It's time for our annual month of Gabriel-envy. A few hours after touching down at José Martí International Airport, the intrepid timbera blogger stumbled into a Havana d'Primera concert without even trying ... sigh ...

For La Unteresita's exploits in greater detail, check Yemayá's Verse daily for the next month or so - it's the next best thing to being there.

Actually -- and I have to pinch myself as I type this -- this time,  the next best thing to being there just might be ... gasp ... being in San Francisco! We Have:

June 12 - Los Terry at Yerba Buena (free!) 
June 12 - Silvio Rodríguez at the Paramount in Oakland
June 12 - Pupy y Los Que Son Son at Cócomo in SF

(and yes ... Tom Ehrlich plans to be at all 3 ... I'm skipping "Cuba's Bob Dylan" (don't worry - I'll listen to Blonde on Blonde to console myself).

June 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 - Pupy y Los Que Son Son at each Yoshi's venue.

July 9, 10, 11 - Elito Revé, por fin!

And last but not least, in book news, we're planning another series - "Inside Cuban Percussion" - with the first featured artist being none other than Calixto Oviedo. Stay tuned.

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

My Cuban landlord Pablo Menéndez returns to California with his full Cuban band, featuring Octavio Rodríguez, for the first time since the dark ages of the Bush Administration. You can pay homage at:

Kuumbwa Jazz Center - Santa Cruz - TONIGHT - Monday, May 24

Yoshi's Oakland - Thursday, May 27

Click "Continue Reading La Última" for more photos by Tom Ehrlich

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

Manolito y su Trabuco will be in New York at SOBs on Thursday (May 20) and in Chicago at 6:00 p.m. at Park West on Friday (May 21). Support Timba in La Yuma!

And click here for Tom Ehrlich's gallery from last week's show in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, the Pupy Pedroso tour is looking solid, with:

June 11 - Los Angeles - Sportsmen's Lodge
June 12 - San Francisco - Cócomo
June 14 & 15 - San Francisco - Yoshi's
June 16, 17, & 18 - Oakland - Yoshi's

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

Leyder Chapman's Dos 4 y Los Míos is primarily a reguetón group but it's a reguetón group with live timba musicians, and several of the very best live timba musicians in the Bay Area, including Colin Douglas on drums and Jason Möen on piano. DJ Walt Digz is also in the band, so  if you're looking for an excuse to warm up to reguetón before it takes its rightful place beside Disco in the music history books, this is the gig.

Dos 4 y Los Míos - Yoshi's - San Francisco - Tuesday, May 18

leave a comment

continue reading La Última