Miami's old-guard Cuban exiles exert less influence -- "When you go to the airport and take one of these flights to Cuba, you realize the median age is no longer in their 60s or 70s." Popular Cuban musicians once greeted with bomb threats and boisterous demonstrations now pack venues in the city. After the concerts, the artists gather at the homes of relatives and old friends in South Florida. A decade ago, many of the musicians would defect. Now most return to Cuba. source

Young Cuban pianist makes jazz waves -- If you live in New York be sure to check out young Fabián Almazán. He's playing in heavywieght trumpeter and Spike Lee movie composer Terence Blanchard’s band, but hés also got his own jazz trio. Smoking. 9 and 10:30 p.m., Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com; $15 cover, with a $10 minimum. With bassist Linda Oh and the drummer Henry Cole.

Gloria Estefan & Ricky Martin on Glee? -- rumor has it Ricky will play a Spanish teacher and Gloria will take on the role of a mom. "Glee" is the most popular music-focused television show in the U.S. source

Italy-based "Timba EN Talla" releases new CD "Pa'l Mundo" --  anyone know who these musicians are? Well-versed in jazz, these guys certainly have the chops. Bomba's galore. Here's a new video below....

Cachao's "The Last Mambo" nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album --  no question this master deserves another Grammy nod. It's a celebration of post-revolution Cuban music and tradition....descargas, danzones, cha cha cha,  El Cuarto De Tula featuring Issac Delgado, etc. However it begs the question: When will people get motivated to support more modern projects? Also related: hey salseros...the 1970's was 40 years ago.  

Cuban Festival in New Zealand -- yeah that's right. There'll be rumba and Cuban cha-cha as the world's top salsa dancers take to the floor in New Zealand during the next three days. Salsa on the Awa is hosting the third annual New Zealand Cuban Festival, which opens tonight. Salsa workshops today are open to the public (7pm-10.30pm) followed by a salsa dance party, and tomorrow workshops start from 9.30am and run to 5pm, with others on Sunday (9.30am-1pm).source

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Hoy nos llegan unas fotos de la orquesta femenina de Cuba -- Anacaona -- de su participación en los Premios Lucas 2011, este año presentado en el Teatro Karl Marx en la Habana. Gracias Ánika y Georgia.

Los Premios Lucas son premios otorgados en Cuba para los mejores video clip musicales. El premio surge por un programa de televisión que se comenzó a transmitir en Cuba alrededor del año 1995 el programa tuvo otros nombres como El patio de mi casa es... y Cáscara de mandarina pero finalmente pasó a llamarse simplemente Lucas y con él los Premios Lucas entregados a los mejores videos realizados en Cuba. En el año 2002 los premios amplían sus fronteras y pasan a ser Festival del videoclip cubano donde el evento ventral no son solo los premios en si, sino que viene acompañado de una serie de conciertos y presentaciones de las principales agrupaciones. A lo largo de los años, ha habido un incremento paulatino de la cantidad y calidad de los video clips presentados, lo cual ha sido un estímulo al desarrollo de los mismos. source

Los otros video nominados este año son: Si me besa tu boca (LEONI TORRES) - El cachito (KOLA LOKA) - Gente (RAUL PAZ) - Chupi-chupi (OSMANI GARCIA E INVITADOS) - A la my love (KOLA LOKA) - Llora si te duele (ANACAONA) - Pleistetion (BUENA FE) - Charanguero (CHARANGA HABANERA) - Mi televisor (MONEDA DURA ) y La suerte (CHARANGA HABANERA).

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As you know, we've had downloadable video files (also here) for the two volumes of Beyond Salsa Percussion for about a year. The downloadable .MOV files come with fancy video looping .XSC files, which we think are amazingly cool, and we were convinced that "DVD is dead" but apparently no one told the rest of the world about this, and, as they say, "the customer is always right", so here you have both Calixto volumes combined into one regular commercial DVD.

It also has some "raw footage extras" in the form of one extra solo and Calixto playing along with four NG La Banda classics (Santa Palabra, Picadillo de soya, Échale limón, and La bruja, with an excerpt from Murakami Mambo). These of course don't have the audio from NG track - all you hear is the drum parts. The downloadable videos are $10 each and the DVD, which contains both, plus the extras, is $25. In other video news, I now have footage, thanks to the indispensable Czech timbero Vasik, for Melón AND Alain Pérez, so Beyond Salsa Bass in all formats, and Melón's videos will be coming soon. Also working on Beyond Salsa for Ensemble, and the long-promised Beyond Salsa Bongó, featuring Carlos Caro should be out sometime in 2012. Here's some insane footage of Carlos soloing in my backyard (I wish my yard were as good as the solo!).

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view the complete photo gallery here
fotos cortesía de Peter Cheyne y  Patricio Sobrado

In the first weeks of August 2011, Calle Real was invited to play in Japan on a tour named Vivela Salsa tour 2011 = http://www.vivela.jp/2011/info_en.html

Since I moved to Santiago, Chile in 2010, I had played with the band in Israel in April 2011, and now I looked forward to meet the boys again for a 10 days tour in Japan.

I had a vague idea of what Japan was! But mostly from movies and design, a modern high-tech society on top of a disciplined aged culture with a passion for rituals. It pretty much summed my impression of Japan before the tour.

Visiting Japan with Calle Real, it did not change my generalized view of Japan in its essence, but it made me view it from the inside and added soul and flesh to the picture already in place. But to be honest, Japan vastly exceeded my expectations!

I had the wrong impression that the disciplined part of the culture would not let the Japanese people enjoy themselves unless very rigid conditions were fulfilled. And I was astonished by the vivid and joyful spirit of the salseros and timberos from Japan when partying, listening or actively receiving our music into their hearts, or when showing us appreciation as the dedicated fans they were.

I got enchanted by the details of the rituals in normal Japanese life. When waiting for the elevator as an example.

Everybody entering an elevator respectfully agrees with their eyes communication and body language who is going to enter first, the children, followed by the women and the man last of course, and if you are already are in the elevator, the entering people do nicely great you. This is different from many other cultures where entering the elevator is almost a race. read more...

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