UPDATE 2: Sunday's second set was incredibly intense. Click here are Patrick Hickey's photos. Peter Maiden's gallery should be up later tonight. '

TIMBALIVE IN NEW YORK: This show is coming up Friday at SOB's.

photo by Peter Maiden

UPDATE: Saturday shows were great, and packed to the rafters. Final 3 hour show tonight at 7:00 is selling briskly. LINK FOR TICKETS

Review of Friday's Performance. 

Knowing I had two more nights at Yoshi's SF ahead of me, I just relaxed and let my first-ever Havana d'Primera concert wash over me. And I kept finding myself asking ... what is it about this band?

Maybe the better question is what Havana d'Primera isn't. It's not an "espectáculo" - it's not "de película" - it doesn't have a lot of choreography, gimmicks or bravura. It's a bunch of great musicians playing great songs and this one guy standing up there just singing his heart out.  Who else sings and plays with this kind of pure, unaffected, real emotion? Alexander Abreu radiates an overpowering sense of integrity ... of honesty ...  of poetry ... in his voice, in his facial expressions, in the way he moves, and God knows, in the way plays that trumpet. He played one gut-wrenching, soaring high note over a ballad accompanment that made want to scream - like that guy in the audience at Lincoln Center in 1964 when Miles Davis built the same kind of climax on that legendary version of Stella by Starlight. Actually he played quite a few notes like that. And just as important, he didn't play any notes that he didn't mean - that didn't start deep in his gut and end up deep in yours.

That's one thing about Havana d'Primera - their use of solos. Instead of the standard once-a-night descarga where everyone gets a solo over a traditional vamp and plays the obligatory hot licks and quotes from Stormy Weather, the solos in this band are key parts of the emotional arcs of the songs in which they appear.

... and then Alain Pérez sat in! He started out singing - improvising beautifully about the events of the night, instigating several coros that HdP's coristas nailed instantly in harmony.

Then he switched to bass and lit a raging fire under a band that had already been throbbing hot for several hours. It was torrid bomba the likes of which I haven't heard since ... well, since Alain with Issac's band in 1997. I managed to film the vocal and the first minute of so of the bass part before my camera screwed up on me. Maybe someone else got the rest. I'll post mine to youtube soon.

Another thrill for the Bay Area was the presence of local hero Carlos Caro, who's playing all six shows as HdP's regular bongosero didn't make the tour. Well, he's "local" to us because he's been here for 20 years, but in Cuba, Carlos, along with current HdP guitarist Rogelio Nápoles played in Opus 13, and was then a founding member of Paulito FG y su Élite, where Alexander later got his start. In many ways, HdP is the next step in that lineage of great bands. Almost everyone in the band played with one or more of Paulito, Issac, Manolín, Revé, Manolito and Klímax.  

Havana d'Primera's mission statement was to restore the power, dignity, musicianship and creativity of the late 90s - and they're doing that - but in the dark, riveting intensity of Alexander Abreu they've also added some very new - and very real - and deeply moving. [Kevin Moore]

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

LATEST BREAKING NEWS: 

HdP arrives tomorrow and all systems go for the 5 San Francisco shows - their first shows ever in the United States. TICKETS HERE

All-night tickets for Friday and Saturday are sold out, but some tickets for individual shows remain.

Sunday show will be 3 hours of music for $45, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Alain Pérez will be with Paco de Lucia in Oakland on Friday and will tentatively be at Yoshi's during the second set.

Incredibly, no other cities seem to have booked HdP - what's up with that?

See you in SF!

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

According to a few sources including an announcement from ACN (Agencia Cubana de Noticias), the nominees for the Cubadisco 2012  awards are out  and include some Timba groups worth mentioning. For the Música Popular Bailable Actual (Current Popular Dance Music) category, the nominees include Acabaito de Nacer by David Calzado y Su Charanga Habanera, La Maquinaria by Juan Formell y Los Van Van, Todo Es Posible by Wil Campa y su Orquesta, Siempre Pupy by Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Al Fin by Mónika Mesa and La Timba Pa' To' El Mundo  by Miami's  own Timbalive.  
The awards program will take place Saturday, May 19 at the Teatro Karl Marx in Havana.   Some other nominees of interest include 30 Años de Son 14 (by  Son 14)  and Mis 22 Años (by NG La Banda) in the Premio Especial (Special Award) category, and a special nomination (Nominación Especial)  for Chucho's Steps by Chucho Valdés.
In the Música De Archivo category (of special interest to collectors), two of the five nominees include Ritmo Oriental's Colección Agrupaciones Bailables Orquesta Ritmo Oriental and a collection called Origenes.  Eduardo Ramos con el Grupo Experimentación Sonora (del ICAIC).
A number of interesting Jazz and Folkloric nominees also turn up on the list.  For a complete listing, see
Cubadisco 2012 Nominees
Congratulations to all of the nominees but especially to Timbalive for this tangible reminder that world-class Timba truly is a global phenomenon now including in the United States.  

leave a comment

continue reading Sin Clave No Hay Na

I "met" Billy probably about 10 years ago. He is one of my Internet timba friends to whom I feel very close, although we have never met in person, and in recent years we have dropped out of touch. If you've been a follower of the world timba scene for the past several years, you are probably familiar with his blog, MisterBryans. For six years his blog was the absolute leading source of information on what was happening within Cuban music and dance in the rapidly-growing Canadian scene. He began traveling to Cuba back in the early 90s and has worked with musicians such as Telmary and Alberto Alberto.

But Billy's illustrious musical career began long before timba. He began working as a professional musician 40 years ago. He may be best known in Canada as the drummer of the Parachute Club. He has also worked as a promoter, DJ and publicist, not only in Cuban music but also with African and Brazilian music.

Five years ago Billy fought and won a bought with lung cancer. Sadly he is ill again. Now Canada's musical community is rallying behind the man who has given so much to them, and to the world, with a Rumbón for Billy Bryans this Thursday April 19 at Lula Lounge. Billy has worked closely with Lula Lounge over the years, DJing there quite often for Timba events. All funds from the event will go to help cover Billy's expenses. The rumbón will include a dance lesson, dance performances and a concert by Alex Cuba. For more information and to book a table see Lula's website.

And, Billy, on behalf of all of your friends around the world who can't be there on Thursday, I send you our love and our good vibes. Take care of yourself!

Billy on drums with Parachute Club - Rise up!

leave a comment

continue reading Timbera Mayor