14th Latin GRAMMY Process Begins

Latin GRAMMY season is upon us again, and there is always a tremendous number of recordings that are submitted for consideration by Latin Recording Academy (LARAS) members each year. Cuba is now actively including recordings by Cuban artists living in the United States and other countries in its Cubadisco Awards (their equivalent to the GRAMMY awards), and it is our hope that the members of the Latin Recording Academy will be equally proactive in listening to the best of Cuba's recorded output, some of which is now being submitted to the Latin GRAMMY process. Since these recordings don't have the same marketing and publicity support as major-label projects made in the United States or Europe, the article that follows may be helpful as a tool for learning more about these excellent but not always well-known recordings.
You can read the full article in English here.

La temporada del Latin GRAMMY ha llegado otra vez, y siempre hay un gran número de grabaciones que se someten a la consideración de la Academia Latina de Grabación (LARAS) miembros cada año. Cuba está incluyendo activamente unas grabaciones de artistas cubanos que viven en Estados Unidos y en otros países en los Premios Cubadisco (equivalente a los premios Grammy), y tenemos la esperanza de que los miembros de la Academia Latina de la Grabación serán igualmente proactivo en escuchar lo mejor de la producción grabada de Cuba, algunos de los cuales se presenta ahora en el proceso del Latin GRAMMY. Dado que estas grabaciones no reciben tanto ayuda con marketing y publicidad como los lanzamientos de las etiquetas principales hecho en los Estados Unidos o Europa, el artículo que sigue puede ser útil como una herramienta para aprender más acerca de estos excelentes, pero no siempre bien conocido grabaciones.
Se puede leer el articulo en español aquí.

UPDATE: Editor's Picks For Your Consideration

SALSA Pasaporte by Alexander Abreu and Havana d'Primera (Colibri) This won the Cubadisco 2013 award for Popular Dance Music, and it is one of the best Timba/Cuban Salsa albums to appear in years. You can read our review here.

TRADITIONAL Vamos pa' la' fiesta by Septeto Santiaguero (Picap). This won the Cubadisco 2013 award for Traditional Popular Music and features a number of prominent singers from the United States and other countries as guest artists. You can read our review here.

LATIN JAZZ + ENGINEERING PMO by Pacific Mambo Orchestra (Independent Release) This Bay Area big band plays hard-hitting, old school Mambo in a way that is mostly old school but with some modern elements of electric guitar and drum kit added to the mix. You can read our review here.

LATIN JAZZ + ENGINEERING San Francisco by Brian Andres & The Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel (Independent Release) A funky and daring collaboration between some of the most talented players, composers and arrangers residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Click here for more info.

RECORD + ALBUM + TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL + ENGINEERING Vuelven Los Amaya! by Los Amaya (Universal Music Spain) A comeback album from the original kings of Rumba Flamenca. Features a veritable who's who of famous artists from Spain. Click here for more info.

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miércoles, 07 agosto 2013, 06:49 am

(photo supplied by Alejandro Riera courtesy of Festival Cubano)

This is what success looks like from the air, and it's what happens when the whole world is invited to your party and decides to accept the invitation. This was taken during the Saturday night session of the festival. No more "small, upstart festival" for YOU, Festival Cubano. Now you're going to have a rep to defend. You'll find that it's a mixed blessing but a nice problem to have.

Click here for part 2 of our coverage with a story and photo gallery including Timbalive's closing act.

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lunes, 05 agosto 2013, 05:36 pm

Every village has its idiot, and this one had a couple of them running about in the audience, but that didn't bother the 99.9% of the people who understood that the object was to celebrate, and celebrate they did. The neighbors were all invited too, and they came to the party in droves. Festival Cubano gave Chicago a much-needed Timba fix while scratching the itch for traditionalists and the youngsters as well, and for that, we salute it.

Click here for part 1 of our coverage with a story and photo gallery. Part 2 will follow soon.

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domingo, 04 agosto 2013, 11:40 pm

On Tuesday, August 6 at 7:30pm, Cuban percussionist/composer Enildo Rasua will be performing at the Jazz Standard in a quartet with Troy Roberts on saxophone, Ben Winkleman on piano and Ricky Rodriguez on bass. Enildo is the creator of the "Third Hand" technique which uses three drumsticks to play both drum kit and other percussion instruments at the same time. Enildo's career covers a lot of ground both as a performer and an instructor, and this should be worth checking out.

On Wednesday, August 7 at 9:30 pm, 11:00 pm and 1:00 am, composer/pianist Osmany Paredes, another artist in the new wave of Cuban Jazz musicians shaking things up in New York, will be performing at the Zinc Bar with his quartet. Osmany's early career included time with Charanga America, Enrique Jorrin and Bobby Carcasses. He later founded the group Menduvia and now leads the Osmany Paredes Quartet. He has also performed in several prominent groups, and this performance is also worth checking out.

It is also worth keeping an eye on the calendars of both of these clubs because they have become two of the most important venues for this music in New York.