Maykel Blanco isn't content just maintaining his own band Salsa Mayor at the top of the charts year after year, as with their new release "Que no me quiten la fe" (review coming soon). He has also dedicated himself to finding new ways to promote Cuban music and dance, both on the island and internationally.

Part of this endeavor is the 1st annual Carnaval de la Salsa, which will take place in Havana from February 25-28. The program (which is still subject to change) includes concerts by the most popular timba bands in Cuba: Los Van Van, Issac Delgado, Klímax, Manolito y su Trabuco, Paulo FG, Tanja Pantoja, Havana D'Primera, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, El Niño y La Verdad, Elito Revé y Su Charangón, Bamboleo and of course Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor.

That is more than enough to make the Carnaval de la Salsa a must-attend event for any timba fan. But Maykel hasn't forgotten the dancers who want to work on their cubania . By day you can take part in workshops with well-known Cuban dance instructors and the special participation of Maykel Fonts.

For the parties, Maykel (Blanco) is also bringing in international DJs such as Jack El Calvo (France), El Samurai (Italy) and Patricia La Peruana (France), as well as Cuba's best-known timba DJ  - Mandy. There will  be comparsas every day, so this really is going to be an amazing event. I am tempted to ask for vacation, even though I just got back from Cuba three weeks ago. Book your plane tickets now before the prices go up! We will keep you updated, and don't forget to follow Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor at Facebook .

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Calle Real's third CD is available today at on-line digital retailers, just in time for Christmas!

It has been a long road - six years to be exact - but with patience, dedication and faith the guys from Calle Real will celebrate the release of their third album with a release party tonight at Scala Theater in Stockholm, Sweden. I happen to be out-of-town as often seems to be the case when we have timba events in Stockholm, so I will not eb able to report on the party. But I have already bought the CD and can recommend it as an important addition to any timbero's collection, be you DJ, dancer or simply someone who likes to listen. If you're lucky enough to be at the concert tonight or catch them in concert next year - bring some extra cash and pick up a hardcopy! Stay tuned for the full album review!

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ENGLISH:   Jazz Plaza 2015, the 31st Edition of Havana's international Jazz Festival, will take place from December 17-20 in multiple venues in Havana.  This event includes classes, lectures and exhibits in the daytime along with multiple concerts every night in multiple venues in the city. This year's theme is Genres that Influence Jazz, and in addition to an excellent roster of Jazz artists, there will be a few invited guests from other genres including ZZ Top  and Kenny G .   You can read a lot more about Jazz Plaza at the Decubajazz website. 
ESPAÑOL:    Jazz Plaza 2015, la 31a edición del Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza, se celebrará del 17 al 20 diciembre en múltiples sedes en La Habana. Este evento incluye clases, conferencias y exhibiciones durante el día junto con múltiples conciertos cada noche en multiples lugares en la ciudad.  El tema de este año es Géneros musicales que influyen en el Jazz, y además de una excelente lista de artistas de jazz, habrán unos invitados de otros géneros como ZZ Top  y Kenny G.  Pueden  leer mucho más sobre Jazz Plaza en  el sitio web Decubajazz.

ENGLISH:  Before that, the third edition of the vocal competition Oye Mi Canto concludes at the Complejo Cultural Heredia in Santiago de Cuba on Saturday, December 12.  This competition has been in progress since September. 
ESPAÑOL : Antes de eso, la tercera edición del concurso vocal Oye Mi Canto concluye en el Complejo Cultural Heredia en Santiago de Cuba el sábado, 12 de diciembre.  Este concurso ha estado en progreso desde septiembre.

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Just in time for the holidays, two long-awaited timba releases will be dropping in December. First out is Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor with "Que no me quiten la fe", which will be available on December 18th. They are being very hush-hush about the 10 tracks on the album other than the songs we've already heard of such as "Te escapaste" and the title track. Maykel promises us that we'll be surprised.

Calle Real is also back after a six-year wait. On December 21st they will release their third CD - "Dime qué". The album contains an intro and 10 tracks (see below). We've heard some of the new songs in recent live performances. At this point you can really say that Calle Real has a sello . Some things that stand out are the laid-back groove and the unusual harmonies in many of the songs. I really enjoy the role of the horns in the new arrangements as well. ButI will leave the album review for later. For now just remember to save the dates December 18th and 21st!

Track list
Intro
Somos El Team
Donymood
Te Lo Di
Bienvenido
Créeme
Película en color
Hoah!
Oye!
Dime Qué
Entre La Espada y La Pared

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