected to leave any scars but it does hurt a lot. Samuel would like
to thank all of the fans who have expressed concern for him. So in a few weeks
he'll be back again.
In
the meantime the band's manager confirms that Los Van Van will not look for
a replacement for Samuel. When they tour, it will be with Samuel. This means
that a number of concerts will be canceled, although at this point it isn't
clear when they will be back. As soon as we have more information about concerts
we'll post it.
Timba.com
would like to wish Samuel a speedy recovery and we are looking forward to seeing
him and the rest of the band back on stage soon.
Friday June 19 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series
La Tremeda Début CD Released and Section Launched at Timba.com Don't
ask me where the Stockholm/Havana connection comes from, but timba continues
to gather strength here, the most recent example being the new CD by La Tremenda.
Let's face it, the band has such a great name that the best thing to do was
not to name the CD anything. The CD has 9 songs, seven of which will satisfy
both dancers and DJs and two of which are ballads. The music is highly
danceable,
funky timba but has some exciting elements that give them a distinct sound. There
are nuances of Charanga Forever, Klímax and Los Van Van but you will
not mistake La Tremenda for any other group. Most vocals are sung by Lesmer
Solenzar (Klímax, NG La Banda), but Thomas Eby and Alexander Abreu each
sing lead on one song and there is a Latin fusion pop ballad in English sung
by Ander Von Hofsten.
The CD will
be available at iTunes in a couple of weeks and can be found on-line at Most
Wanted Latin Music. They are distributed in the US by Reyes Records
in Miami and G.B. records in New York, but I don't know for sure when the hardcopy will
be available there.
Wednesday June 17 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series El
timbalero mayor Calixto
Oviedo is taking some time out from his tour schedule with Afro-Cuban
All Stars to perform with Didara Band at Nefertiti
Jazz Club in Gothenburg, Sweden on August 28th. The bandmembers are
Lily Hernandez -
vocals, Calixto Oviedo - drum/timbal, Yasser Morejon - bass, Carsten Kare -
piano and special guest Fredrik Kronkvist - sax. Tickets are available at Nefertiti's
website or at
Ticknet. Timba is my favorite music, but the jazz environment really
provides Calixto with some great opportunities for mind-blowing solos. You don't
want to miss this show! And stay tuned for more info about the upcoming Afro-Cuban
All Stars tours.
Me Lo Gané
Officially Released in Sweden Today The CD is
available in Sweden as hardcopy as well as at iTunes and at CDON. If you read
my review, you know that I strongly recommend Me lo gané.
It's a great dance album and also fun just for the little nuances that let you
know it's not Cuban timba. The release concert was held on Monday and I will
soon post a short report... wait, strike that! The guys are being very specific
about saying it was not a concert but a promo for
the new album. OK, but it sure seemed like a concert to me...albeit with only
songs from the new album. So stay tuned. I've been playing around editing the
video but I'm still trying to work out what is the best format for uploading it
to YouTube. When I finally settle on something and know the links are permanent,
I'll post the concert...um...promo report here.
La Tremenda
Coming on Friday If today is
Calle Real's big day, Friday, yes Midsummer's Eve to all of you here in Sweden,
will see the release of La Tremenda's
début as well as the launch of their Timba.com section. So unless you are here
in Sweden sitting outside under an umbrella eating pickled herring and drinking
snaps in the rain, be sure to check back with us on Friday.
Saturday June 13 2009 permalink Havana
D'Primera Kick off Premier Tour Today Tonight marks the historic occasion of the premier concert of
Havana D'Primera in Europe. It will be held at the Festival Peña
y Salsa in Bayonne, France. Although I am heartbroken that I can't
be there in person, I can console myself with the concert reports and videos
posted by Gabriel
during her Havana trip until I can catch one of the concerts later in the tour.
Click
here to find a concert close to you.
Ahora que buscas?
Más videos? Check out Yemayasverse
at YouTube for more great videos
Pepito
Gómez Official Web Site José "Pepito" Gómez has launched a very
nice, professional site with all the information you could possibly want and
some you probably didn't even know you wanted. He has kept busy since moving
to the US with guest appearances at many concerts including an improv with the
Afro-Cuban All Stars. So check
out his site which includes a bio, music, video and more.
BNK
Official Blog If you've been wondering where in the world pop-singing brothers
Boni N Kelly are these days...just
check their blog. They started it in May and it seems that since
their trip to Spain, they have slowed down a bit on their posts, but that doesn't
mean there aren't updates. You can check out the video of their Spanish tour.
There is also a forum, photo gallery, video gallery and a music player with
unsatisfyingly short audio clips from their album.
Friday
June 12 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series: La Tremenda We are having a cold, grey start on summer here in Scandinavia,
but fortunately things are hot here in the world of timba, downright tropical!
La Tremenda will release their long-awaited debut album on June 19th. As you
may already know, I am about to launch the section for La Tremenda, but in the
meantime here is a little teaser. The band has updated their
MySpace site with more information about the band and bandmembers
as well as the cool graphics from the album cover. The great thing about the
timba world here in Sweden is that just like in Cuba, each band has it's own
sello. So stay tuned for more on La Tremenda, including some audio!
¡Prepárense que La Tremenda está llegando!
N'Taya
and Melao at S.O.B.s On July 10th N'Taya will perform two shows at S.O.B.s and Melao
will be working the turntable. The shows are at 8pm and 10pm, but doors open
at 5pm with a dance lesson at 7pm with ladies getting in free before
7pm. So all you timberos and Cuban music fans in and around New York should
be sure not to miss your chance to catch N'Taya live. If you haven't heard them
yet check out
their MySpace site.
Friday
June 5 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series: Interview with Patricio Sobrado and Thomas Eby of Calle Real
I
continue my report on the timba scene here in Sweden with an interview with
Patricio and Thomas, the director and lead singer, respectively, of Calle Real.
We had planned to do the interview in one of Stockholm's few skyscrapers (a
full 26 floors!), formerly known as the "taxscraper" because it housed
the Tax Authority, now converted into a mall, student housing and a restaurant
and bar with a breathtaking view of the southern island of Stockholm. However,
we were shut down by the bouncer who said interviews had to be arranged in advance
and held during the day when there were no customers.
So we wandered
off to the nearby Clarion Hotel which also has a nice view from the bar but
there was a jazz band playing. So we went out onto the terrace of the Clarion
where the smokers go, since indoor smoking is prohibited in Sweden. It was actually
a nice, relatively warm evening, about 8pm. Of course the Clarion just happens
to be directly under the flight pattern for Bromma airport and also relatively
close to a hospital. This explains the occasional siren and the numerous airplane
sounds during the course of the interview.
The video
interview was conducted in English so that will be a relief for those who don't
speak Spanish or perhaps speak Spanish but don't understand Cuban. Here are
some comments from the interview, taken completely out of context, in order
to pique your interest.
"No, we hate
each other"
"It's not like they don't get paid if they don't do what I'm saying...Nobody
gets paid so it doesn't matter"
"We're not virgins anymore"
"Can you make
it with a feminist lyric?"
"It's a very weird song in the beginning"
"We don't get it up, we go down"
Click
here to watch the interview (WMV) and find out what prompted all
those comments.
Wednesday June 3 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series:
Calle Real live in France
Stockholm is a hotbed of Timba activity these days. Calle Real's new
CD will be out on June 17 followed closely by La Tremenda's début which will
be released by Wallboomers on June 19th. So I will be working on a continuing
series about what's happing up here near the arctic circle. Yesterday I posted
a review of Calle Real's new CD Me
lo gané and today I came across a video of La
eternidad del amor performed recently in Bordeaux. It's pretty decent
audio quality considering it's a fan video with the ambient sound. So check
it out. And keep in mind that this is one of the "softer" romantic
songs on the CD, which is a monster dance album. Stay tuned for the interview
with Patricio and Thomas coming later this week.
Calle Real perform La eternidad del amor in Bordeaux, France
Tuesday June 2 2009 permalink La
Timba de Suecia Series: En
La Calle Otra Vez - Call Real is Back and Hotter than Ever
If you live in France you may already have been lucky enough to obtain
a copy of Me
lo gané at their recent concert at the Festival Salsamistad.
If not, don't worry. The official release date is now set for June 17. The festivities
will begin here in Stockholm on June 14 when Calle Real will perform on TV4
morning news program. On June 15th they hold their release party at Moseback,
which conveniently happens to be very close to my home. With a little luck we
will have good weather and they will play outside in the garden overlooking
the Old Town. I know it will be packed so get there early!
If you are
already a fan you are going to love the new CD, which takes up where Con
fureza left off bringing even more inventive arrangements
that still bear the trademark of Calle Real's heavy groove factor. If you've
never listened because you don't really trust anyone but Cubans to provide you
with your timba fix, you need to give this try. There is a reason that bands
are performing Calle Real covers in Peru, the US and Australia, and I have no
doubt that when you hear the first bars of Somos familia, the brilliant
opening song, any misgivings you may have had will fade away. Thomas: Calle Real está aquí de nuevo, Pa'l mundo
entero Todos: No me paran con una bala, no me paran
ni con dos
Todo sigue con la misma ala, marcha dura y con la misma voz
Inolvidable es mi nombre, interminable es mi andar
Incansable es el ritmo que, yo te traigo pa’ tu bailar
Click
here for a review of the new CD and links to the lyrics. And stay
tuned for part two of the Calle Real report: an interview with Patricio and
Thomas which will be up later this week.
Friday May 29 2009 permalink Summer
Festival Season
The festival season is almost upon us. Fiesta
in Rome, Latinoamericando
in Milan, Festival Bayamo de La Seyne sur mer in France, Cubamemucho
in Vienna, the Tampere
Salsa Festival in Finland and many more. I went to
Seyne sur mer last year and was really impressed by the ambiance and
of course the excellent selection of groups. this year at Festival Bayamo (also
called Festival Cubain) the line up is: July 15 Havana D'Primera, July
16 Okan Cuba, July 17 Haila and July 19 Bamboleo. Check the Tours
section for more information and for changes and updates as the tour season
approaches. And remember, the tours are always subject to change so confirm
with the organizer before planning a timba trip thus summer.
Sunday May 24 2009 permalink Schedule
Change for the Cuban Salsa Congress and Manolito in Mexico
Don't worry, the Cuban
salsa congress
isn't cancelled just shifted by 6 weeks. It will now take place from July
30 - August 2. Manolito y Su Trabuco are still scheduled to play. July
31st they will be at Mama Rumba Loreto and August 1st at Mama Rumba Roma.
According to information from one of the Trabuqueros passed on to Gabriel,
the band may be in Venezuela soon and also possibly in Japan in July. I have
no confirmation on these dates yet, so if you have any information, please send
us an e-mail.
Wednesday
May 20 2009 permalink Ricardo
"Papín" Abreu Has Passed Away
Yesterday Ricardo Abreu passed away from a brain hemmorhage. He was quinto
player, vocalist and leader of the world-famous rumba group Los Papines. A great
musician, it is another sad loss for fans of Cuban music and percussion. The
funeral will take place today. In memory of Ricardo we have posted a video of
the original four Papines, including Alfredo who passed away in 2001 from blood
poisoning.
Ricardo, Alfredo, Luis and
Jesús Abreu perform a Yambú
Giraldo Piloto at KoSA International Percussion Festival and Workshops
From July 30 to August 2 KoSA will present the 14th annual International
Percussion Festival in Montreal. In addition to Girlado Piloto, who won
Best Timba Drummer in the Timba.com Awards, other confirmed artists
include Memo Acevedo, Pierre Beluse, Ndugu Chancler, Mario
DeCuittis, Dom Famularo, Aldo Mazza, Allan Molnar, Walfredo Reyes Jr.,
Jim Royle, Repercussion, Dave Samuels, Trichy Sankaran, Glen Velez and Michael
Wimberly.
KoSA is an
international organization with offices in Montreal, Quebec and Hyde Park,
Vermont. They are dedicated to bringing bands, performers, professor and
students together in various forums to share and learn from one another. In
addition to the annual percussion festival, KoSA arranges cultural exchange
trips to Cuba for bands and participates in the Havana Drum Festival, which will
take place March 7-14, 2010 in Havana.
Monday May 18 2009 permalink Yumurí y Sus Hermanos Win at Cubadisco
2009
Winner Cubadisco 2009
The judges
at Cubadisco 2009 selected Yumurí's Cd Cubano Cubano as best
contemporary dance CD. According to Gabriel at Yemaya's
Verse they celebrated yesterday afternoon with a concert at La
Tropical. Congratulations to Yumurí. He faced some serious competition
from the amazing group of CDs nominated for the award this year.
Thursday
May 7 2009 permalink The Salsa Mayor Offical Homepage Has Opened for
Business
As Mirco,
the man with the fastest contacts I've ever seen, posted yesterday at Timbaporsiempre.com,
Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor have opened their offical website at www.maykelblanco.com.
It has English/Spanish and has links for photos and videos that still
don't seem to be uploaded. But the music from the CDs is up.
Wednesday May 6 2009 permalink Manolito y Su Trabuco Mexico City Schedule
Well thankfully
it seems that the H1N1 flu is already tapering off and we hope it soon disappears
completely. In the meantime, in Mexico plans continue for the Cuban
salsa congress which will feature two concerts by the Trabuco.
I have asked Gabriel
in Havana to get confirmation directly from the Trabuco that they
are still planning their trip, but from the Mexican side it all seems to be
confirmed. If all goes as planned the concert schedule and prices are:
June 12
Mama Rumba, Plaza Loreto
June 13
Mama Rumba, Colonia Roma
350 pesos in advance
400 pesos at the door
Monday May 4 2009 permalink Pupy y Los Que Son Son Videos Updated
Now that
my computer is functioning again...more or less, I have gone back and updated
the concert report from New Morning in Paris with video. I have uploaded video
from the award ceremony when Jack el Calvo presented Pupy with the FiestaCubana
award for Best CD 2008, the piano and drum solos that you have already seen
(below) and also video of the new Los Que Son Son singers: Norberto singing
Dicen que dicen, Michel singing Desde cero and Rudi singing
Nadie puede contra eso. If you've been reading Gabriel's
reports from Havana, you know she's suffering from Pepito/Mandy
withdrawl. So here is an opportunity for those of you who still haven't seen
the new band to form an opinion.
Let me apologize
first for the shakiness of the videos. While it may look like I was riding a
unicycle and filming at the same time, I swear this is not so. The truth is
that the place was crowded (a sold out concert) and I was getting bumped into,
plus I had to hold the tripod over my head and my arms and neck were killing
me.Click here
to re-read the report and put the videos in the context of the
evening. Or click
here to just see the videos.
Tuesday April 28 2009 permalink London's Carnival de Cuba 2009 Cancelled
The economic
crisis has gone too far when it affects the summer festival scene. Matt
brought it to our attention that the Carnival de Cuba has been cancelled this
year because it was deemed economically unfeasible after the Southwark Council
decided they wanted to charge a fee for the use of Southwark Park. Since entry
at the carnival is free it would not be possible to cover all the costs. There
will be some smaller events, however. On July 10th there will be a mini carnival
de cuba as part of the Waterloo Carnival. Also on July 27th Candela will host
an evening event. More information will be available next month at the Carnival
de Cuba website.
Monday April 27 2009 permalink Maraca Section Updated
In honor of Maraca's
Cubadisco nomination for Lo que quiero es f¡esta!!!,
I have updated the Maraca section with a full discography and a new video wall
with clips from the release party for Lo que quiero es f¡esta!!!.
What struck me as I was doing the discography page was that every CD that Maraca
y Otra Visión have released has been nominated for at least one Cubadisco
award. Some have had several Cubadisco nominations as well as Lucas nominations,
not to mention the Grammy nomination in 2003 for Tremenda Rumba!.
And of the seven CDs they have released over the past 12 years, five have won at Cubadisco. Those are some mighty impressive statistics. You can check it all out
on the
discography page.
This year
the competition is unusually tough in the Contemporary Popular Dance Music
category and Maraca is even facing his brother Yumurí who is nominated for his
CD Cubanocubano. Cubadisco will be held from May 16-24 so we will soon
see if Maraca's winning streak holds. In the meantime to see why Maraca keeps
winning year after year, check out the video wall from the Lo que quiero es f¡esta!!!
release concert.
Lo que quiero
es f¡esta!!!
Sunday April 26 2009 permalink I'm Fully Functional Again!
I finally got my old, junky,
broken-down computer running again. It's great to be able to get back to work
on all the projects that I had to leave unfinished when my computer died. Here
is a little teaser of things to come. During the Pupy y Los Que Son Son concert
at New Morning in Paris back in February, we were treated to gorgeous solos
by Pupy and Bombón during La Fiera. Click on the image below
to watch the clip, and stay tuned for more belated updates.
Friday April 24 2009 permalink 3rd International Congress of Cuban salsa in Mexico
City
From June 11-14 Mexico City
will host the
3rd International Congress of Cuban Salsa. The congress will include
a rueda competition with an award of about USD 1200 to the winner (15,000 Mexican
pesos). The competition will be held at Mama Rumba Plaza Loreto.
Manolito y Su Trabuco are scheduled to perform on June 12 and 13 and
Azúcar Negra will also be performing at the congreso but I don't know which
date yet.
Thursday April 23 2009 permalink The Next Best Thing to Being There - Gab Goes To
Havana
It's almost as exciting as
taking a trip to Cuba yourself. Gabriel of Yemaya's Verse
is leaving today for another 7 weeks in Havana. If you're like me you will be
checking her blog daily for the next 35 days, enjoying her candid reports of
what's happening in Havana. Nobody tells a story quite the way she does. But we
will have to give her a couple of days to actually complete the trip from
Australia to Cuba and then to get on-line. I am so excited I can hardly wait!
Start looking for reports at her blog from around April 25-26.
Sunday April 19 2009 permalink Eleven Years of Azúcar Negra
How time flies! Today Leonel
Limonta and Azúcar Negra are finishing the celebrations held for the
band's 11th anniversary with a concert at La Tropical from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
They are preparing for a crowd of 5000. The band is hot, hot, hot and the songs
Identidad and Que pasa con las mujeres are getting lots of
airtime all over the island.
I met the
Azúcar Negra for the first time on the occasion of their 6th anniversary,
which they celebrated in Copenhagen. In the past 11 years the band has released
four excellent albums, most recently Exceso de equipaje, which was
one of the best releases of 2008. Timba.com congratulates Limonta and the band
and we look forward to Azúcar Negra pa' rato! Felicidades mis amigos!
Azúcar Negra de hoy
Next
month the band will be touring Mexico, so keep a lookout if you are
in the Southwestern US. A nice long weekend in Mexico City might be just the
thing. Who can resist the chance to see Ailyn singing Con un canto en el
pecho live?
Con un canto
en el pecho estilo Azúcar Negra
Monday
April 13 2009 permalink Cubadisco 2009 Nominations Adalberto
Álvarez has a special place at Cubadisco
2009, which will be held from May 16-24. Not only is his CD Gozando
en La Habana, up for a nomination in the Popular Dance Music category,
but El Caballero Del Son, who was awarded the National Music Prize in 2008,
will be a guest of honor together with Andy Montañez at Cubadisco, which
is dedicated to Puerto Rico and its music this year.
2008 was
a banner year for Timba releases and this is reflected in the nominees for the
Popular Dance Music category. This year we may even see some sibling rivalry
as brothers Orlando "Maraca" Valle and Yumurí are both nominated.
I don't envy the judges. Imagine having to choose between the following!
Adalberto Álvarez y su Son - Gozando en La Habana
Gardi - Lo que tú querías
Giraldo Piloto y Klímax - Solo tú y yo
Manolito y Su Trabuco - Control
Orlando "Maraca" Valle - Lo que quiero es fiesta!
Pupy y Los Que Son Son - Tranquilo que yo controlo
Yumurí y Sus Hermanos - Cubanocubano
Tuesday
April 7 2009 permalink Revé: Un sentimiento cubano Claudio Marucci, webmaster for Revé's
official website, has sent us a little update about what is going on
with Orquesta Revé these days. Here is my translation, see the original
Spanish below.
In the
first days of April the documentary "Reve' , un sentimiento cubano" will premier
in Havana. The film that includes the presence of Juan Formell, Chucho Valdes,
Pupy Pedroso, Adalberto Álvarez, and Juan Carlos Alfonso moves between the
present and the past in the history of this legendary group.
Always in
the month of April the latest number of the periodical
Tropicana
International is released in Havana, which has on the cover Elito Revé to whom
the majority of the pages of this issue are dedicated. If you would like to know
more about Orquesta Revé you can visit the official site:
www.orquestareve.net
In the meantime Elito is working on new songs
and his agency is preparing the next summer tour for the months of July
and August. For more information about the summer tour of Orquesta Revé you can
send a mail to: management@lalatina3000.com
En los primeros
días de abril se estrenará en La Habana el documental "Revé, un sentimiento
cubano". La película que cuenta con la presencia de Juan Formell, Chucho Valdes,
Pupy Pedroso, Adalberto Álvarez, Juan Carlos Alfonso, se mueve entre pasado y
presente en la historia de esta legendaria agrupación.
Siempre en el
mes de abril se presentará en La Habana el último numero de la revista Tropicana
International que tiene en su portada a Elito Revè a quien están dedicadas la
mayoría de las paginas de este numero. Si quieres conocer mas de la Orquesta
Revé puedes visitar el sitio oficial:
www.orquestareve.net
Mientras tanto
Elito está trabajando sobre nuevas canciones y su agencia de representación
artística está preparando la próxima gira de verano en los meses de julio y
agosto. Por mas información alrededor de la gira de verano de la Orquesta Revé
puedes enviarle una mail a:
management@lalatina3000.com
Friday April 3 2009 permalink Cuban Spring in Toronto From Billy
Bryans blog,here is a wrap up of Cuban activities going on in Toronto this
spring. On April 24 Telmary and Alberto Alberto will perform with their
new project KingBombo Habana at Lula Lounge.
KingBombo Habana is a new alternative music group.
The concert will include
special guests of Roberto Linares and Yosvani Castañeda.
For more information about the band and the concert
click here.
On May 16th Haila, Leoni and the Caribe
Girls will perform at Ukrainian Hall. The concert is presented by Havanart
productions.
Billy has all the information including ticket and infoline details.
Party with Dr. Timba in Lima Dr. Timba is putting on his monthly timba night tomorrow,
April 4, with 4 bands: N'Talla, D'Farandula, Bembe and A1-Banda.
Interestingly in the invitation to the concert that has been uploaded to YouTube
I hear that one of the band's is doing a cover of Calle Real's hit song Sueña
Conmigo. Very interesting to see that Swedish Timba is so popular
that people are doing covers.
Calle Real's Me Lo Gané Speaking of Calle
Real, if all goes according to plan the long awaited second Calle Real
CD, Me Lo Gané, should be released in Sweden on June 3rd. I don't
know when the "foreign release date" will be, but it will be a perfect CD for
all your summer timba parties.
Thursday April 2 2009 permalink Danny Lozada in New York After an absence of more than a year
Danny Lozada returns to New York from Mexico. Tomorrow he performs at S.O.B.s
with special guest Pepito Gómez. If you are anywhere near New York City don't
miss a rare opportunity to see these two monsters of Timba together!
Danny Lozada
in Europe
If
you are in Europe as I am, you will be happy to hear that Danny Lozada will be
touring Europe in June. Ivan "El Samurai de Cuba" has recently turned his
TimbaSalsa into a tour agency. In June he will bring Danny to Europe with a
seriously hardcore band, including JCG also known as Juan Carlos Gonzáles, who
left La Charanga Habanera with Danny to form the original group Danny Lozada y
Su Timba Cubana.
The band line-up: Juan Carlos González -
piano
Dariel Luis Tellez - keyboard
Potaje - congas
Joandri - drum/timbal
Randolf Chacón - bass
Ernesto Varona - saxophone
Fidelito - trumpet
Lionel el Nara - coro
Samurai World
Tour Ivan is on tour himself including
Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and Cuba. Click
here to find an event he will be DJ-ing near you.
El Samurai on world tour
Thursday March 26 2009 permalink Bamboleo Tour Starts Tomorrow! Bamboleo is in Italy and tomorrow they kick off their tour
with a concert at Blue Moon in Cosenza. They have special guest Monica Mesa with
them on this tour, and at the April 5 concert in Munich for Cubamemucho Manolín
will also make a guest appearance. Click here for the full
tour schedule. Note: Not all dates are confirmed so check with the local club
before booking any trips!
And last but not least Melao at Timbastars.com
reports that a number of east coast concerts have already been planned for Los
Van Van in the US pending approval of their visas. Other bands are also
organizing US tours and as the visas are confirmed we will get back to you with
the dates.
Sunday March 22 2009 permalink Calixto Oviedo en Candela con Afro-Cuban All Stars Keep checking at YouTube because more and more video is being
uploaded from the Afro-Cuban All Stars US Tour. Here is a fantastic example
of a timbal solo by Calixto Oviedo from the Chicago concert.
Calixto Oviedo timbal solo
Wednesday March 19 2009 permalink Preliminary Havana D'Primera Tour Dates for France Gabriel at Yemayá's
Verse has been raving
about Havana D'Primera for almost a year now, and the Debute Tour
of Havana D'Primera will probably be the biggest event of 2009 here in Europe.
The new CD should be released any day and is definitely one of the very best
CDs of 2009. I have already heard the pre-mix version and it is fuera de liga!
I've seen people referring to the bandmembers as the "Habaneros D'Primero"
but when this CD hits the stores I think people will simply be calling them
"Los Primeros".
The European
Tour looks like it will be about two months long, from mid-June though mid-August.
We have some preliminary tour dates for Havana D'Primera in France and are still
waiting to hear about Italy and northern Europe. For the latest information
keep an eye on Odduara
Productions. We will keep updating our tour section as more information
becomes available. Click
here for a preliminary look at the French leg of the Havana D'Primera
tour (many dates still to be confirmed). Time to start making your summer timba
plans.
Tuesday March 17 2009 permalink Bakuleye Section Thanks to help from Mirco at
TimbaPorSiempre we have finally
been able to add a section for Bakuleye. The band was founded in 1996 by Pedro
Pablo Pérez and had immediate success with the album La Fiebre del Ual Ula.
The band has included members such as Dantes Cardos and Roelvis "Bombón"
REyes and is at the top of the hit parade today with the single La gallina.
It will be included on the upcoming CD Desafiando, which is one of the
most eagerly awaited CDs of 2009. Click
here to check out their new section
including a dossier with a more detailed history of the band (in Spanish).
Monday March 16 2009 permalink Manolito y Su Trabuco - All Remaining Concerts
Confirmed!
Spain has
often proved problematic for Cuban groups for some reason, but don't worry
Trabuco fans, all the remaining dates are confirmed so you can
confidently go out and buy your ticket. Remember, the concert in Paris had
already sold 200 tickets within the first day or two of ticket sales. Don't let
yourself get caught at the door with no ticket! Tomorrow El Trabuco will perform
in Bari, Italy.
Click here for the full schedule.
The first
concert of the tour got rave reviews from Rafael and Alex in Switzerland. They
report that the playlist included La Habana me llama, Control, Relámpago,
Comunícate, 72 hacheros, Llegó la música cubana, Marcando la distancia, and
Locos por mi Habana among other songs.
Sunday March 15 2009 permalink Concert Report - Pupy y Los Que Son Son in Paris
My computer woes continue so I have not been able to edit any of the concert
video yet, however I have finally completed the concert report but sans
pictures or video. As soon as I am able to edit the video I will update the
report as well. It will include video of the three new singers as well as a
tremendous piano solo by Pupy, so check back. In the meantime, you can read
all about it here.
Friday
March 13 2009 permalink Manolito Concerts Cancelled in Spain
Rafael in Switzerland said that Manolito y Su Trabuco were superb last night
at the opening concert of their tour in Zug, Switzerland. He was also told by
the organizers that the three concerts in Spain that were supposed to take place
this weekend were cancelled, although we don't have any details. Click
here to check out their remaining schedule with a disclaimer for any
eventual changes. I will get back to you as soon as I have more information
form the tour management.
Thursday
March 12 2009 permalink Los Van Van and Manolito y Su Trabuco in Europe Pupy y Los Que Son Son have gone home after a very successful tour of
Europe where fans were pleased to find that the band still has its magic despite
recent changes in some of the key musicians. Stay tuned for the Paris concert
report which has been delayed due to technical issues with my home computer. In
the meantime you can
read the interview I did that night with Pupy (in Spanish) if you
haven't gotten around to it yet.
As Pupy
was leaving Europe, Los Van Van took the stage. They have already spent a
week on tour and will perform tonight in Drammen, Norway. A report from the
March 9th concert in Amsterdam seems to indicate that Lele was not feeling well
that evening. Both he and Pedrito Fajardo were not on stage that night, although
Lele got very good reviews for his performance in London just two days earlier.
We hope it was just a 24 hour bug and he is back on his feet for the rest of the
tour. Click here
to find a Los Van Van concert near you.
Manolito y Su Trabuco have also just arrived in Europe and will play the
first concert of this very busy tour tonight in Zug, Switzerland. The band will
play 24 concerts in just 25 days, a grueling schedule! Click here for the full tour schedule.
Keep in
mind Europeans, we have been spoiled the past several years because the US
market ahs been closed to Cuban groups. It is expected that Cuban bands will
begin touring the US later this year, so take the opportunity to catch the
concerts this time around. Once the US re-opens to Cubans we'll probably be
seeing a lot less of our favorite groups than what we have grown accustomed to.
permalink Alaín Daniel's CD
Vestigios is Available
Gabriel
at Yemayá's Verse
has been raving about Alaín since she saw him live in Havana. He seems to play
regularly to a full houseand is a favorite of the mikys, which may be
why one of the songs on the CD is entitled La miky.
Click here to read Gabriel's excellent, humorous and frank review which
includes two new words: "temblequerrificness" and "temblequetastic".
Track
list:
Esto si sabe a Cuba
Un amigo en Madrid
La miky
Marginal
Qué le pasa a esa mujer
Se pegan
Un loco enamora'o
Solo dime
Bentida locura
Le encanta la calle
Aparentemente ideal
Sunday March 8 2009 permalink Entrevista
con César "Pupy" Pedroso
During the soundcheck at New Morning in Paris, I was able to talk with Pupy
for about 20 minutes. I am having computer issues so I am not able to upload
the interview in video format like I usually do. Instead I have transcribed
the interview. In a couple of weeks I should be able to upload the original
video as well. Click
here to read the interview (in Spanish). And stay tuned for the
concert report which will be up very soon as well.
Updated
Musicians' Pages
I have also updated the information about Los Que Son Son in the Muscian's Directory.
Click here
for the current list of musicians and links to their individual pages.
Sunday
March 1 2009 permalink Pupy Tiene La Secreta
I saw Pupy y Los Que Son Son last night at New Morning in Paris. Despite all
the recent changes in the band, Los Que Son Son sound great! The metales are
as tight as ever and doing some sort of odd new efecto that I haven't
heard before, but I'm told it's called trino or in the vernacular chivo.
The rhythm section is a smoothly oiled machine, but a bit different on this
tour because timbalero Miguelito Escuriola was unable to come on the tour due
to illness, so Bombón is playing drum con timbal. A concert
report will follow shortly including interviews with Pupy and the new singers
as well as a little look at the new front line en vivo. If you've been worried
about how the changes would affect the band, tranquilo que la secreta la
tiene Pupy. Click
here to find the concert nearest you.
Thursday
February 26 2009 permalink Nos Vemos en París!
This year has been pretty weak for concerts in Stockholm, and during this dry
spell I have developed the habit of going to Paris to get my Timba Fix. Odduara
has been very active in bringing Cuban artists to Paris. Tomorrow I will go
to see Pupy y Los Que Son Son, and on April 5th it will be Manolito y Su Trabuco.
Manolito will be back in Paris April 5 at New Morning
Tickets available on-line at FNACTICKENET and
DIGITICK
The Trabuco will begin an extensive European tour
starting March 12 in Zug, Switzerland and ending April 5 at New Morning in
Paris. The band sounds great. They have more energy than ever, a solid gold
repertoire and three charismatic singers up front that know how to get the
audience on their feet and keep them there. Don't miss this tour! I'll see you
in Paris!
NOTE! The Pupy y
Los Que Son Son concert in Paris is sold out! If you plan to see Manolito in
Paris I recommend you buy your tickets on-line. If you live in another country
you can even have them sent to you via SMS (that's text message to you Yumas)
using
digitick.com.
Wednesday February 25 2009 permalink Photos of Pupy y Los Que Son Son in
Munich
Pupy y Los Que Son Son have been touring for a
week now and they are getting rave reviews everywhere they go. Tom Bauer sent us
a short concert
report and many great pictures from the concert at Bayerischer Hof
in Munich last Sunday. I will be seeing the band in Paris myself on Friday and
will get my first look at how the band is functioning with the new singers. All
the reports thus far say the same thing: the new singers sound fantastic. But
what do you expect? After all, Pupy controla.
Click here to check out the pictures.
Click here to find a concert near you.
Thursday February 19 2009 permalink
¡Tranquilo
Que Pupy Llegó! My
Choice for Best CD 2008 is Tranquilo Que Yo Controlo
When Tranquilo Que Yo Controlo came out in 2008, it was a
great day for timba fans. Pupy kept us waiting 3 years but the final result
was a superb CD that exemplifies all the best qualities of timba from excellent
lyrics to hot dance numbers and even a tip of the hat to the building
blocks of contemporary modern Cuban dance music, such as traditional son and danzón. For me it was the best CD of the year, and that is saying a lot because
2008 was one of the best years for timba releases in recent memory.
Since the the CD came out, the band has undergone some major
changes including a complete change in the singer line-up. Mandy, Pepito and
Lily are gone and we now have Michel Pérez, Norberto Gómez and Rusdel Nuñez.
But
Wait, That's Not All!
The
band kicks off their Winter 2009 European Tour today with a concert at Mambooo Kings in Rome. This will be the first chance that an audience outside
Havana gets to look at the band en vivo. I will be going to catch them at
the concert at New Morning in Paris later this month and am very much looking
forward to hearing the new songs as interpreted by the new singers. Click here for the full tour
schedule and look for a venue near you.
For those of you who just won't be able to make a concert, don't despair. A
new DVD has just been released called Pupy y Los Que Son Son en vivo en
el Malecón Habanero. It is available at Descarga and Prodland.
For a sneak preview of what the band sounds like check out
Norberto singing Un poquito al revés. When the new coro hits (suelta y
deja la controladera) you get a
very good idea of the current sound. Norberto has the perfect timbre to take
over Pepito's songs. Nos vemos en el concierto!
Rusdel, Norberto & Michel
the new voices of Los Que Son Son
Masters Class on Timbal with
Calixto Oviedo
Calixto Oviedo on timbal
The Afro-Cuban All Stars
US Tour 2009 is now underway, and one of the great fringe benefits of
the tour is that the musicians are offering Masters classes in various cities.
This Saturday, February 21st, Calixto Oviedo will hold a Masters Class in
timbales at Portland State University in the Smith Memorial Student Union. The
cost is only $10 so if you play timbales, don't miss this opportunity. For more
information
click here.And for a nice article about the band at jazzpolice.com,
click here.
Thursday February 5 2009 permalink
Afro-Cuban All Stars US Tour Site
The Afro-Cuban All Stars begin their US tour in just 12 days. The band will
visit 38 cities over a 2 month period. They have an
excellent web site for the tour including multimedia and a photo
gallery. If you live in the US or Canada, this is a tour you don't want to miss.
Click hereto find a concert in a
city near you.
Wednesday February 4 2009 permalink
Changes to Salsa Mayor Tour Schedule Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor
have been in Europe for about a week now. If you have been planning to attend
one of the concerts check their Tour
Schedule because there have been some last minute subtractions and
additions.
A Note from Maykel to the Fans in Milan
Maykel would like to
apologize to the fans in Milan. He feels that the band was not able to give them
the concert they deserved but also says that it was due to serious problems with
the audio system that were beyond their control. I wasn't at the concert myself
so I don't know what kind of problems they had. Hopefully next time around they
will be able to give the fans of Milan an extra special show to thank them for
their patience and understanding.
Fortunately the other concerts have gone well. A fan reports from the Verona
concert: "it was a great concert, the venue was full and the band had a
lot of energy. The problem with the concerts is that 2 hours pass too quickly".
I
understand her and sympathize completely. I think 3-4 hours is a good length for
a concert, now we just have to convince the guys to play for that long.
Friday January 30 2009 permalink Possibly
the Most Important News of 2009
It's 1:12 on Friday morning and I just got back from El Benny, the monthly Cuban
club here in Stockholm and I couldn't wait to write. DJ Soto-Mayor was back
in town and as always he was spinning music completely to my taste. Even better,
he played 2 songs I haven't heard before. I suppose it may be my own fault because
I pretty much only go to concerts nowadays, but I think that is about to change.
Tonight I heard the new demos from Tirso Duarte and NG La Banda! I
thought they were both lost to timba. I thought Tirso had permanently moved
into the world of reggaeton, and I don't even quite know what to say about NG's
recent hits. But by golly gosh they are both back at timba in 2009!
Tirso's
demo is called El Arreglista and NG's must be called something like
El Luchador. They are both excellent examples of timba and of what
Tirso and El Tosco are capable of creating when they decide they want to tirar
la timba. El Tosco is the original timbero and Tirso is the new wonder boy and
with their new demos they have both made me very happy. I suspect that "making
Michelle at Timba.com very happy" wasn't exactly the specific goal they
had in mind when they wrote these songs, but that's OK. I'm happy just the same.
I think of myself as an average timbera and if I like what they've done, I think
you will all like it too. So let's hope the demos make it into general DJ distribution
soon...
Thursday January 29 2009 permalink Timba
Weekend Round-Up
I was writing about Calixto, Pepito and La Bolá when
I realized this is a pretty big timba weekend, so here is a round-up of what's
going down around the world (as far as I know). If you're going to be in Cuba
this weekend start
by checking here. If you're in Europe or North America, see below.
January 30:
Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son in Zug Unfortunately
I haven't been able to find the full list of concert dates for Adalberto on this
tour, but they will be playing tomorrow in Zug, Switzerland at
Chollerhalle. If you have any information about other tour dates please
send us a mail.
January 30:
Salsa Mayor Kicks-off European Tour
Los Mayores
have arrived in Italy and begin their winter 2009 tour with a concert in Turin.
Saturday they play in Verona at Benacus and Sunday in Milan at La Jiribilla. Click here for the complete
list of shows.
January 30 &
February 1: Paulo FG and Manolín Live in Miami Although they
were beset with political difficulties and denials of the use of the original
venue, the promoters persevered and the concert will take place instead at the
Dolce Lounge in Miami Beach on Friday and Sunday. Paulo FG will also perform on
Saturday in Tampa. If you can make it to Miami, don't miss this historic
performance of two Timba Legends together for the first time in Miami! For
tickets and more details
click here.
January 30:
Telmary and Alberto Live in Toronto In the Great
White North Telmary will perform at Lula Lounge with Alberto Alberto. According
to Bill Bryans, who will also be DJing the gig, they will present the audience
with a night of "timba, hip-hop, funky jazz and alternative Cuban sounds". The
line-up includes quite a list of first-line Cuban musicians so stop by Lula
Lounge and get your fix. For more info see
Billy's blog.
January 31st: La Bolá with Pepito Gómez & Special Guest Calixto Oviedo
Don't miss out on Saturday when La Bolá will perform with Pepito Gómez at
Bayway Polish Club in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Calixto Oviedo will also drop by
for a little jam session. He and Pepito recently performed together at La Fonda
Boricua in Manhattan and he sent us a picture from that evening.
Bayway Polish Club
625 Pulaski Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07202
Tel: (908) 355-3131
21 & Over Proper I.D. Required
Mauricio Herrera, Ricky Salas, Calixto Oviedo,
Bobby Allende &
Pepito Gómez
at la Fonda Boricua
Friday January 23 2009 permalink
Calixto Oviedo in New York Last night Calixto performed in Boston at the jazz club, Wally's
with Carlos Averhoff Jr. and Joshua Edesman. And tomorrow night, January 24th,
he will be the special guest at Fonda Boricua in Manhattan for Los
Sabrosos del Barrio. The line-up includes Ralph Irizarri, Frankie
Vazquez, Ivan Renta Pete Nater, Bobby Allende, Arturo Ortiz and others. Sounds
like a "don't miss" show to me.
Word is
that he will also drop by for a guest spot at the concert Una
Noche Cubana with Pepito and La Bolá at the Bayway Polish
Club in Elizabeth, New Jersey on January 31st. In February he begins rehearsals
for the Afro-Cuban All Stars
Tour, an extensive two and a half month tour that takes the band
from coast to coast.
And when
Calixto gets back to Europe...well let's just say there will be some interesting
developments to report so stay tuned!
Thursday
January 22 2009 permalink
Leonel Limonta and Nueva Generación Azúcar Negra's new CD Exceso de equipaje has
only been out for a few months but Limonta has already been in the studio working
on a new project. I don't know exactly what it will be called but it features
many of the singers from Nueva Generación that recorded the hurricane
relief song, Así somos.
Lionel Limonta
Limonta's
new obra is a tribute album to Spanish singer Nino Bravo. Singers
include Coco Freman, Vania, el Indio, Ricardo Amaray, El Noro, Waldo, David
Álvares, Arlenys, Dantes, and of course Yordis, Aylin and Dayan, the
singers of Azúcar Negra. The CD doesn't have name for the CD yet or a
released date but it will certainly be interesting to hear the salsa, merengue
and bolero arrangements of Nini's music. More information as it becomes available.
Wednesday January 21 2009 permalink
Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor Kick Off the 2009 Winter Tour
Season On January 30th Winter Tour Season 2009 officially
begins with a concert by Maykel
Blanco y Salsa Mayor in Turin. The band is currently on the Piso
6 top 10 with the video for Si le gusta repite a song in the grand
tradition of culinary double entendre. With the exception of one concert in
Lyon, France, los Mayores will spend all of their time in Italy. For those of
us suffering the lethargy and depression of a drab, grey, cold northern European
winter, this offers you the perfect excuse to take a long weekend in Italy.
Click here to
locate the concert most appropriate for you.
Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor at La Seyne Sur Mer July 2008
Saturday
January 17 2009 permalink
2009 is off to a Good Start 2008 was an amazing year for Cuban dance music (click
here for a long and yet incomplete list of Cuban dance releases
in 2008) and 2009 is already looking very good as well.
Arrasando at iTunes
If
you are a regular reader of Yemayá's
Verse as I am, you already know that Arrasando is out
at iTunes. The official release date for the hardcopy is February 6, making
Arrasando the first release of 2009.
The CD has
been well-received by those who have already purchased it. It has a sort of
retro feel reminiscent of more pure songo rather than the heavier timba feel
of the last release, Chapeando.
The CD contains
10 songs plus three bonus tracks, one of which is Un tumbao pa' los dos
with guest artist Vanessa Formell. Vanessa has already received praise from
Van Van fans, which must be a great feeling for both Vanessa and Juan in her
first collaboration with Los Van Van.
Upcoming
2009 Releases
But wait! There is even more to look forward to this year!
Bakuleye
- Desfiando
I don't have a release date yet but several demos have reached the DJs and people
are already talking about La gallina and Josefina la locomotora.
This looks to be a must-buy CD for 2009. Take a look at the video below and
find out what all the excitement is about.
Bakuleye - La gallina
Tumbao
Habana - Mambo duro
It has taken longer than expected for Tumbao Habana to get this CD finished,
but I have always liked their style and their distinct sello, so I'm looking
forward to this new CD. I have already heard 5 songs and here is a mini-review
en adelante. Mambo duro seems to be shaping up to be a good party CD.
El padrino has me dancing in my chair even as I write this post. No
me conformo will appeal to those who appreciate a romantic bachata from
time to time. Mambo duro is another good song for casineros with one
of those classic timba tempo changes where it all slows down for a moment and
then picks up again. Devuelveme la vida starts as a ballad and drifts
into salsa. It is a duet with a Arlenys and is another song for the romantics
but not so exciting if you're just looking to dance. And last of the demos I've
heard is La nena which is another solid timba in the style of Tumbao
Habana. It's been a long wait, but I think it will have been worth it.
Caribe
Girls - Mi sueño
Over at TimbaPorSiempre
Mirco has the latest on the Caribe Girls including an audio clip of one of the
songs they are promoting for their CD which will be released later this year.
Wednesday January 14 2009 permalink
More Where are They Now - BnK In keeping with Kevin's theme of the day I have a little update
for Fans of Boni &
Kelly. Here's a little recap. They both left successful careers as lead
singers in Cuba: Kelly sang with El Clan and Ebblis with Klímax and later with
La Charanga Habanera where he earned the nickname El Boni from the song by the
same name. But despite their success, the two blue-eyed brothers wanted to try
their hand at a solo, or should I say duo career. They recorded an album together,
closer to the music of El Clan than La Charanga Habanera and eventually they
left Cuba in order to continue promoting their careers.
Hermanos bonitos - El Boni & Kelly
BnKare currently finishing up their second CD in Miami under the production of
Latin Grammy winner and Spanish hearthrob David Bisbal. Nope it is not timba.
Ebblis tells us that this CD "has a lot more pop and rock but always with our
Afro-Cuban roots, it will be interesting". On January 20th BnK will
be in Spain record the video for the first single from the album. They will then
return to Miami to lay down the vocal tracks, but the release, marketing,
promotion and concerts will begin in Spain.
Sunday January 11 2009 permalink
Fiebre de Changüí
My artistically rendered picture of the bongó and marímbula of
Changüí de Guantánamo
It's
been 4 months since I went to Paris to catch Changüí de Guantánamo
at the festival D'Ile
de France
but I have finally uploaded the interview I did with the band in the dressing
room before the show. There are some interesting comments in there about clave
in changüí and about the importance of the tumbao played by the
tres. To watch the interview in WMV format click
here (in Spanish).
Most
timberos think of Orquesta Revé when they hear the word "changüí"
but while the music of Revé includes certain elements of changüí
in the percussion, the difference between traditional chnagüí and
the music of Orquesta Revé is significant. If you are unfamiliar with
traditional changüí let me give very a brief presentation.
Changüí
is a rural music style that originated in Oriente in the region of Guantanamo
during the second half of the 1800s. As with other rural music forms, its started
out as party music. Changüiseros tell us that the parties could last for
days if not weeks with many musicians taking turns playing the instruments and
singing, replacing one another as they got tired. The format of the bands was
simple: tres, maracas, guayo (often just a food grater from the kitchen of the
house where the party was held), marimbula or jug for the bass, and bongo del
monte. Then in 1945
the musicologist Rafael Inciarte Brioso convinced the Latamblet brothers, Reyes
"Chito" and Arturo, to form a permanent group and Changüí
de Guantanamo was born.
Changüí de Guantánamo was recently on the
Cuban program Descarga where they introduced the
bandmembers and talked a little about the instruments.
Friday January 9 2009 permalink
Cuban Concert Season Kicks off in North America Get ready because we are off to an early start in North America.
On January 15 Calixto
Oviedo will perform in Boston and then at the NAMM show in Los
Angeles. It may not exactly be open to the general public but there are
always the best of the best percussionists there, so if you have a way to get
in, go. You can then catch Calixto on the Afro-Cuban All Stars tour from
February - April. Click
here to find a concert near you.
In other
concert news, Pepito Gómez will perform with La
Bolá at the Bayway Polish Club in Elizabeth, New Jersey on January
31st. DJ Melao
will be spinning tunes that night and there may be a surprise guest as well...And
on March 7 two-time Grammy nominees
Tiempo Libre will perform at Balboa Theatre in San Diego, California.
A little
farther north in Toronto, Ontario there will be a big
Cuban night on February 7th with Caribe Girls, Leoni Torres and Mayito
Rivera. It's one night only so don't miss it!
Not a bad
start to 2009. Hopefully we will soon see a complete opening of the US market
to Cuban bands again and there will be monthly timba concerts across the country.
One
of the hottest concerts this tour season will be the July 13 double billing
of Elito Revé y Su Charangón and Alexander Abreu's Havana D'Primera at Cabaret
Suavage in Paris. Both 
If
you are in Europe as I am, you will be happy to hear that Danny Lozada will be
touring Europe in June. Ivan "El Samurai de Cuba" has recently turned his
TimbaSalsa into a tour agency. In June he will bring Danny to Europe with a
seriously hardcore band, including JCG also known as Juan Carlos Gonzáles, who
left La Charanga Habanera with Danny to form the original group Danny Lozada y
Su Timba Cubana.
Gabriel
at 
Entrevista
con César "Pupy" Pedroso 
My
Choice for Best CD 2008 is 
But
Wait, That's Not All!
If
you are a regular reader of 
