Vancouver will host their first-ever Cuban Music Festival October 16-19 at the Performance Works on Granville Island! The festival is a celebration of Cuban culture incuding dance classes, screenings of the movie "They Are We", children's events and concerts. If you're on the west coast of Canada or the US this is worth the trip! For the full progam and ticket information click here.

Concert line-up:
16th - Waldo Mendoza, Pedrito Calvo
17th - Tanja Pantoja & Azúcar Negra
18th - Afro-Latin Groove & Friends, Sixto Llorente "El Indio" & Gardi
19th - Azúcar Negra CD release concert

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Sinsonte, El Niño & Yanesito @EGREM MIramar

On March 26, 2014 Soneros All Stars released their third album "Lolo", but before it even hit the streets Jan Miklas Bogdan "Yanesito", was already back in Havana working on his next project. It is a collaboration with Havana's hottest new act El Niño y la Verdad, who just celebrated their first anniversary on June 27th. The new album is titled "El Que Corta El Bacalao" and is slated for released in January 2015. Recorded in EGREM Studios in Miramar, the compositions are by Yanesito and Emilio Frias "El Niño" with arrangments and musical production by Yanesito, Wilfredo Naranjo "Pachy Jr." and Dairon Ortega. Yanesito has uploaded a teaser with behind-the-scenes clips from the studio of one of the songs. "Vengo de Cuba", with Pascual Matos "Sinsonte" on lead vocals. Check it out!

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ENGLISH:  Chuchito Valdés and Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas  both visited Chicago this week during multi-city tours. 
A photo gallery and mini-review of Chuchito's performances are available here. 
A photo gallery and mini-review of Chappottin's performances are available here. 
ESPAÑOL:  Chuchito Valdés y Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas  ambos visitaron Chicago esta semana durante sus giras en varias ciudades.
Una galería de fotos y mini-reseña de los shows de Chuchito Valdés están disponibles aquí 
Una galería de fotos y mini-reseña de los shows de Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas están disponibles aquí 

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The 14th annual Festival Bayamo is in full swing. To my knowledge it is Europe's longest and certainly the most beautiful Cuban festival of the year, located at Fort Napoleon on the French Riviera. While it's easy to get caught up in the line-up of outstanding bands performing each year, there is much more to the Festival Cubain Bayamo. The festival also offers dance classes, conferences, art exhibitions and Cuban cuisine. Click here for all the information (in French).

But getting back to the bands...each year features four nights of dancing under the stars to the most exciting orchestras on tour. This year the first concert was Contrabando from Belgium. Esto sí es pa' gozar!

Tomorrow Los Conquistadores de La Salsa from Peru take the stage, Friday it will be Elito Revé y Su Charangón and closing the festival is Oderquis Revé y Su Changüí. I was lucky enough to attend in 2008 and what more can you ask than lounging on the Riviera, shopping and soaking up Cuban culture by day, and sweating to timba by night? This festival is really a must for all serious timberos. If you can't make it this year, start planning for July 2015!

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