A very talented musical family in Toronto, Canada offers Cuban music instruction for both adults and children. The CUBAN PERCUSSION SCHOOL is located at 11 Weston Road, Toronto, Canada M6N 5H2. To reach them, call +1.416.554.9276, or email mayitodelmonte [at] rogers [dot] com.

Led by Mario "Mayito" del Monte, the school provides private and group lessons a swell as workshops with Jose Luis "Changuito Quintana", Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez and Amadito Valdés (of Buenavista Social Club fame). Mayito began playing professionally as a trumpet player to please his father, Mario del Monte, the director and trumpet lead of la Orquesta Riverside. Later Mayito has played percussion alongside some of the greatest Latin musicians of the century….Ignacio Berroa, Alex Acuña, Miguel Angá, Oscar de León and joined the puertorican superstar José Feliciano on many of his recordings and tours. Mayito also led his own group, Latin Street, and has traveled internationally hosting percussion clinics. His many other performance credits include NG la Banda, Issac Delgado, Anga, Conjunto Roberto Faz, Changuito, la Orquesta Riverside, the Tropicana Cabaret Oruqestra and Los Barba. His daughter, known artistically as Glenda del E, is an accomplished pianist and composer.

Update = Silvio has secured his visa and his shows are highly anticipated. Here's a new video:

Update = this Combinación de la Habana video is TIGHT. Un abrazo para Gersón y compañía.... están echando candela. Quémala.

leave a comment

continue reading Pa' Ponerte en Talla

Things are happening quickly now. Pupy y Los Que Son Son are already set up for 10 concerts that I know of and more and more keep being added. The most recent addition to the tour list is June 19, 2010 - Arlington, VA. - The Salsa Room Don't miss out on this historic first tour! Find a concert near you or you'll be kicking yourself later. If you know of a concert not on our list send me an e-mail .

UPDATE: I added two more dates, June 3 in Tampa at Whiskey North and June 5 at Aché in Miami. Stay tuned as the updates keep coming in.

leave a comment

continue reading Timbera Mayor

Manolito y su Trabuco will be in New York at SOBs on Thursday (May 20) and in Chicago at 6:00 p.m. at Park West on Friday (May 21). Support Timba in La Yuma!

And click here for Tom Ehrlich's gallery from last week's show in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, the Pupy Pedroso tour is looking solid, with:

June 11 - Los Angeles - Sportsmen's Lodge
June 12 - San Francisco - Cócomo
June 14 & 15 - San Francisco - Yoshi's
June 16, 17, & 18 - Oakland - Yoshi's

leave a comment

continue reading La Última

Another Cubadisco has come and gone and the big winners in the categories of greatest interest to Timba fans were Juan Formell & Los Van Van and  Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera. The list of nominees was impressive. In addition to Van Van and Havana D'Primera were La Charanga Habanera for "No mires la carátula", Arnaldo y su Talismán for "Mango" and Sixto Llorentes' debut solo album "Lo que sucede conviene"  Son del Indio. Still, I knew Van Van would win. The smooth production of "Arrasando" was bound to catch the judges' ears.  Indeed "Arrasando"  also won for Best Recording.

The Traditional Music category was won by Pancho Amat y su Cabildo del Son for "Yo traigo un son", also a double-winner taking the Anthology category.

Closest to my own heart is the winner of the Ópera Prima category (first work). Havana D'Primera's "Haciendo Historia" was my personal favorite from 2009 so I am happy that the judges saw fit to award Los Primeros with the Best First Work award. The band has taken Havana and now the world by storm with their combination of poetic lyrics and serious timba. And on stage there is no harder working singer than Alexander Abreu who gives everything at each performance as if it were his last.

In honor of their award, Patrick Bonnard has shared a few of his pictures from the "Haciendo Historia" tour 2009/2010. Click here or on the picture below to see more.  The complete gallery is at Patrick's website .

Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera - winners Ópera Prima Cubadisco 2010
Photo ©Patrick Bonnard used by permission

Congratulations to all the Cubadisco winners and hasta la próxima .

leave a comment

continue reading Timbera Mayor