Festival Cubano in Chicago August 2-4

The 4th annual Festival Cubano, a 3-day celebration of Cuban music, will take place on August 2-4 in Riis Park in Chicago. The band roster this year has a really nice mix of local and out of town acts - some of Saturday's highlights include Xiomara Laugart and Alfredo de la Fe (the closing act that night is Salsero Jerry Rivera ). Sunday packs a wallop with Charangueo, Mambo Fino, Hector Silveira y su Orquesta, and Sureya followed by the Cachao Mambo All Stars .  Timbalive, which was nominated for a Cubadisco award in 2012, a rare honor for a dance band in the United States, closes the festival. For tickets and the complete schedule for this don't-miss event visit thecubanfestival.com

In Los Angeles, on Saturday August 3 at Vitello's, the AC Jazz Project is having a pre-release party featuring material from its new CD Conga Buena , which is due for release in September.  This band is led by trumpeter Josiel Pérez, who played with Maraca's band and Klimax in Cuba, and it brings together a formidable team of musicians (some of them cut their teeth in NG la Banda, Grupo Afrocuba and Opus 13, and percussion monster Luis Conte is the featured conguero). This writer has heard the tracks from the new recording, a potent mix of Jazz and Música Popular Bailable, and it is going to turn some heads when it comes out. For more information, see vitellosjazz.com

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Cachao

Michelle, you haven't been the only person to express that reaction. I have been told that there is permission to officially use his image. Assuming that this is true (at this writing I have no reason to challenge the statement), one hopes that his heirs received something in return for any permissions granted since Cachao passed, and if they did (which is what should normally happen in these cases, but licensing can be a tricky subject), on balance this is probably a good thing. On the other hand, if it did turn out to be an unsanctioned manifestation, we would have an interesting story for another day. Either way, the spirit of his music will be upon us, and let us be be grateful that we don't have actual Cachao impersonators like all the Elvis men, women and pets we see running about. After all, como su ritmo no hay dos....

Posted by: Bill Tilford on Wednesday, 31 July 2013, 12:28 AM

Cachao

Wish they would take his picture off their posters. It is disconcerting, like he's back.

Posted by: Michelle White on Wednesday, 31 July 2013, 12:01 AM