Art & photography: Gabriel Davalos
Graphic Design: Raul Muñoz

ENGLISH: On Monday, November 11th, EGREM released Buena Fe's 11th studio album "Carnal" with a press conferance at Hotel Parque Central Iberostar. The physical CD is now available in Cuba at the EGREM stores at the Casas de la Música as well as in the airport. If you're in Cuba, please pick me up a hardcopy! In the meantime, I will content myself with the digital version which is scheduled for international release on the Metamorfosis lable Friday, November 29th.

As we have come to expect, as much thought has been given to the cover art as to the CD itself. Carnal's cover is by Gabriel Davalos and Raul Muñoz with the participation of dancers from Danza del Alma and Baila Cuba, from Santa Clara. "Carnal" was recorded in Havana at Vieja Linda Records and offers listeners 14 tracks, 13 composed by Israel Rojas and one,"Mía", composed and arranged by Yoel Martinez. We will delve more deeply into the full album credits in the review. For now, suffice to say that Buena Fe continues to defy categorization. 

Buena Fe will be giving three grand concerts at Karl Marx Theater in Havana for the release of "Carnal" November 22, 23 and 24. If you will be in Havana, do your best to get tickets! Follow Buena Fe at Facebook to keep up with the lastest news, videos, interviews, and concert information!

ESPAÑOL: El lunes 11 de noviembre, EGREM lanzó "Carnal", el undécimo álbum de estudio de Buena Fe, con una conferencia de prensa en el Hotel Parque Central Iberostar. El disco físico ahora está disponible en Cuba en las tiendas EGREM en las Casas de la Música, así como en el aeropuerto. Si estás en Cuba, ¡por favor, recógeme el CD! Mientras tanto, me contentaré con la versión digital que está programada para su lanzamiento internacional por la disquera Metamorfosis el viernes 29 de noviembre.

Como hemos llegado a esperar, se ha pensado tanto en la portada como en el CD en sí. La portada de "Carnal" es de Gabriel Davalos y Raúl Muñoz con la participación de bailarines de Danza del Alma y Baila Cuba, de Santa Clara. "Carnal" fue grabado en La Habana en Vieja Linda Records y ofrece a los oyentes 14 pistas, 13 compuestas por Israel Rojas y una, "Mía", compuesta y arreglada por Yoel Martínez. Profundizaremos más en los créditos completos del álbum en la reseña. Por ahora, basta con decir que Buena Fe continúa desafiando la categorización.

Buena Fe ofrecerá tres grandes conciertos en el Teatro Karl Marx en La Habana para el lanzamiento de "Carnal" el 22, 23 y 24 de noviembre. Si vas a estar en La Habana, ¡haz todo lo posible por conseguir entradas! ¡Sigue a Buena Fe en Facebook para mantenerte al día con las últimas noticias, videos, entrevistas e información sobre conciertos!

Track list: 
Patakí de libertad
Valientes
Sobre el arte de retoñar
La Catrina
Carnal
Mía
Cámara lenta
Quién soy yo
Mujer ciudad
Cuatro cuentos
Ni una más
Blues que Guateque
Música vital
Madurar

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"La Clave Cubana" by Monsi y Su Salsa is the first single from "El Tambor", an upcoming album with an expected release during the spring of 2020. The project is under the direction of percussionist Simon Monserrat, who is also the composer and arranger. Released on October 19th, within 24 hours "La Clave Cubana" was on the Spotify Salsa Cubana Top 100 list. It is available at the digital sites below.

Apple Music
Spotify
Amazon

Monsi took time to tell us a little bit about his inspiration for the song as well as what is coming next.

I grew up with Cuban music, coming from a family where both my dad and uncle are musicians. My uncle started a legendary Venezuelan salsa group Federico y Su Combo, according to musicologists it was the first group to have salsa as the name of a record, "Llego la Salsa". But in my opinion, and that's why the lyric say so, salsa = musica cubana, although it has also included influences of other countries' traditions. 

The inspiration for the song is simply my love of Cuban music, which I have grown up with have been playing as a musician for more than 30 years now. I also had the good fortune to play with one of the best, Bebo Valdes, for several years, so he is my musical mentor. I have also worked with bassist Vincent Chappotin, 
          
@bytrajkovski

and many other great Cuban musicians such as Calixto Oviedo, who plays drums and timbales on the track.

It's a very international collaboration, "La Clave Cubana" was recorded here in Sweden, in Finland, piano and bass in New York, drums and timbales in LA. 

The album will be called "El Tambor" - a recurring theme on the album which features a lot of percussion. The single "El Tambor" will be released om Novmeber 18 featuring Edgar 'El Dolor' Quijada, one of Venezuela's best 'salsa dura' singers and lead singer right now in Bailatino.

Follow Monsi y Su Salsa at Facebook to keep up on all the latest information about the album and other singles that are on the way! 

Lead vocals:Jesús 'El Niño' Alejandro
Coros: Moncho, Raciel Garces
Bass: Luis Carrion
Piano: Gonzalo Grau
Drums, Timbales: Calixto Oviedo
Trombones: Andres Mena Guerra
Congas,Bongo, Percussion, Director: Simon Monserrat
Lyrics/music/arrangment: S. Monserrat

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ENGLISH:   Kiki Valera launched his new CD Vivencias en clave cubana (you can read Tom Ehrlich's review here)  with several events on radio and in concerts last weekend.  You can see a photo gallery of the concerts and studio session an KNKX here.  
Kiki has been doing radio interviews for several stations, and Bill Tilford interviewed him in his home for his program From the Isle of Music. That interview will air the week of November 10-16. 
ESPAÑOL:   Kiki Valera lanzó su nuevo CD Vivencias en clave cubana (puede leer una reseña en inglés por Tom Ehrlich aquí)  en la radio y en conciertos el fin de semana pasada.  Puede ver una galería de fotos de los conciertos y la sesión en KNKX aquí. 
Kiki esta grabando muchas entrevistas radiales para diversas estaciones, y Bill Tilford entrevistó a él en su hogar para su proprio programa From the Isle of Music.  Esta entrevista saldra al aire la semana del 10 al 16 de Noviembre.

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Here's Tom's final report from this years Monterey Jazz Festival. 

Antonio Sánchez

Teodross Avery and Doug Carn

Ambrose Akinmusire

Jazzmeia Horn

Eric Alexander

Peter Burnstein

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