Ángel Batule music producer & DJ

If you've been listening to contemporary Cuban dance music at all over the past few years you have heard one name shouted out by a wide variety artists - "¡Batule!" Ángel Batule - also known as  "Batule DJ" - is a member of the hugely popular Cuban group Los 4 and also one of the most sought-after music producers, arrangers, composers of the new generation of Cuban musicians.

When the reggaeton craze first swept Cuba, it seemed that the younger musicians were leaving Cuban musical traditions behind. But recent years have seen a move back towards cubanía - a return to the Cuban talent for taking something foreign and making something Cuban out of it. Batule's music is a prime example of this. Having a father who was a sound engineer and a mentor named Tirso Duarte , Batule learned about the complexities of Cuban dance music and combined these with the beats that make the younger generation move - becoming a key figure in the timbaton movement. Although the songs rely heavily on electronic reggaeton beats, they also may incorporate rumba, salsa and even gears such as bomba.

To satisfy my own curiosity, I got in touch with Batule who is just finishing up a tour of Peru with Los 4. He agreed to do a little interview so we at timba.com could get to know the man behind the shout-out "¡Batule DJ!" Click here to read the interview in English .

Dale clic aquí para leer la entrevista en español.

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Click here for Tom's gallery on PMO's show at Stern Grove.

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Juan Guillermo "JG" is on a roll. In addition to being everywhere on the radio and in video in successful collaborations such as "Hello Baby" by Cándido Fabré with Larizta Bacallao and "Subasta de amor" with Osvaldo Montero, his second album was nominated in Cubadisco 2015 for Best Popular Dance Album by a New Group.

With "Que no me controlen" JG has established his own sound. It is youthful, positive, fun and above all very danceable. Guest artists include Kelvis Ochoa, La Charanga Habanera and Los Extraterrestres. It has a wide appeal with a mix of timba, timba romantica, tropical fusion and timbaton.  I highly recommend it for dancers and DJs. Put this on at parties and watch the dance floor fill up! Click here to read the review .

Dale clic aquí para leer la reseña en español.

JG said the band will begin recording their third CD titled "Sí, soy yo" in December. For now I leave you with the 2014 Lucas Award-winning video "Que no que no".

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Tonight at 9pm in Havana's Teatro Nacional Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera officially release their album "La Vuelta al Mundo". Guests at the concert will include Carlos Vareles, Osain del Monte and salsero Luis Enrique, who shares vocals the title track with Alexander. The album was released oustide Cuba by Pafata Productions and won both a Grand Prize and Best Dance Music Album - Maestros at Cubadisco 2015. I don't know if this official release concert marks the release of the Cuban version of the CD on the Unicornio label or if we still have to wait for that to become available. In any case, Teatro Nacional is the place to be tonight if you find yourself in Havana. For more information about the Pafata release and speculation about what may yet be to come, checkout Bill's review . If you don't have "La Vuelta al Mundo" yet, you can buy it from the digital retailers such as iTunes, Amazon and CD-Baby.

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