As you know, we've had downloadable video files (also here) for the two volumes of Beyond Salsa Percussion for about a year. The downloadable .MOV files come with fancy video looping .XSC files, which we think are amazingly cool, and we were convinced that "DVD is dead" but apparently no one told the rest of the world about this, and, as they say, "the customer is always right", so here you have both Calixto volumes combined into one regular commercial DVD.

It also has some "raw footage extras" in the form of one extra solo and Calixto playing along with four NG La Banda classics (Santa Palabra, Picadillo de soya, Échale limón, and La bruja, with an excerpt from Murakami Mambo). These of course don't have the audio from NG track - all you hear is the drum parts. The downloadable videos are $10 each and the DVD, which contains both, plus the extras, is $25. In other video news, I now have footage, thanks to the indispensable Czech timbero Vasik, for Melón AND Alain Pérez, so Beyond Salsa Bass in all formats, and Melón's videos will be coming soon. Also working on Beyond Salsa for Ensemble, and the long-promised Beyond Salsa Bongó, featuring Carlos Caro should be out sometime in 2012. Here's some insane footage of Carlos soloing in my backyard (I wish my yard were as good as the solo!).

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view the complete photo gallery here
fotos cortesía de Peter Cheyne y  Patricio Sobrado

In the first weeks of August 2011, Calle Real was invited to play in Japan on a tour named Vivela Salsa tour 2011 = http://www.vivela.jp/2011/info_en.html

Since I moved to Santiago, Chile in 2010, I had played with the band in Israel in April 2011, and now I looked forward to meet the boys again for a 10 days tour in Japan.

I had a vague idea of what Japan was! But mostly from movies and design, a modern high-tech society on top of a disciplined aged culture with a passion for rituals. It pretty much summed my impression of Japan before the tour.

Visiting Japan with Calle Real, it did not change my generalized view of Japan in its essence, but it made me view it from the inside and added soul and flesh to the picture already in place. But to be honest, Japan vastly exceeded my expectations!

I had the wrong impression that the disciplined part of the culture would not let the Japanese people enjoy themselves unless very rigid conditions were fulfilled. And I was astonished by the vivid and joyful spirit of the salseros and timberos from Japan when partying, listening or actively receiving our music into their hearts, or when showing us appreciation as the dedicated fans they were.

I got enchanted by the details of the rituals in normal Japanese life. When waiting for the elevator as an example.

Everybody entering an elevator respectfully agrees with their eyes communication and body language who is going to enter first, the children, followed by the women and the man last of course, and if you are already are in the elevator, the entering people do nicely great you. This is different from many other cultures where entering the elevator is almost a race. read more...

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Once again I am amazed and confounded by the Cuba - Sweden connection. In a country where the entire population is only equivalent to New York City, we have now at least 8 timba bands that all produce original material at an international level. In addition there are a couple of groups that are currently doing timba covers and several son groups. I still don't know why Swedish musicians seem to be so attracted to timba, but why look a gift horse in the mouth? I just enjoy the fruits of their labors.

The newest timba group in Stockholm is so new it doesn't even have a name but it does have two original singles. Under the direction of 21-year old pianist Jonas Pomo and with the lovely Cecilia Ferrer on lead vocals, they are bringing timba fans a soulful timba. Jonas does the arrangements and he and Cecilia have worked on the lyrics together.

The first single “No Tiene Caso” is at Soundcloud now and will be released on iTunes and Spotify in early December. The second single, “Toco Fondo”, will be out in January.

I did a short interview with Jonas where he answered questions about his background, the singles and the sello of the band, which is currently just going under his name. Click here to read the interview.

Click here to listen to the single “No Tiene Caso”

Bandmembers: 
Jonas Pomo, piano & coros
Cecilia Ferrer, lead vocals
Pablo Cepeda, coros
Whitney Hernandez, coros
Linus Svanberg, congas
Magnus Almqvist, drums & timbales
Viktor Nyberg, bass
Simon Monserrat, güiro
Johan Nordfeldt, trumpet
Rickard Lindgren, trumpet
Peter Fredriksson, trombone
Lisa Bodelius, trombone
photo right: Cecilia Ferrer

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The superlatives keeping pouring in for master ENA percussionist Roberto Vizaíno's new book/double CD package, a combination of instructional material and non-educational art compositions for percussion. For more see our Chicago section.

Meanwhile, another percussion legend of la ENA, José Eladio, has now added a DVD for his recent book. I was so impressed with the quality of the DVD that I decided to make one from Calixto's videos, already available as downloads. The DVD version should be out in about a week.  Also check out my new books on Pupy and Clave. [Kevin Moore]

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