ENGLISH:   Although the formal booklet is not ready yet, the Cubadisco team in Havana (a thousand thank-you's to them!) was kind enough to share the list of nominees in Cubadisco 2017 as well as the schedule of events.   When the final booklet is available, we will also share that with you here. Cubadisco is Cuba's most important music awards program and much, much more- an academic symposium, a commercial fair, and always many wonderful concerts in genres across Cuba's musical spectrum.  
The nominees are available here.     Congratulations to all!
The schedule is available here. 



ESPAÑOL:  Aunque el folleto formal no está listo todavia, el equipo de Cubadisco en la Habana (¡mil gracias a ellos!) tuvo la amabilidad de compartir el listado de nominados en Cubadisco 2017 y el horario de los eventos con nosotros.  Les compartir el folleto formal aquí en cuanto este disponible.   
Cubadisco es la premiación musical más importante en Cuba y mucho más - un simposio académico, una feria comercial, y siempre un montón de maravillosos conciertos en todo el espectro musical de Cuba. 
Los nominados están disponibles aquí
¡Felicidades a todos!
El horario está disponible aquí

If you missed the livestream of the International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert from Havana, the video has been posted by the Jazzday.com team.  Enjoy. 

leave a comment

continue reading Sin Clave No Hay Na

ENGLISH:  Many thanks to the Instituto Cubano de la Música for sending us the Spanish-language version of the message of the Director General of Unesco, Irina Bokova, about International Jazz Day, which you can download here,   and  the final program in Spanish, which you can download here. 
As you will notice from the program booklet, there are actually several days of exciting events and concerts. 
Remember also that a live concert is streaming Sunday from Havana here.  

ESPAÑOL:  Muchísimas gracias al Instituto Cubano de la Música, por enviarnos el mensaje de la Directora General de UNESCO, Irina Bokova , acerca del Día Internacional del Jazz, que se puede descargar aquí,  y el folleto libro final del programa, que se puede descargar aquí. 
Como se notará en el folleto libro del programa, en realidad hay varios díás de eventos y conciertos emocionantes. 
Recuerde también que puede ver el concierto de domingo en vivo via Internet aquí.  

ENGLISH:  In honor of International Jazz Day, Bill Tilford's radio program From the Isle of Music will be featuring Jazz recordings from Cuba and an interview in Spanish with Gloria Ochoa , a very important figure in Cuba's music industry today. You can read about when and how to listen live here . 
ESPAÑOL :  En honor del Día Internacional del Jazz, el programa radial de Bill Tilford, From the Isle of Music , va a proponer grabaciones del Jazz de Cuba además de una entrevista con Gloria Ochoa , una figura muy importante en la industria de música en Cuba hoy.  Puede leer cuándo y cómo escuchar el progama en vivo aquí.  

leave a comment

continue reading Sin Clave No Hay Na

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY IN HAVANA, APRIL 30, 2017

April 30 is the 5th annual International Jazz Day, and Cuba is the host country for the All Star Global Concert this year!  Actually, there is more or less a week of activities around this day, and more than 50 prominent artists from 14 countries (including, of course, Cuba) are participating.  Best of all, the website http://jazzday.com/concert/   will be streaming a special concert live on the 30th.   For a lot more information, visit the website just mentioned.  The lineup is stunning, and this writer deeply regrets not being there in person.   

New Website for the Instituto Cubano de la Música

The Instituto Cubano de la Música has an excellent new website, and even though they tell me that it is still a work in progress (what website isn't, really?), it already has a lot of useful information. 
Check it out at  http://dcubamusica.cult.cu/

Film:  Esteban by Jonal Cosulluela with musical score by Chucho Valdés

I will be watching this in Chicago this week, but I believe that it is traveling the festival circuit now.   It is the Director's debut, and it is about a boy who is musically gifted.   You can read more
here

New from BIS Music:  Cuba y Puerto Rico Un abrazo musical salsero

Not the first Cuba-Puerto Rico project by any means, but the promo video looks and sounds promising.    More after this writer has tasted more of it.    

CUBADISCO 2017


Cubadisco 2017 is coming in a couple of weeks.   Watch for more information soon.

leave a comment

continue reading Sin Clave No Hay Na

           ACAS at Kuumbwa Jazz Center - all photos by Tom Ehrlich - full gallery coming soon

The current incarnation of Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars may be the best in its legendary, star-studded 20-year history. They'll be in LA at the Catalina Bar & Grill tonight through Saturday and in Phoenix on Sunday.

De Marcos quipped that when he started the band he was the youngest member, surrounded by octogenarian legends. Now he's the oldest and he's assembled a blazing hot young band that's as much about innovation as celebrating the past.

Tany Allende, Caleb Michel, Asley Rosell, Marcos Crego, Jiovanni Cofiño

The rhythm section is tight, intense and never too loud - with de Marcos' daughter Gliceria on vibes and synth, ex-Klímax pianist Marcos Crego, ex-Revé musical director Jiovanni Cofiño on bass and a stunning young rhythm section with Arizona-born Caleb Michel on timbales, Tany Allende on congas and newcomer Asley Rosell on bongó.

Juan de Marcos

De Marcos has become an excellent singer and now uses only one additional lead vocalist, Emilio Suárez, who's also started contributing original compositions. 

Juan de Marcos, Laura Lydia González

But what continually blows me away about this band is the horn section. While finding a spot in the band for his younger daughter Laura, de Marcos hit on an idea that works so brilliantly it's a wonder that no other bands have adopted it. Placing a bass clarinet below three trumpets creates a completely unique sound and an ensemble capable of sounding as in tune as three trombones, and as ferocious as the agile, but often unruly combination of trumpets and saxes.

Laura Lydia González

Laura Lydia González combines the accuracy and perfect intonation of a classical player with the bite and rhythmicattack of a percussionist. She also solos on the standard Bb clarinet as I've never heard it played - almost reinventing the instrument. The traditionally straight-laced clarinet tends to be more accurate but less expressive than the sax, but Laura plays with a wailing, soaring tone that sounds more like a soulful trumpet. If you're anywhere near LA or Phoenix don't miss this one.

                   Juan de Marcos, Emilio Suárez, Laura González, Gliceria González

leave a comment

continue reading La Última