It's almost time for the  16th Annual Havana Rhythm and Dance Festival - "La Fiesta del Tambor - Guillermo Barreto In Memoriam" . This year's festival will take place the second week of March in Havana and will feature guest artist Aldo Mazza. As with previous years the festival includes percussion and dance classes, performances and competitions. The percussion competition is open to all ages as is the Casino competition. There is also a Rumba dance competition for 15 years and older. Winners of the percussion competition will receive new instruments from brand such as  SABIAN, GON BOPS, PEARL, REGAL TIP, SONOC, and EVANS. Most events will be held in the following venues: Teatro Mella, Teatro Karl Marx, Sala Avenida, El Salón Rosado de La Tropical, Jardines del Teatro Mella and Hotel Palco.

There will also be concerts by the most popular timba and rumba groups, such as Orquesta Revé, Klímax, Paulo F.G., Havana D'Primera, El Niño y La Verdad, Manolitoy Su Trabuco, Azúcar Negra, Bamboleo, Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor, Osain del Monte, Yoruba Andabo, Los Papines, Rumberos de Cuba and more! If you can be in Havana for the festival, do it! For all the information (in Spanish) check out the Havana Rhythm and Dance Festival Official homepage. For information about tourist packages and lodging contact:

Roberto Risquet Redonet Valdés
Especialista Comercial Eventos
Paradiso Turismo Cultural
Email: eventos3@paradis.artex.cu
Email: redonetrisquet@yahoo.com
Tel: +(537) 8365381 / 8383908

And just in case you missed it, here is the most recent video released by Giraldo Piloto & Klímax!

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Timba 2017 continues to deliver. Today Soneros All Stars release a new CD - "El Que Corta El Bacalao". For this album tresero, bassist, arranger, producer Jan Miklos Bogdan collaborated with singers Emilio "El Niño" Frias, Pascual "Sinsonte" Matos and pianist Wilfredo "Pachy Jr." Naranjo to bring dancers and aficionados of Cuban music a non-stop dance album. "El Que Corta El Bacalao" is going to be a favorite of DJ and dancers this year. Click here for my full review of "El Que Corta El Bacalao".

In related news, Yanesito & Soneros All Stars are beginning to rehearse for an upcoming tour. When we have more information about the when and where of any concert dates, we'll post an update. In the meantime, enjoy the new album. It is available at all the large digital retailers, via music apps and at CDbaby , where you can even order a hardcopy.

Track list  
El Que Corta El Bacalao
Lo Siento
Tú No Eres Popular
El Panadero
Vengo De Cuba
Nunca Pensé

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Tony Moreaux is working on his first CD with his new group Asokere , based in Copenhagen. He has come a long way from his childhood in Guantanamo where his father is maraquero and singer with Changüí Guantanamo. Tony studied percussion at the Music Conservatory Esteban Salas in Santiago de Cuba and his timba career began with Carlos Manuel y Su Clan. In the year 2000 Tony relocated to Copenhagen, Denmark where he worked with orchestras such as Grupo Danson. He later became a member of Juan D'Marcos' Afro-Cuban All stars and toured the world extensively. Tony has now formed his own orchestra - Asokere. Last year they performed as a backing band for Tito Nieves on his European tour, and they are currently hard at work finishing their first album.

In 2016 Asokere released their first single "Pa' que aprendas" and Tony recently took time off to tell us a little about the band and their debut album slated for release later this year. Follow Asokere at their Official Facebook Page .

The CD will have 10 songs so that Cuban music lovers can enjoy themselves and dance to the music that I bring with Asokere. Our music style is popular dance music using different genres such as son, son montuno, pilón, cha cha chá, songo ... well it will  have a range of Cuban rhythms and a lot of rhythmic folkloric elements, which I am very interested in doing, since of course I have always been interested in the Yoruba religion. That's why my band's name is: Asokere. Asokere is a song to Eleggua in the Yoruba religion, and I, as Son of Eleggua, was interested in that song and from there came the name of the band.

The band members are Cubans and Danes. The singer is Henry Benitez better known in Cuba as "El Jerry" (ex-Pupy y Los Que Son Son singer). The pianist is Javier Gutiérrez Massó (El Caramelo de Cuba). Several of the members are involved in writing the arrangements, but I always put something of myself into the arrangements and the way in which I want to interpret the songs. This is to say it's always a collective work, because we all have different ways of thinking and of feeling the music.

The first single "Pa' que aprendas" is by the trumpet player Oslen Ceballo, an excellent arranger and trumpet player. The next songs that I will begin to record have arrangements by Maykel "Cuchilla" Garcia (pianist and member of Pupy y Los Que Son Son) and also arrangements by two magnificent musical producers and arrangers - Mauricio Cecilio Diaz and Roniel Alfonso Mella. I hope everyone enjoys it and that you like everything I bring, which is simply dance music for the dancers.

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ENGLISH:   Septeto Santiaguero is about to release a new recording, Raíz .  You can read our review here. 
There will also be an opportunity to hear a couple of  songs from the new album on Bill Tilford's radio program From the Isle of Music the week of January 30. 

ESPAÑOL:  Septeto Santiaguero está al punto de lanzar una nueva grabación, Raíz . Nuestra reseña está disponible aquí. 
También hay opportunidad de escuchar un par de canciones del nuevo álbum en el programa radial de Bill Tilford, From The Isle of Music , durante la semana del 30 de enero.     




ENGLISH:  January 26 marks the first anniversary of the passing of Miguel Angel Rasalps "Lele" , who sang with Elio Reve , was a founding vocalist with Los Van Van , and made many wonderful recordings with Los Reyes 73 in the 1970s.  On January 23, 27 and 28, the radio program From the Isle of Music will air a radio tribute with special guest Ricardo Delgado , saxophonist with Los Reyes 73 during the 1970s, with a heavy emphasis on the music of Los Reyes 73 . 
ESPAÑOL :  El 26 de enero es el primer aniversario del fallecimiento de Miguel Ángel Rasalps "Lele", quien cantó con Elio Reve , era vocalista fundador de Los Van Van y hizó muchas grabaciones maravillosas con Los Reyes 73 en los años 70. Los días 23, 27 y 28 de enero, el programa radial From Isle of Music emitirá un tributo radiofónica con el invitado especial Ricardo Delgado , saxofonista de Los Reyes 73 durante los años 70, con un fuerte énfasis en la música de Los Reyes 73. 

ENGLISH:  Juan-Carlos Formell and his side project Son Radical gave a performance in Chicago on January 13.    A small photo gallery is available here. 
ESPAÑOL:   Juan-Carlos Formell y su proyecto paralelo Son Radical dió un concierto en Chicago el 13 de Enero.   Una pequeña galería de fotos está disponsible aquí. 

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