Esto es Havana D' Primera....de primera. The performances speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Se Te Olvidó Quien Soy

Claudia - Latin Jazz

Rosa La Peligrosa

Sabroso - Descarga Cachao

These videos are now loaded on the Havana D' Primera Video page in progress.
Videography by Tom Ehrlich = https://www.timba.com/users/tomehrlich
Mastering by Michael Lazarus = http://latinmusicmastering.com

Alexander Abreu - leader, vocals, trumpet
Tony Rodríguez - piano
Avis Tobías - bass
Harold Díaz Escobar - teclado
Keisel Jiménez - drums/percussion
Guillermo del Toro Varela - drums/percussion
Mauricio Gutiérrez Upman - drums/percussion
Amaury Pérez Rodríguez - trombone
Jannier Rodríguez - coro
Enrique Luis Pérez - coro
Rogelio Nápoles - guitar
Uyuni Martínez Romero - trumpet
Orlando Jesús Vázquez - trumpet
Angel Batule - sound engineer

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Breaking News: Mayimbe Auditioning New Singers - As we receive photos, reports and feedback from the Mayimbe tour of the US, the breaking news is that front-line singers Marcelo (Marcelo Villar Cano) and Angelito (Ángel Ramírez Ballesteros) are not part of the band anymore, and that auditions are in process for their replacements. Maybe it's a case of soloist dreams after their incredible reception, as all their concerts were well attended and the band was tight and rehearsed, but at the end of the day this is the music business, and the ultimate currency of this business is "the song". Click here to view the official press release (in larger size) from Bárbaro Fines and the band.  Or here for the text version (look below the press image).

Word from Florentine Gardens in Los Angeles - De La Habana a Peru a LOS ANGELES! Los Mayimberos ya nacieron en L.A. The Concert started just after after midnight on Friday night. Before the show, I had the chance to meet with the director Barbaro Fines. I was excited to meet with him and discuss this amazing band, his first smokin album "De la Habana a Peru" and his future projects. He seemed pretty emotional at times during our conversation, actually breaking out in tears at times, especially when describing his amazing story and odyssey of finding his passion for Cuban Music once again upon arrival in a foreign country named "Peru". He said "This first album I wrote on the floor of my worn down immigrant motel room after arriving in Lima. I wrote it thinking of my family, friends and my homeland of Cuba which I had left behind. This first album is for them and for my future family, I hope it is to one day become a part of my legacy". He says his second album named "Mensajeros de Olofi" is due out in the coming months (editor's note - may take some more time as the old singers will be replaced in these new tracks). It was amazing to witness this band, the energy and the audience as well. Mainly all young South American / Peruvian in attendance. The turnout was great, about 300-400 persons. The band sounded very tight LIVE as if I was listening to them in a studio. They opened with their Mayimbe intro song, followed up by the very popular "El Diablo" track!  Kudos to San Francisco / Bay Area though as when asked which city was his favorite on this U.S tour thus far, to my surprise, Barbaro's response was "San Francisco". "It has been our most significant and important stop along the tour, It's a very important plaza for Mayimbe" . 
On assignment for Timba.com
David "MANGO" González

Girls get it on with Mayimbe at Florentine Gardens in Los Angeles

Bárbaro Fines y su Mayimbe at Florentine Gardens in Los Angeles

Director and pianist Bárbaro Fines lays it down in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Bárbaro Fines y su Mayimbe in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Bárbaro Fines y su Mayimbe at S.O.B.s in New York

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photo by Tom Ehrlich - 2009 - with the Afro-Cuban All Stars

Calixto Oviedo - of NG La Banda, The Afro-Cuban All Stars, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son, Pachito Alonso (to say nothing of Pacho himself), and Beyond Salsa Percussion - will lead a incredible band at New York's Jazz Standard club tonight, Tuesday, July 9, as part of the New Dimensions In Lazz Jazz, Cuban Drum Series.

It's an amazing band, featuring:

Gustavo Ramírez: played with NG, now probably the best timba pianist on the West Coast.

Mauricio Herrera: played drums with Paulito, 90 Miles, and many others; has now been tearing up the New York scene and YouTube for several years. Here he is with Pedrito Martínez. 

Carlos Averhoff, Jr.: Issac's ex-saxophonist and the son of NG La Banda's and Irakere's Carlos Averhoff, Sr.

Nestor Del Prado: an accomplished Latin jazz bassist, played on varios projects with saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, trumpeter Zoltan Grof, and vibist Pedro Alfonso among many others.

Catch them if you can. Calixto will also be in California later this summer playing a series of gigs with Edgardo Gambón's Candela.

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Mezcla gave a very successful performance at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on June 29, 2013.  Kudos to the OTS for its continued leadership role in presenting this music in Chicago. For a photo gallery and review of the concert, click here.

If you weren't at their California, Colorado or Chicago concerts, there is still a way for you to connect with the experience.  The group has set up a Kickstarter page to help defray some of the expenses of the tour (yes, this is an unusual step for a band from Cuba, but this was largely a "do-it-yourself" tour on their part), and as is the case with Kickstarter generally, some interesting premiums are being offered for different levels of support. The page will be active until July 22, so visit now if you are a fan of Mezcla. 
Click here for Mezcla's Kickstarter page, which includes a video.

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