11. What would you say to someone who wants to start a timba band in Havana?

Michel: For me that they study a lot… that they put all their love into what they’re going to do and that they have lots of faith, work in what’s theirs…

Tirso: Well, in my case, the same… I would say to this that also to always try to or like in the songs and in the lyrics, in everything, or like, although they have their vision, to protect it and speak the truth… sticking the truth out there…


12. Is timba still important?

Michel: Of course, it’s like everything.

Tirso: Music has changes… it’s like fashion. Music is like fashion, like clothes styles. Today you dress like this, tomorrow you wear something different… but what I think is that… in Cuba… Cuban music, timba, this works. This doesn’t fail. Well, you were in the concert, like we have reggaetón, like we have a ballad, like we have a light salsa, a heavy salsa, and a super heavy timba. We have everything. Of course, without losing the uniqueness of the Cuba, of what they’re like. Fashions change. You have your way of walking… look how this chick walks. Tomorrow you put on a skirt, you put on a blouse, and you continue walking the same way. You’re going to change the style but you’ll continue with your personality. We’re going to continue modernizing our music, our same street talk…

13. What are the favorite songs that you've written?

Michel: Well… since we started…

Tirso: We did “Charanguero Mayor”

Michel: (singing) “Yo soy el charanguero mayor…” We did that one together. Also he did “El Cantinero” from Charanga; he has done his work.

Tirso: Between the two of us we have…

Michel: Between the two of us… [ Linda: But what is your favorite song to do and why?]

Tirso: Well, now remember that we’re doing a practically new repertory. But the our number that I remember… really of ours is when we did “Charanguero Mayor”, that for sure stayed- that also I’m on top of this just so you know. One of the five numbers that, I don’t know, in the survey that they did on timba.com, one of the most timba numbers in history, “Charanguero Mayor” I think it is, no?
Michel: In reality, well, “Conmigo no, con Van Van” (hahaha). This is a song that Tirso did, it’s very popular in Europe. [Linda: And why do you say all that about Van Van?]

Michel: This is from school!

Tirso: I didn’t even realize I invented it! So, Van Van! Los Van Van is the group of Cuba, the most popular group in Cuba, the hallmark group of Cuba! So, not with me, don’t tell me that my music… you know there are peole that criticize music… no, they don’t say I don’t, I’m only a follower. You get it? And with tremendous happiness. Not with me, with Van Van.

14. Your most memorable show?

Michel: La Piragua. It was at La Piragua in the festival here in the Malecón, where they say that I got naked… [Linda: But what really happened?]

Michel: No, but it wasn’t like that… [Linda: The whole world wants to know what happened!] No, simply that I like to communicate with the audience, and, that the public was really far from me; I wanted to feel so close that I left the platform, jumped and I went to where the audience was, and after I went up. I had a routine where I climbed up the speakers. Well, I was slimmer, more active. When I do my thing, my dance, because I also have my cuchicucha. And so when I was doing thing, I do like… we had a chorus that was like “Que si que si que si, que no que no que no” and I go like I’m taking off my clothes… bull, I never took it off, I didn’t take it off, and there… This was a really really really nice concert, where there was an environment of 6 thousand people.

Tirso: I remember this concert, I remember also and now I want to give thanks to all the fans…

15. Any last words to your fans. Any upcoming tours?

Michel: Firstly, what we try to do, like I already explained, we’re 20 days into this only, everything is fresh, with this new group, doing this work. Firstly we have to attack everything in this country; we have to totally rock my country in order to be able to afterwards begin to think about tours.

Tirso: Not obstructing this, I’m going to make like a commercial: whomever is interested in promoting our concerts outside of the country can call 8336523 ir 8325887… we repeat 8336523 or 8325887.

Michel: There it is and it’ll be good and welcome for whatever you choose to use it…