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Fotos: Tom Ehrlich
Staff: Kristina Lim
Musicos: Juan Formell
Musicos: Yordamis Megret Planes
Musicos: Yasser Morejón Pino
Musicos: José Luis "Changuito" Quintana...
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Photos of the Day [hide]
FRONT PAGE - PRIMERA PLANA
Chicago's Festival Cubano Finds Itself
Timbalive To Close Festival Today
Are we having fun yet? Yes we are...
Despite dire warnings from a very small handful of self-appointed members of the Purity Of Our Party Patrol that the presence of a non-native taco here, an alcapurria there and the inclusion of some non-Cuban musicians in the entertainment roster would inflict irreparable emotional trauma on attendees, a very large crowd had a very good time at Festival Cubano last night in Chicago. We'll bring you a full report in a couple of days, but if you are in or near Chicago, get there today, the last day of the Festival. Timbalive, Cachao Mambo All Stars, hey, if you aren't already hooked yet, go to thecubanfestival.com for the rest of the lineup, where and when its at etc. and that should finish the job.
(What are those weird blotches in the center by Alfredo's head? We don't know either, but we decided to leave them in because they remind us of our favorite science fiction movies, and we're curious to see whether anyone accuses him of being from the 8th dimension now. We'll have crisp, blemish-free pictures of him and the band for you in a couple of days...)
One of the highlights was when Alfredo de la Fe, wired for sound, took his violin out into the crowd to solo.The crowd went crazy, and it got more fired up after that as the evening progressed. By the time Jerry Rivera was on, it was like a Rock concert, but in a good way.
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Calixtomania
Calixto Returns to Modern Drummer and Northern California
Beyond Salsa Percussion is featured in the September issue of Modern Drummer magazine, probably the most high profile exposure we've got since the series was launched. This is Calixto's second feature in the magazine, the last one being in 1994 as part of a "The Drummers of Cuba" series along with Enrique Pla and Changuito.
In other Calixto news, the maestro has actually moved himself and his talented family to Denver, CO. He'll also be featured on an ongoing basis as an "artist in residence" in conjunction Cal State LA's prestigious Latin Music graduate program. And he'll be playing three gigs in Northern California as part of Edgardo Gambón's "A Tribute to the Timbales" concert series. The first will be on Aug. 10th at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest..
Happy Birthday Juanito!
photos by Tom Ehrlich-Yoshi's SF-2010
The master turns 71 today and is still cranking out the hits. No other figure (except Pupy) has managed to stay so consistently on the cutting edge with generation after generation of young audiences. For a trip down memory lane, check out our History of Van Van and our comprehensive Los Van Van Discography.
From the 2013 DVD "Van Van 40" by director Ian Padrón
Festival Cubano in Chicago August 2-4
Also: AC Jazz Project in Los Angeles August 3
The 4th annual Festival Cubano, a 3-day celebration of Cuban music, will take place on August 2-4 in Riis Park in Chicago. The band roster this year has a really nice mix of local and out of town acts - some of Saturday's highlights include Xiomara Laugart and Alfredo de la Fe (the closing act that night is Salsero Jerry Rivera ). Sunday packs a wallop with Charangueo, Mambo Fino, Hector Silveira y su Orquesta, and Sureya followed by the Cachao Mambo All Stars. Timbalive, which was nominated for a Cubadisco award in 2012, a rare honor for a dance band in the United States, closes the festival. For tickets and the complete schedule for this don't-miss event visit thecubanfestival.com
In Los Angeles, on Saturday August 3 at Vitello's, the AC Jazz Project is having a pre-release party featuring material from its new CD Conga Buena, which is due for release in September. This band is led by trumpeter Josiel Pérez, who played with Maraca's band and Klimax in Cuba, and it brings together a formidable team of musicians (some of them cut their teeth in NG la Banda, Grupo Afrocuba and Opus 13, and percussion monster Luis Conte is the featured conguero). This writer has heard the tracks from the new recording, a potent mix of Jazz and Música Popular Bailable, and it is going to turn some heads when it comes out. For more information, see vitellosjazz.com
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