Chuchito Valdés and Conjunto Chappottin in Chicago

ENGLISH: Chuchito Valdés and Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas both visited Chicago this week during multi-city tours.
A photo gallery and mini-review of Chuchito's performances are available here.
A photo gallery and mini-review of Chappottin's performances are available here.
ESPAÑOL: Chuchito Valdés y Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas ambos visitaron Chicago esta semana durante sus giras en varias ciudades.
Una galería de fotos y mini-reseña de los shows de Chuchito Valdés están disponibles aquí
Una galería de fotos y mini-reseña de los shows de Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas están disponibles aquí

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domingo, 13 julio 2014, 10:41 pm

Conjunto Chappottín y Sus Estrellas Summer Tour

Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas is in the middle of a first-time-ever US tour. This legendary band dates to the Arsenio Rodriguez era and continues to defend that music with a powerful conjunto that includes 4 trumpets. Chicagoans can (and should, we might add) catch them tonight, July 14 at Martyrs' (the photos are from yesterday's excellent performance at the Square Roots Festival). The rest of the tour dates can be found here:

We'll have a lot more pictures and a full review later this week.

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sábado, 05 julio 2014, 03:08 pm

Several months ago, we did a few pieces about Dayramir González, the leader of the phenomenal Afro Cuban Jazz project Habana enTRANCE, which won a Cubadisco for their album of the same name.. Dayramir went on to study at Berklee College of Music and won their Wayne Shorter award for most outstanding Jazz composer in 2013. (You can see more of his resume as of 2013 here.) He is now resuming his performing career in earnest and has teamed up with Edrey aka Ogguere, also a Cubadisco winner, Jazz poet and a key member of Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura, to lead The Afro Cuban Soul Rebels, a 9-piece ensemble that is about to release its first single (also called Afro Cuban Soul Rebels)

This writer has had his ears peeled for new things by Dayramir since first hearing Habana enTRANCE (which came out before he started writing reviews here.) Havana Cultura, Edrey aka Ogguere's associates, is also very impressive. The style of this new project will be different, but we think you'll want to check this out:

Key Links:
Concert info: SOBs, Thursday, July 10 The Afro Cuban Soul Rebels Facebook Page
Ogguere's website

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domingo, 22 junio 2014, 02:34 pm

Alexander Abreu and Havana D'Primera, one of the most important Timba groiups performing today and winner of the Música Popular Bailable category in Cubadisco 2013 for their recording Pasaporte, has been booked for two performances in the Midwestern United States. The first performance is at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 7, 2014; the second is at the Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie in Chicago Illinois on Friday, August 8, 2014. Tickets for the Minneapolis performance are being sold via Eventbrite; Tickets for the Chicago performance may be purchased at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/742435
This group is a must-see if you are able.