Happy Anniversary Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra!

Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra @ Latinoamericando 2013

Today for International Timba Month we celebrate the second group with an anniversary in April: Leonel Limonta & Azúcar Negra. Before starting his own orchestra, Leonel Limota wrote major hits for other bands: "24 días" for Issac, "Quítate el disfraz", "Nube pasajera", "El avión" and "Extraños ateos" for La CHaranga Habanera as well as almost all of the "Yo no me parezco a nadie" as manager for Bamboleo.

Haila Mompie sings "Vengo de estreno" shortly after the founding of the band in 1998

Now in full control of his own band, Limonta continued proving his extraordinary talent as songwriter with songs such as "Andar andando", "Vengo de etreno", "3 de azúcar y 2 de café", "Se acabó el pesca'o" and "Bailar con tacones". He also worked with many of the great female singers such as Haila Mompie, Monica Mesa, Tania Pantoja, and Ailyn Dallera. Recently he changed the format of the band to follow the times and has only male vocalists. Below is a clip of one of the new singles "Suave, Rico y Despacito" with Reiner Rojas on lead vocals.

Congratulations to Limonta and los chamaos de Azúcar!

Azúcar Negra 2015

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Saturday, 04 April 2015, 06:15 AM

Why is April International Timba Month? Although one cannot put an exact date on the birth of Timba, people tend to go along with the idea that it was with El Tosco & NG La Banda that took the many innovations that had been present in Cuban music and brought them together also adding a few of their own creating what we now call timba. Today NG La Banda celebrate their 27th anniversary. That is the main reason that April was chosen as International Timba Month. However both Azúcar Negra and Klímax also celebrate anniversaries in April, which just makes it that much more appropriate.

Here is an excellent video - courtesy of ex-NG drummer Calixto Oviedo - of one of my favorite NG songs "La Bruja", filmed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. If you will be in LA this month, don't miss Calixto Oviedo & The Cuban Jazz Train at Trattoria 25! It will be a great way to spend an evening for International Timba Month.

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Wednesday, 01 April 2015, 12:07 PM

NG La Banda

Yes timber@s, once again it's time to celebrate the birth of our favorite music, which we have not-so-randomly placed in the month in which coincides with the founding of NG La Banda. As we gather again to congratulate ourselves on our excellent taste, let me point out that despite fears that timba is dying, the new generation if timberos has already given us two excellent new albums in 2015: "La Vuelta al Mundo" by Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera and Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor's live CD/DVD "Cerrando Filas" recorded at their 10th anniversary concert last year. Other indications of the health of the genre are the excellent 2014 debut album "Llegó La Verdad" by Emilio Frías "El Niño" y La Verdad - who will celebrate their anniversary on June 28th with guest José Alberto "El Canario" at La Tropical - and the young group Yadiel Bolaño y La Tabla who have just released their first CD, which is being highly praised by DJs.

And the established bands continue doing brilliant work. Los Van Van's "La Fantasía" released earlier this year is undoubtedly one of their best. And we hear more about the upcoming release by Elito Revé y Su Charangón - "La Salsa Tiene Mi Son" - an album with remakes of some of the Charangóns biggest hits from the 90s featuring national and international stars. We've been waiting for this one for a long time. It was recorded at Abdala studios under the musical direction of Aisar Hernández and direction of Elito Revé. It will distributed nationally by Bis Music and internationally by Sony. No, I still don't have the actual release date but let's hope it's this spring. In the video below Elito talks about the new album.

Also just in time for International Timba Month Kevin has released his "Restoration Project" Suspension Concert video (below). He has combined the best available audio with the best available video (VHS recording from television) to create the complete concert from start to finish. Because the television transmission was cut off during "Usa condón", the final part contains only the audio, but it's worth listening to. It brings home the passion and locura of the late 90s in Havana. So timber@s - enjoty the month of April as spring returns and we count the reasons we have to be thankful for having enriched our lives with Cuban music.

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Friday, 27 March 2015, 09:55 AM

I can say this with confidence and without having listened to a single track yet - one of the biggest timba releases of 2015 has just come out! Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera "La Vuelta al Mundo" is now available at CD Baby in MP3, MP3-320 and FLAC (lossless) format! I have downloaded mine already! Havana D'Primera is one of very few groups whose albums I will buy without having to listen first. But as soon as I have had a chance I will be back with preliminary thoughts! Go get your copy now! Click here to listen or to download.