From March 9th - 14th the eyes of the Latin percussion world will be turned to Havana as it plays host to many of the premier Latin percussionists from Cuba and around the world as well as talent from the new generation of aspiring percussionists. It is time again for the Fiesta Del Tambor in memory of Guillermo Barreto. This year the festival will honor the recently deceased Ricardo “Papín” Abreu, founder of “Los Papines”,  Jesús Alfonso Miró musical  director of “Muñequitos de Matanzas”,  as well as Roberto García, the great Cuban bongocero. On Sunday the 14th there will be a tribute to changüí and to Elio Revé Matos at La Tropical.

The Fiesta del Tambor is a multifaceted event. Each day from 9:00am to 4:00pm at Palacio de la Rumba percussionists compete in the international Drum Festival Contest. Winners receive new instruments within their area of specialty. The contest is open to both Cuban and non-Cuban musicians. There is also a prize for best female interpretation and best child's interpretation. Masters classes and conferences are held as well.

Closest to my own heart, every day there is a selection of great concerts to choose from. Here are some of the groups you can see if you are in Havana at this time: Klímax celebrating their 15th anniversary, Yoruba Andabo celebrating their 25th anniversary, Rumbatá de Camaguey, Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, Maraca y Otra Visión, Muñequitos de Matanzas, Pupy y los que Son Son, Elito Revé y Su Charangón, Lázaro Valdés y Bamboleo, Manolito Simonet, Los Papines, Rumberos de Cuba, Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, Maykel Blanco, Addaché de Matanzas and Habana C. For the complete program of the 2010 Fiesta del Tambor and instruction for registration in the contest click here.

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April 26-29 2010 | Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, Puerto Rico

Latin Pulse Music, the parent company of TIMBA.com, is participating as a media sponsor in the 2010 Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards. The event -hosted at the Hotel Conrad Condado Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico- will take place April 26 through the 29nth. This industry conference culminates with the Billboard Latin Music Awards ceremony, which will be broadcasted on Telemundo. It features four days of programming including Educational Panel Discussions (guided by Billboard’s Leila Cobo), Superstar Q&A sessions, Artist Showcases, Networking Events and The Billboard Bash, a separate celebration highlighted by performances by Billboard Latin Music Award Finalists. Be sure to stop by our table to say hi. Nos vemos en la isla del encanto....Puerto Rico!

The Billboard Latin Music Conference - the single most important Latin music industry event in the world -unites today's top industry executives to do business, discuss hot button topics and celebrate Latin music.

Use Promo Code: LPM & SAVE $200! - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!
Contact Lisa Kastner at 646-654-4643 or LKastner@billboard.com

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Pascualito Cabreras posted today at Facebook that due to factors beyond their control, Tumbao Habana is not on the tour with Alexander Acosta. They will still be performing two concerts in France: February 27 at Salle Victoire 2 in Montpellier and February 28 at New Morning in Paris. If other concerts are scheduled during their stay in Europe, we will post the information at Timba.com so keep checking with us. For more details see Tumbao Habana's Facebook page.

I tried to contact Alexander Acosta's manager, but they are on the road returning from a concert in Munich and I have not recieved an answer. However, I have been told by  a person who attended the Bayerischer Hof concert last night, that Alexander is performing with musicians from Italy and as far as I know, the remaining concert dates for his tour are unaffected.

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If you're in the New York area don't miss tonight's double feature at Iguana's with Pepito Gómez, who needs no introduction to timberos, and Grupo Irek. This evening's performance will include special guest drummer Mauricio Herrera who played with top groups in Cuba including Paulo FG.

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