Jane Bunnett and Maqueque are at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago from June 15-18.   Jane always has impressive projects, and this one, an all-female ensemble, features several first-rate jazzistas cubanas, including this year's Opera Prima winner in Cubadisco, Yissy Garcia, on drums.   
Times and tickets are available on the Jazz Showcase website. 

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ENGLISH:  Bill Tilford attended Cubadisco 2017 and the International Symposium and will begin sharing analysis, highlights and photos in a few days.   Right now, you can download the official winner's booklet (with many thanks to the Cubadisco Publications team) here.   There is also a photo gallery from the awards ceremony here .  AND, we already have reviews of two TImba recordings that received awards in our reviews section:
Mis 21 Años  by Giraldo Piloto & Klimax, Winner of Música Popular Bailable, Maestros
Música Cubana, llegö el Expreso  by Aisar y el Expreso de Cuba, Winner of Música Popular Bailable, Nuevos Talentos 
.....there will be many more to come as well as commentary, analysis and photos.   Also, Bill Tilford's weekly radio program From the Isle of Music is featuring music from the winners for the next several months (often with interviews of the artists, his guest this week is Giraldo Piloto  of Klimax)
ESPAÑOL: Bill Tilford asistió a Cubadisco 2017 y al Simposio Internacional y comenzará a compartir análisis, resúmenes y fotos en unos pocos días. En este momento, puedes descargar aquí el folleto oficial de ganadores (con muchas gracias al equipo de Publicaciones Cubadisco). También hay una galería de fotos de la ceremonia de premiación aquí . Además, tenemos reseñas de dos grabaciones de TImba que recibieron premios en nuestra sección de reseñas:
Mis 21 Años de Giraldo Piloto & Klimax, Ganador de  Música Popular Bailable, Maestros
Música Cubana, llegó el Expreso de Aisar y el Expreso de Cuba, Ganador de Música Popular Bailable, Nuevos Talentos
..... habrá muchos más por venir así como comentarios, análisis y fotos. Además, el programa de radio semanal de Bill Tilford From the Isle of Music está presentando música de los ganadores para los próximos meses (a menudo con entrevistas de los artistas, su invitado esta semana es Giraldo Piloto de Klimax)

Daymé Arocena is doing a mini-tour of four US cities this week - Chicago on the 15th, Boston on the 16th, New York on the 17th and Croton-on Hudson on the 18th.   She will be bringing at least some of her stellar backing band including two-time Cubadisco winner Ruly Herrera, who in addition to having his own project is also her current drummer.   Here's a taste of why you should go if you can: 



For more information about the concerts, Complete details are here
You can also read our review of Cubafonía in English here and in Spanish here.  

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El Noro y 1ra Clase begin their 2017 tour of Europe next Thursday June 15th at Cabaret Sauvage in Paris. I'm excited because I will get to see the band live for the first time on Friday June 16th in Stockholm! Note: If you're planning to go to the Stockholm concert, buy your tickets in advance because they will not be sold at the door. Click here for the concert dates .

For those of you who have only recently come to timba, here is a short retrospective of El Noro's career. Although he began singing with Doble Impacto, I first met Norisley Valladares "El Noro" in 2007 when he was with Maykel Blanco. His distinctive voice, charismatic stage presence and trademark blond spikes made him instantly recognizable. During his time with Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor, El Noro became a household name among timba fans around the world.

Cuba took note and in December 2007 during a Salsa Mayor national tour, El Noro received a call from Manolito Simonet asking him to join the Trabuco as replacement for Sixto Llorente "El Indio". Honestly, replacing a master-sonero like El Indio is not an easy position to be in, but I went to the second concert El Noro did after joining El Trabuco and was very impressed when the time came for him to sing "Marcando la distancia". He really was able to pull it off, and during his time with Manolito, he also tried his hand at composing. One of his signature songs from that period is "La bomba". Here is El Noro performing "La Bomba" with Manolito in Rome in 2008.

In 2009 none other than César "Pupy" Pedroso invited El Noro to join Los Que Son Son. Here he sang updated versions of "Ni bombones, ni caramelos" and "Parece mentira" and many hits such as "Un loco con una moto", "Seis semanas" and "Dicen que dicen" as well as some of his own compositions: "No te deje por mala", "Esta es mi música" and "La preferencia".

On October 20, 2013 after nearly 4 years with Pupy y Los Que Son Son, El Noro decided to take a big risk and start his own orchestra. Now he could establish his own sello reinterpreting his hits and creating a new repertoire according to his personal musical tastes.

The first CD by El Noro y 1ra Clase - "Sin escalas" - was released in 2015 and was awarded "Best Dance Music - New Talent" at Cubadisco 2016. The album includes a couple of his previous hits "La bomba" feat. Alexander Abreu and "La preferencia", as well as ten new compositions. He chose to only use his own compositions for the first CD.

El Noro has not been idle since then and a new CD is in the works. He has also begun working with other composers. You can find some of his other songs at YouTube such as "3 con 2", "Estoy en 0", "Música diferente", "Pa' lo mal hecho" and "Cinturita."

Summary: For the past ten years El Noro has been one of the most popular and recognizable young singers in Cuba. His career path took him through three important Cuban bands where he learned from each bandleader. His orchestra - 1ra Clase - has already received honors from the Cuban music industry and has completed successful tours of Europe and Peru. If you get the chance to see the band live, don't miss it! I wont!

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Cuba's premier dance band returns to the US with a full lineup featuring three of founder Juan Formell's children: drummer / timbalero Samuel Formell, bassist Juan-Carlos Formell and the newest addition, the family's youngest daughter, lead vocalist Vanessa Formell. We anticipate that her voice, beauty and her energetic style will increase the adrenaline in all shows.

After the passing of Juan Formell, the legacy remained in the hands of his son, Samuel Formell. Samuel has been following the footsteps of his father as musical director of the band. On this tour he brings LVV's most recent musical production entitled "Los Van Van son la patria" from Cuba’s Egrem label, a collection of danceable tracks incorporating innovative, contemporary arrangements of Juan Formell’s hits and new compositions from different members of the band.

The orchestra will be in the US in August 15th , 2017 through August 30th, 2017

For presenters interested in including the legendary Pedrito Calvo as guest singer in any show, please contact www.Searockmusic.com (info below) to discuss this in advance. Pedro Calvo is the most recognized singer of Los Van Van in its first 40 years and and one of the most famous interpreters of contemporary Afro-Cuba music.

For group availability, contact:
Ernesto Lago
Tour Producer /Artist Representative
ernesto@searockmusic.com
(917) 617 – 5708

Leo Tizol
Tour Producer
mundolibremusic@yahoo.com
(917) 687 – 2486

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