Omara & Chucho

Omara Portuondo and Chucho Valdés are back together with their second album titled "Omara & Chucho". They continue their exploration of the emotive power of simplicity. They present a selection of tunes that bear personal meaning to them, and present these songs unadorned, naked. With the exception of Wynton Marsalis on "Esta Tarde Vi Llover" and Rossio Jimenez Blanco with backing vocals on "Huesito", the album is just Chucho's piano and Omara's voice. They are two people completely exposed, sharing an intimacy with their listeners. The music is primarily a mix of boleros, trova moving into fílin. This is not salsa, but music to be listened to as you sit drinking a glass of wine with your loved one a warm summer evening or a cold winter night in front of the fire.

Click here for the full review and a track listing.

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viernes, 03 junio 2011, 02:58 pm

NG La Bnada @ SOBs Following on the heels of the recent concert by La Charanga Habanera, El Tosco & NG La Banda will perform June 16th at SOBs in New York. You can already order your tickets on-line. Don't miss out on your chance to see the band that started it all! And if you're a reggaeton fan, SOBs will feature Gente D'Zona and El Chacál on June 11th!

The musical genre we now call Timba was created by NG La Banda, but as Cuban music expert Arturo "Marcané" Gómez points out, it was not created out of thin air. As our "Genealogy of Timba Family Tree" shows, Pachito Alonso and Gérman Velazco played with Orquesta Revé and he and José "El Greco" Crego, Carlos Averhoff, and José Munguía played in Irakere along with flautist and leader, José Luis "El Tosco" Cortés, who had previously written and played for Los Van Van.

NG La Banda - sIMPLEMENTE lO mEJOR NG La Banda amalgamated the innovations of the groups that came before it with many of its own to create a type of music that wasn't Son, Songo or Rumba - nor was it Rock, Jazz or Funk. It had ample amounts of each blended in, but its most potent component was something entirely new - something that was born in the streets and barrios of Havana in the late 1980's as the Berlin Wall crumbled. Cortés called it "Timba". illustrates, NG began as an all-star group which drew members from the most important pre-Timba bands.

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miércoles, 04 mayo 2011, 01:44 pm

Sierra Maestra on tour now!

Tour season is upon us and we are starting to update the tour section for more and more groups, so keep a close eye on the tours section and send an e-mail if you know about any concerts we are missing. Currently Havana D'Primera are in Quebec where they will give two presentations, Tiempo Libre is on tour in the US in support of their new release "My Secret Radio", and the defenders of son, Sierra Maestra are touring Europe. They will be stopping here in my hometown of Stockholm on May 7th. There is nothing as tasty as a good son, so check their full tour schedule to find a concert near you!

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jueves, 14 abril 2011, 10:46 am

Timberos around the world, take some time today to celebrate a tu manera with Giraldo Piloto and Klímax who are celebrating their 16th anniversary! Having just returned from a European tour there hasn't been time to plan the official celebration event; it will come soon and we will keep you updated. But for now the band is celebrating this morning with friends at Casa De la Música Miramar. Rumor has it there will be plenty of cake, ensalada y ron! I was congratulating Piloto this morning and he asked me to send a "saludo" to all the readers of Timba.com and says "Los queremos". Well Piloto, let me speak on behalf of all timberos and say we love you and your band too! Thank you for all the years of enjoyment you have brought us. We look forward to many more!

Canadians will be happy to hear that Klímax will be performing there soon, June 3-5. All details will be posted as soon as we are fully updated.

For now let me leave you with a video from the album "Solo tú y yo"
the hit "La Permuta" sung by Leo Garrido.