The European summer tour season is off to an early start with Issac Delgado, Tirso Duarte, Pedrito Calvo Jr. and Septeto Nabori already on tour in May, among others! I was able to see Elito Revé y su Charangón on the Viking Line salsa cruise last month and will be catching the Supercubano himself, Issac Delgado, at the May 25th concert in Copenhagen. This will be the only concert in Scandinavia, by the way, so if you live in Sweden or Norway you should make a timba pilgrimage to see him! Doors open at 8:00pm and the pre-concert activities include my friend Salsani Salsa-dj spinning tunes and a salsa warm-up with Stine Ortvad and her Cuban Moves group at 9:00pm. The concert will be from 10:00pm-11:30pm and then the afterparties begin, first at Vesterbro Kulturhus and later at Club Mambo!
Advance tickets are 280 DKK at the door they cost 330 DKK
For more information: www.cubakultur.dk

The remaining concerts of Issac's tour are posted on his tours page so check it out to find a concert near you.

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continue reading Timbera Mayor

Currently #1 on Radio Timba ( http://timba.com.radio ) is a new, auto-biographical  track entitled "Lucharé".  If you listen, Tirso Duarte tells you...

"Sé que muchos se preguntan que me ha pasado, que si me he vuelto loco, que si estoy acabado, que si todavía estoy cantando y con quien ..... (I know many are wondering what happened to me, if I went crazy, if I'm finished, if I'm still singing and with who...)"

Well the answers are all laid out in this new release "Tirso Duarte y la Mecánica Loca" (Agorila).

Recorded in France and released by the French label Agorila, the album is a collaboration between Tirso and an award winning percussionist and band-leader Julien Garin. 

Click here to continue reading and review the full track list and musician listings....

Also from France and making the rounds on YouTube is a project from trumpeter / band-leader Alexander Batte called "Cuban Monsters". Based in Paris, their first single "La Rumba La Pongo Yo" features some excellent bass playing and mambos on this blend of traditional son / salsa that leads into a heavy timba coro-pregón. Enjoy! 

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continue reading Pa' Ponerte en Talla

It took a while but I finally got both halves of Alain playing bass with Havana d'Primera at their historic US debut. Check out at about 4:12 (and many other places!) after the video switches to the narrower iPhone clip. To me, the way Alain's is laying down the bomba is truly what timba is all about. The audio is not the greatest, but use your imagination - it was truly insane!

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continue reading La Última

ALL VISAS APPROVED for the Timba Mega Concert happening Memorial Day, Saturday May 26 in New York City. Live music begins at 6pm until 12am, and there is more dance music non-stop until 4am. Direct from Cuba, the following artists have their visas approved and are confirmed for the show (todas las visas aprobadas):

César Pupy Pedroso y los que Son Son 
Manolito y su Trabuco  
Lazarito Valdés y Bamboleo,  
Alexander Abreu & Habana D' Primera, 
José Luís Cortés y NG la Banda,  
With Special Guests:
 Mario Mayito Rivera & Pedro Calvo (ex-Los Van Van)
Tania Pantoja & Vania Borges (Ex-Bamboleo) 

AHORA LA COSA SE PUSO BUENA
To purchase TICKETS click here or call 1-888-584-3070 
** 10% discount promo code = Timba.com **

NEW VENUE From Havana's Copa Room to the Copacabana club in NYC, a truly historic night. The newly renovated 8 million dollar facility with huge dance floor is located at:

Copacabana 268 West 47th St., Corner of 8th Ave, NY, NY 10036

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continue reading Pa' Ponerte en Talla