It's time for some Friday Night Timba!

Bamboleo is playing tonight at Dance Studio on 35th Ave. in Flushing, New York and in Paterson, New Jersey tomorrow . If you're in the area or can make it there in time (check your local plane and train schedules), don't miss your chance to see them live. Bamboleo has managed to survive the reggaeton scare comepletely unscathed. While attendance is down at many concerts in Cuba, Bamboleo's concerts are always sold out. So go and see what all of the fuss is about, with La Domadora herself, Tanja Pantoja and El Maestro Lazarito Valdés.

And if you find yourself a little closer to southwest than northeast stop by Mama Rumba at Plaza Loreto in Mexico City tonight to see Los Van Van. They played at the University of Veracruz in Xalapa last night and the tickets were being given away for free by the library! Tonight's show isn't free but Van Van is always worth paying for. El tren siempre se mantiene .

For more info about concerts and tours check out the Tours section. It is updated frequently. And if you know of concert dates that we are missing, send me an e-mail .

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Yanesito Bogdan "El Sonero" took a little trip to Havana in March 2010 and came back with a tan and a single, which is officially released internationally today. It is a new version of "Limpia mi son", composed by Christina Azcuy and arranged and produced by Yanesito. You may have heard the song on Christina's album, also recorded with Soneros All Stars, but you have never heard it sound like this!

I love this song! Yanesito's updated arrangement is pure dynamite, timba pura! If there are still any sceptics out there who think "you have to be Cuban" to write timba, this song will convince you otherwise. Yanesito "gets it". A stellar musician, he has mastered tres for son and changüí and now moved on to playing timba bass. I even heard Pedro Pablo himself complement Yanesito's bass playing. You can enjoy Yanesito's bass at the Soneros website .

Lead singer on "Limpia mi son" is "El Nene", Pedro Lugo. With the vocal power of a canon, El Nene delivers his guías as a consummate sonero. On coro we have Sinsonte (Revé) and Enrique Castellanos (Bamboleo). "Mi son tiene su tumbao, ven bailalo pega'o", "baila mi changüí, ay ven y gózalo" and that is exactly what you will do when you hear this song, bailar y gozar. Yanesito is giving us precisely what we want. Son con bomba y manana, "Limpia mi son" is available at iTunes, AmazonMP3, Spotify and ReverbNation. Check it out! And if this is any indication of what we can expect from his next complete CD...ay papá!

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This is hardly a newsflash for the serious timbero, but Martin Lehrner, better known as "El Zorro", has released his 5th CD this time titled "Sin Compromiso". The name indicates that he made this album according to his own exacting standards and without compromise.

El Zorro must be the most prolific European timbero, although he might prefer to classify himself as simply "contemporary latin". In any case, I have finally had time to sit down and listen to the CD without distractions and am happy to tell you all that El Zorro continues to push the boundries. His arrangements venture outside the box with exciting fusions.

The album begins with a "guaguancó-funk" and songs range from ballads, to reggae, to mambo, to timbaton and timba-funk. The lyrics are a combination of his own as well as songs written by singer Roberto Pulido and collaborations between El Zorro and Roberto. El Zorro's  musical fusions are really powerful. For example the title track is listed as timba-funk and it is heavily funky. A very dancable tune, it even has a "Guitar Hero" moment. I expect that this album easily crosses over in clubs that play Latin as well as other genres. It has something for everyone.

El Zorro continues his collaboration with excellent musicians. In addition to Roberto, lead vocalists are El Zorro, Ángel Bonne,  Luis Fernando Borjas and Leonardo Columbie. The female coristas Yudelkis Lafuente Acea, Arlety Valdés Cana and Sarah “La Pescadora” Fischer give the CD a unique sound in this male-dominated genre. El Zorro himself plays trombone, sings coro and plays piano and keyboard on all but three of the songs. He is truly a complete musician.

"Sin Compromiso" was released by CME music last month and is also available at iTunes.  For El Zorro's own comments see his website .

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Liam Producciones Artisticas reporta que el repertorio de Pablo Milanés en California estará enfocado en temas de su último disco" Regalo" (nominado al Grammy Latino y producido entéramente por Pablo) y también temas antiguos de él que indiscutiblemente, aunque no los toque, canciones que siempre le piden y más cuando ha estado tanto tiempo ausente...ejemplos:

Del cd Regalo:  Dos preguntas de un Dia,  El largo camino de Santiago, Matinal,  La libertad,  Diario de Mauricio.  ...Y de las populares:  Yolanda,  El breve espacio en que no está,  Para vivir,  Años,  Yo no te pido,  De que callada manera,  Yo pisaré las calles nuevamente,  Vengo Naciendo. 

Los distinguidos músicos del sexteto acompañando a Pablo son: 

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