Angelito Ramirez & El Tren Bala Release First Single

Angel Ramirez y El Tren Bala
Angelito Ramírez y El Tren Bala Live in Lima

Lima continues to make its presence felt on the international timba scene. Ángel Ramírez y El Tren Bala have begun work on their debut CD, which will be titled "Mi historia". They released their first single, "Amigo de qué" this week at YouTube and it is already in rotation on the Timba DJs playlists. The CD is being recorded on the Bambu Records label.

Angelito achieved international fame as the charismatic singer for Barbaro Fines y Su Mayimbe. Last year he left to start his own project together with musical director Amarat Aguila Stuart, who worked in Cuba with such Timba bands as Michel Maza, Bamboleo, Pachito Alonso y Sus Kini Kini, among others. We have uploaded an official biography to Angelito's musician page. Click here to find out more about him.

The single is not available for download yet, but you can check it out at YouTube. Get ready because El Tren Bala is coming!

Contact & Info:
Renzo Rey Urcia Lucana
Manager/Representative
+51 997081977
+51 981 539 11

E-mail: angelitoramirez.trenbala@gmail.com
Facebook: Angel Ramírez

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Wednesday, 26 March 2014, 12:25 PM

Lolo - EP Soneros All Stars

Delayed by nearly two years, Lolo, the long-awaited new release by Soneros All Stars is now available at on-line retailers such as iTunes and Spotify. Lolo contains six songs, and each one is eminently satisfying from the dancer's point of view. Three are new songs written for the album, and three are updated versions from previous Soneros All Stars releases. Yanesito's journey from traditional sonero to modern timbero is reflected in his arrangements. They are firmly rooted in son, but there is nothing traditional about them. Click here for the full review.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 12:55 PM

La Loma del Chivo - Guantanamo, Cuba

I continue my Guantanamo reports with something that isn't exactly music or dance, but is tangentially related to both. If you have been listening to Cuban music for a while, you have undoubtedly heard singers mention "La Loma del Chivo" (goat hill). Speaking for myself, I will tell you that this neighborhood took on legendary proportions in my mind. I imagined some rural community or peripheral neighborhood with lush, green hills where goats grazed lazily in the ever-present Guantanamo sun.

In 2007 I took my first trip to Guantanamo to attend the Third National Changüí Festival. You can imagine my consternation when I found that La Loma del Chivo has neither a hill nor any visible goats. You never know what people may be raising in their houses, however, so I won't rule goats out yet.

Upon my return to Guantanamo seven years later, I took a bicitaxi to various landmarks in the city that I wanted to film. Here is a video of part of my trip around La Loma del Chivo where you will find La casa del Son, La Casa del Changüí and La Casa de la Tumba Francesa all in the same block; where there is an outdoor stage with a life-sized statue of Elio Revé Matos and a wall with the names of famous musicians who have passed away. We even found a nice guy who could tell us the story of why what is apparently a flat, non-agricultural neighborhood bears the name "Goat Hill". I hope those of you who have never been there will enjoy a little look around, and I encourage everyone to attend the Changüí Festival this year May 29 - June 1. For information contact For information contact José Cuenca or Ernesto Chacón or even me if you want.

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Sunday, 09 March 2014, 01:13 PM

Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra Europe 2014

In just six days Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra will be back in Europe for a month of serious timba y gozadera. Click here for the March dates and some of April. We will be updating again as soon as the final confirmations for April have come in. After their last release, "Bailar en Tacones", Limonta and the muchachos dulces are keeping with the sartorial theme with their latest single "Maltraando la Tela". I was fortunate enough to see Limonta in the process of creating this song, which came to life last year during the Latinoamericando Festival in Milan. Enjoy, and check back next week for April updates!