A country known for groundbreaking jazz is getting a visit from one of America's leading trumpeters, who spent the weekend jamming with Cuban legends ahead of a concert series that will put musicians from the two Cold War enemies on stage together. The visit by Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra kicks off a season of unprecedented cultural exchanges, with the American Ballet Theater scheduled to perform in Havana next month in honor of Cuban ballet legend Alicia Alonso. Marsalis wouldn't directly answer any political questions, preferring to stick to jazz topics. 

The Marsalis family includes patriarch Ellis, a pianist and educator, and his four sons: trumpeter Wynton, saxophonist Branford, trombonist Delfeayo and percussionist Jason.

Chucho Valdes said Marsalis' visit was an important moment for Cuba and its music. “It's the first time we've had a visit from a band of this quality with such important musicians,” he said. “It is a historic event.” -article by the Associated Press

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Finally the long awaited new release by Elito Revé y Su Charangón is available on-line! We've seen some great CDs come out this year, but for me "De que estamos hablando" is so far in the lead as best CD of 2010. You really do not want to miss this CD. It has been a grueling and long wait, but in the end it is well worth it. So get yourself the CD today and start preparing for the upcoming European Fall Tour!

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Lázaro Valdés & Bamboleo

Lazarito Valdés and Bamboleo have been on tour in the US with shows in Florida, New York and Virginia. The exceptional combination of Lázaro's music, Ronnys' charisma and Tania's complete domination of the stage, backed up by a stellar group of musicians is not to be missed. Bamboleo has remained at the top of the hit parade since Lázaro founded the group in 1995 and is still the epitome of hardcore timba. You can catch them at their final engagement of the US tour at S.O.Bs in New York on October 9th. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this last chance to see the band live before they head back to Havana.

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Elito Revé y Su Charangón have had a busy year of touring. After the US tour in July they did a couple of shows together with Los Van Van in Peru. This Friday, October 1st they will play the Courthouse in Toronto, Ontario and on October 12 the Charangón starts it's Autumn European Tour with a concert at Back-up in Paris. New dates are still being added so keep checking the Revé Tours page to find your closest venue.

In preparation for the tour, a promotional video has been put together. This video is a little unusual because it focuses on dancers rather than being clips of the band. I really like the approach of focusing on the dance in order to promote the music. It is a fun video where you can see fans dancing casino and rueda to music by Orquesta Revé. The audio track was edited by timba photographer and DJ Tom Bauer. So check out the video below, and see if you can pick up some new moves. It will get you in the mood for a night of dancing with La Revé.

Promotional video for "De qué estamos hablando" tour

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