ENGLISH: The Stockholm-based timba band La Liga Habanera released their new single "Hacerse el Sueco" early this month and three days later the video was uploaded to YouTube. "Hacerse el Sueco" was composed by bandleader, drummer and now lead vocalist, Max Alton. The arrangement is by Max and Måns Ek. See the full credits below.

Max took on lead vocals on this track, since the subject of the song is a Swede in Havana. The video was filmed in Havana, and it's always a pleasure to see her streets and her people. Check out the video below and you can buy the single at iTunes, Amazon and other digital retailers, as well as on streaming apps. 

ESPAÑOL: La Liga Habanera, grupo de timba con sede en Estocolmo, lanzó su nuevo sencillo "Hacerse el Sueco" a principios de este mes y tres días después el video fue subido a YouTube. "Hacerse el Sueco" fue compuesto por el líder de la banda, el baterista y ahora vocalista principal Max Alton. El arreglo es de Max y Måns Ek. Vea los créditos completos a continuación.

Max tomó la voz principal en esta pista, ya que el tema de la canción es un sueco en La Habana. El video fue filmado en La Habana, y siempre es un placer ver sus calles y su gente. Mira el video a continuación y puedes comprar el single en iTunes, Amazon y otros minoristas digitales, así como en aplicaciones de transmisión.

"Hacerse el Sueco" Recorded in Sthockholm Sweden at Farmer street studios and Belaris Estudios in Havana in 2017.
Lead vocals - Max Alton
Background vocals - Raciel Garces, Cecilia Ferrer, Max Alton and Daniel Baro.
Drums - Max Alton
Congas - Miguel
Timbales and bongó - René Suarez
Guiro - Max Alton
Bass - Alfonso Nuñes
Piano - Måns Ek
Tres - Gunnar Tullberg
Trumpets -Rickard Lindgren
Trombones - Johan Åström
Mix - Måns Ek
Master - Masterton Studios

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"#Latino" is the fourth album released by Simon Monserrat & Djeli and their second release of 2017, the first being "#Afro", which dropped in July of this year. The title pretty much sums up the album. It is a trip through the Carribean with stops in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Colombia.

Some of the songs are served straight up such as "Oye mi songo" - self-explanitory - and "Mofongo" - a tasty son montuno - while "La rumba que traigo yo" and "Sabiduria antigua" are fusions, the former Cuban rumba with flamenco the latter a very modern cumbia-fusion with rap by MC Rico Pabon. "Suena tu tambo" is a classic descarga which features solos by Richard Ortega (piano), Monserrat (percussion) and Mats Hermansson (trombone) that allow the musicians to show their chops. "Latibonito" is an Afro-Haitian track, something new to me. A much slower song with vocals by Roger Chatelain, it has a melancholy quality with beautiful solos on violin and flute and almost feels like a slow cha-cha-chá as it progresses. "El Quitipla" picks up the pace again with a fusion of Afro-Venezuelan music and lead vocals in Portuguese from Brazilian Simone Moreno.

Monserrat performs most of the percussion on the album and also flute on "Sabiduria antigua". He has collaborated on the album with musicians such as Puerto Rican Jerry Medina, Colombian Roger Martinez and Cuban trumpet player Yuliesky Gonzalez. Monserrat is based in Sweden and the album features many well-known names from the Swedish timba scene such as Thomas Eby, Richard Ortega, Oldrich Gonzalez, and Raciel Garces Espinoso. See the track list below for more information on particiating musicians. I also want to mention Erik Steen who plays a mean flamenco guitar and Santiago Jimenez on violin.

I recommend that you check "#Latino" out at Spotify. It is available for purchase at the usual digital retailers and streaming sites such as iTunes and Amazon. 

Track list:
1. Oye mi songo ft Jerry Medina, Moncho, Thomas Eby
2. Mofongo ft Yuliesky Gonzalez, Oldrich Gonzalez, Roger Martinez
3. La rumba que traigo yo ft Raciel Garces Espinosa, Angeles Gomez, Erik Steen
4. Sabiduria antigua ft MC Rico Pabón, Marina Johansson
5. Suena mi tambo ft Richard Ortega, Raciel Garces Espinosa, Mats Hermansson
6. Latibonito ft Roger Chatelain, Santiago Jimenez, Martin Pålsson
7. El Quitipla ft Simone Moreno, Dekula Kahanga
8. Oye mi songo ft Jerry Medina, Moncho, Thomas Eby (bonus track)

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ENGLISH: Lima, Perú will play host to a weekend of Cuban dance workshops presented by Arturo Rojas and Fredyclan. The workshops will be taught by Arturo, Fredyclan and the divine Yanet Fuentes. This is the first time Fredyclan and Yanet Fuentes  have appeared in Lima. The workshops will range from ladies and men's styling to rumba and afro-cuban to casino and son.

I expect that these names need no introduction to timberos and casineros but for any newbies out there let me present them. Fredyclan is a dancer and choreographer and has also made a name for himself as a singer with hits such as "Yo Vengo de Cuba" ft Alexander Abreu & Havana D' Primera, "Yo Soy Bueno" ft Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco , "Tranquilo Calmao", "La Calle EstáQue Arde" and more.  Yanet Fuentes is a dancer who has appeared in television and film and has even been a choreographer for Shakira. Rounding out the instructors is Peruvian dancer and choreographer Arturo Rojas who is based in Sweden.

ESPANOL: Lima, Perú será la sede de un fin de semana de talleres de bailes cubanos presentado por Arturo Rojas y Fredyclan. Los talleres serán impartidos por Arturo, Fredyclan y la divina Yanet Fuentes. Esta es la primera vez que Fredyclan y Yanet Fuentes han dado clases en Lima. Los talleres van desde styling  de mujeres y hombres hasta rumba y afrocubano, hasta casinos y son.

Imagino que estos nombres no necesiten ninguna introducción a timberos y casineros, pero para los novatos, déjenme presentarlos. FredyClan es bailarín y coreógrafo y también se hizo un nombre como cantante con éxitos conocidas mundialmente comoo "Yo Vengo de Cuba" ft Alexander Abreu y Havana D 'Primera, "Yo Soy Bueno" ft Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, "Tranquilo Calmao", "La Calle EstáQue Arde" y más. Yanet Fuentes es una bailarina que ha aparecido en televisión y cine e incluso ha sido coreógrafa de Shakira. Completando los instructores está el bailarín y coreógrafo peruano Arturo Rojas radicado en Suecia.

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