Chucho Valdés' Border-Free on NPR's First Listen

Border-Free, the sensational new album by Chucho Valdés & The Afro-Cuban Messengers, can now be heard on NPR's wonderful program First Listen. This innovative concept lets you try before you buy; you can listen to the album -not just a few seconds here and there, but the actual album - on NPR before it is formally released to the US market, and then if you purchase it through the program's links, a portion of the proceeds helps National Public Radio. This is good for all of us because the overwhelming majority of the radio programs that will play modern Cuban Jazz, Timba and other current Cuban music are on stations that are affiliated with National Public Radio. (See our album reviews in English and en español ,)
You can hear NPR's First Listen on the web here.

The rest of radio isn't always a wasteland all the time, however: in March 2013, CNN radio's Music Notes did a very nice interview in English of Yosvany Terry and Gema Corredera about their recent releases Derramando Luz and Today's Opinion , and you can listen to it here.

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viernes, 28 junio 2013, 02:58 pm

The fourth annual Festival Cubano in Chicago expands to three days, and the closing act is Manolin, El Medico de la Salsa. Read all about it here...

...and remember, Mezcla is at the Old Town School of Folk Music Saturday, June 29. If you have been reading us lately, you already know why you need to go. If you haven't, where have you been?

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martes, 25 junio 2013, 11:35 pm

Click here for the link to Mezcla's Kickstarter page.

Mezcla , which is performing in Oakland California June 26 and Chicago June 29, has just launched a Kickstarter campaign which includes some premiums for those of you who sign on as backers. The video (click "play" above) explains more with some live footage of band members here and some of Mezcla's music.

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sábado, 22 junio 2013, 01:24 am

Mezcla is an historically-important group from Cuba that has opened musical doors both there and in the United States. As this is being typed (June 22), it is on the last day of a three-day run at Jazz Aspen Snowmass; they then play Oakland on June 26 and Chicago on June 29. Bill Tilford interviewed Pablo this week, and you can read the transcript here . Our Mezcla section also has a discography and videos.