BUENA FE & DESCEMER BUENO

UPDATE: Buena Fe has announced that they will be back in the US again soon. Details will be released soon at BUENA FE (PAGINA OFICIAL)

Israel Rojas & Yoel Martínez of Buena Fe with Descemer Bueno
Photo courtesy of BUENA FE (PAGINA OFICIAL)

There are three categories of people when it comes to Buena Fe. There are those who are already fans, such as myself and a great number of timberos, hence I am stubbornly writing about them here at timba.com. Then there are those who recognize the name of the band and even recognize some of their songs but haven't put two and two together yet. For these people it is a revelation when they finally discover "Oh! That song is by Buena Fe!". And the third category is people who are just about to become Buena Fe fans, and some of you reading this post are in this category.

Buena Fe is arguably the most popular of the new generation of troveros. The band was founded as a duo in 1999, and has since grown to include six members and has recorded seven studio albums and released two live DVD/CD sets. Buena Fe also has the flexibility of being able to perform either as a duo or in the larger

Photo by Gabriel Davalos -fotógrafo-

format. Their music can be described as trova-fusion. The lyrics are poetry about contemporary Cuban life covering everything from social critique to some of the most gorgeous love songs I've ever heard. They are set to whatever type of music will best transmit the message, so the music varies from pop to rock to son-reggaeton to changüí-pop, to ballads and whatever else they decide to mix together. There is no question that this formula has been successful, taking the founders, Israel Rojas and Yoel Martínez, from Guantanamo to Havana, and from there to Latin America, Europe and the US, and building them a passionate fan base around the world.

Descemer Bueno is an amazingly versatile artist who has had a jazz band with Elmer Ferrer and Roberto Carcassés, was a member of Yerba Buena and co-writer of many of their hits, has worked as a composer, producer and arranger for artists such as Haydée Milanés, Yusa and Enrique Iglesias, as well as composing some of the songs for the soundtrack of "Havana Blues". Descemer released his solo album "Siete Rayo" in 2005 and the CD "Amor y Música" which he recorded with Kelvis Ochoa in 2008. For more of Descemer's music, check out his YouTube channel. He is currently working on another album, which is simply titled "Bueno" and is planned for release in 2012. Descemer is recording with a number of Cuban artists on the new CD, including Buena Fe, and that is what leads us back to the purpose of this post.

This is the first time that Israel and Descemer have worked together. The song they wrote is titled "Ser de sol" and is a beautiful bachata in the style of Juan Luis Guerra. This collaboration has given rise to the idea of doing an entire album together like they did with the CD "Extremistas Nobles" where Buena Fe and Frank Delgado collaborated. This is an excellent idea and I hope it comes to fruition!

Last Monday, 2 July 2012, Buena Fe uploaded the video clip for "Ser de sol" to their Facebook page and to YouTube. I think it is safe to say that it wasn't exactly what fans might have expected. The story was written by director Ian Padrón and isn't exactly the typical love triangle one might expect. I won't spoil the surprise by giving any more away, but there are other interesting elements to this video as well. For example, it seems to be a look at a sort of Yummie lifestyle (Young Urban Martianos), complete with a party on a boat and the consumption of sushi. Another somewhat shocking aspect was the drinking of Cristal beer from Bucanero glasses! Was this double product placement or an attempt to be fair and equal to both brands? ;)

I've said enough. Check out the video below, and I highly recommend that you go to Facebook and visit BUENA FE (PAGINA OFICIAL). They are the only Cuban band I know of that has nearly daily updates on their page, including a lot of photos and videos. You will also find live video of the first perfomance of "Ser de sol" as well as "Making of Ser de sol" video. Click "Like" so you can keep up-to-date on all their activities. I don't think these guys ever take a day off. They are currently touring Granma, despite the cholera problem, and will then move on to Las Tunas. In August they will be back in Europe and I will finally get to see them live at Latinoamericando in Milan! Expect a concert report! Click here for a list of tour dates but keep in mind that your best bet for current info is BUENA FE (PAGINA OFICIAL). You can also visit their YouTube page.

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domingo, 08 julio 2012, 04:39 am

The summer tour of Pupy y Los Que Son Son was delayed due to paperwork issues that kept them from receiving their visas in time, but better late than never. They are now in Europe and will perform tonight in Paris at New Morning.

Pupy y los que son son - No te dejé por mala - El Noro on lead vocals

We have published a list of confirmed dates for Manolito y Su Trabuco who will be tourng in August. I am thrilled to see that they will be playing in Sweden and Gothenburg's annual Kulturkalaset in Kungstorget on August 16th. That is where I will be! They have more dates pending confirmation so check their Tours page again at the end of July. Manolito is currently working on the new CD "Sin Freno" but it won't be out in time for the tour.

Lázaro "Mayami" Díaz sings the title track from the coming CD "Sin Freno"
lyrics by Alexander Abreu

This year Kulturkalast is a gold mine for fans of Cuban music. X Alfonso will play there on August 17th. If you are en inveterate Timba Geek and don't know X Alfonso's work, he is known for intelligent, profound lyrics combined with a hiphop/soul/funk music, and his videos are always full of beautiful imagery. I'll just let his music and his moving lyrics speak for themselves. We have posted the confirmed dates for his tour which for now are focused on Northern Europe. But there is also more to come in X tour plans so stay tuned!

X Alfonso "De Corazón"

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miércoles, 04 julio 2012, 07:40 am

Maykel Blanco y Salsa Mayor continue to demonstrate why they are one of the most popular acts in timba today with a concert in Rome on Friday. The European Tour is winding down so if you have a chance to catch a flight to Rome, don't hesitate. I've followed this band for five years now and they just keep getting hotter and hotter. The singer line-up is excellent and the band is tighter than ever. The final concert of the tour will be Saturday in Viareggio, and then the band returns to Cuba to finish their new CD. There's nothing like live video to bring it all home to you so enjoy the video from the Zouka Cuba festival in Laudun, France.

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viernes, 29 junio 2012, 03:22 am

Orquesta Pomo

Good news timba fans! Sweden's youngest timba band is currently back in the studio working on their first album, and tomorrow CubanNight @ Kägelbanan at Södra Teatern in Stockholm will host the second show by Orquesta Pomo .

I caught their debut performance at Mosebacke on April 15, 2012 and was very impressed. Director, pianist and arranger Jonas Pomo has made a point of handpicking the musicians and then sticking to his guns, no matter the cost. The results speak for themselves. I filmed the April concert, but due to technical difficulties and aging equipment, I have not been able to download the video from the mini-DV cassette where it sits patiently waiting. DJs in Europe and South America have been less patient, and I have had repeated requests for audio or video from that show. Sorry guys...still nothing to share with you.

But in the meantime let me say that the band is very well-rehearsed and boasts a smokin' horn section. Carlos Pérez is currently in Cuba, but Peter Fredriksson and Niklas Viisanen are on trombone and the trumpet section consists of Yuliesky Gonzales, Oslen Ceballo, Johan Nordefeldt and Rickard Lindgren. At the April concert we were treated to solos by all of the horn players that left the audience cheering.

In addition to being beautiful and having a rich voice, lead singer Cecilia Ferrer is charismatic and professional. One thing I noticed was that there wasn't a lot of "muela". The performance was geared towards dancers with smooth transitions between songs. But I think the best way for you to get an idea of what the debut concert was like is to watch some video; this was recorded on an iPhone I believe. Enjoy!

"El Juego" - Orquesta Pomo @ Mosebacke 15 April 2012

You can keep up with the latest news about Orquesta Pomo at Facebook .
The line-up for tomorrow's concert is:
Jonas Pomo, piano
Cecilia Ferrer, lead vocals
Aksel Friberg, bass
Linus Svanberg, congas
Magnus Almqvist, drums & timbales
Jonas Landolsi, güiro
Cristian Guerra, vocals
Alex Saltell, vocals
Cristina Pomo, vocals
Yuliesky Gonzalez, trumpet
Oslen Ceballo, trumpet
Johan Nordefeldt, trumpet
Rickard Lindgren, trumpet
Peter Fredriksson, trombone
Nikolas Viisanen, trombone