ENGLISH:  The nominees in Cubadisco 2020-2021, Cuba's most important awards for its artists in the recording industry in Cuba and abroad, were announced in a televised press conference on April 23, 2021. The years 2020 and 2021 were combined due to the COVID 19 - related postponement of Cubadisco 2020, with approximately 380 recordings being considered in this consolidated edition.

The list of nominees, which you can read here, is very impressive, especially when one considers the adverse conditions imposed by the pandemic for recordings made during most of 2020. 
You can watch the press conference (en español) on the Facebook page of the Instituto Cubano de la Música here.  There is also a dedicated page for Cubadisco 2020-2021, which you can find here.

Although the pandemic prevents us from going to Havana right now, TIMBA.com will do what it can to help provide relevant coverage of this edition.  Two of the team, Michael Lazarus and Bill Tilford, have reasons to be especially happy this year as they participated in the production of one of the nominees (Vivencias en clave cubana by Kiki Valera featuring Coco Freeman, a nominee in the category De la Tradición Sonera).

ESPAÑOL: Los nominados en Cubadisco 2020-2021, los premios más importantes de Cuba para sus artistas en la industria discográfica en Cuba y en el exterior, fueron anunciados en una conferencia de prensa televisada en el 23 abril de 2021. Los años 2020 y 2021 se combinaron debido al COVID 19 aplazamiento relacionado de Cubadisco 2020, con aproximadamente 380 grabaciones consideradas en esta edición consolidada.

La lista de nominados, que puede leer aquí, es muy impresionante, sobre todo si se tienen en cuenta las condiciones adversas que impuso la pandemia a las grabaciones realizadas durante la mayor parte de 2020.

Puede ver la conferencia de prensa (en español) en la página Facebook del Instituto Cubano de la Música aquí. También hay una página dedicada a Cubadisco 2020-2021, que puede encontrar aquí.

Aunque la pandemia nos impide ir a La Habana en este momento, TIMBA.com hará todo lo posible para ayudar a brindar una cobertura relevante de esta edición. Dos del equipo, Michael Lazarus y Bill Tilford, tienen motivos para estar especialmente felices este año ya que  participaron en la producción de uno de los nominados (Vivencias en clave cubana por Kiki Valera con Coco Freeman, un nominado en la categoria De la Tradición Sonera).

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ENGLISH:  The 4th Matanzas Jazz Festival will be presented online with a very impressive roster of performers and presenters from April 29 - May 2, 2021. You can read all the details shared by the Organizing Committee (special thanks to its Vice President, Alejandro Falcón), here.
Closer to the date we will provide the appropriate  links for viewing. 
ESPAÑOL: El IV Festival de Jazz de Matanzas se presentará en línea con una lista de artistas y presentadores muy impresionante del 29 de abril al 2 de mayo de 2021. Puede leer todos los detalles compartidos por el Comité Organizador (agradecimiento especial a su Vicepresidente, Alejandro Falcón), aquí.
Más cerca de la fecha, proporcionaremos los enlaces aproppiados para su visualización. 

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Dayme Arocena, Kati Hernández, & Melvis Santa

DAYMÉ AROCENA, and MELVIS SANTA will be featured live on line this weekend in two different classes, thanks to Los Angeles-based Cuban dancer Kati Hernández, director of Kimbámbula dance ensemble, and the power behind a series of on line Cuban dance and music classes that has been dubbed by a growing number of students around the globe as a "virtual university of Cuban arts!"

DAYMÉ AROCENA, composer singer, arranger, internationally feted jazz artist, will be speaking  on Saturday, April 10 at 12:45 pm (Pacific Time) to the Con Clave: Musicality for Dancers class, a class that incidentally, and understandably, has attracted as many musicians as dancers over this last year.

MELVIS SANTA, musician, song writer, singer (Interactivo, Sexto Sentido...) has become a regular bright spot in Kati's program speaking to and leading lectures on Cuban music in the Musicality for Dancers class, as well as periodically teaching Afro Cuban song. This Sunday, April 11 at 11 am (Pacific Time) Melvis will be leading the Afro Cuban song class.

To sign up for these special guest classes ($15/class), as wel as Kati's dance classes, and to peruse the over 60 classes/month that Kati's program offers (including not only musicality, for dancers, Afro Cuban song, popular and Afro Cuban dance classes, but percussion workshops as well), visit www.katicubandanceonline.com.
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Watch for Curuye LA's upcoming interview with Kati Hernández

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Sad news. One of the key figures in the legendary creative chemistry of Los Van Van has passed. 

Click here for more LVV photos by Tom Ehrlich.

Hugo Moreón was a trombonist, keyboardist and arranger who first came onto the radar in the early 70s in Acheré, a group of future all-stars that included Calixto Oviedo, Omar Hernández and NG trumpeter El Greco.

Hugo did stints with Pachito Alonso and Adalberto Álvarez before joining Van Van in the early 80s. In addition to playing trombone and keyboard solos on many classic tracks, he composed the mambo parts for nearly every major Van Van hit. He'll be sorely missed.

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