Carnaval de la Salsa

Carnaval de la Salsa - Havana

Maykel Blanco isn't content just maintaining his own band Salsa Mayor at the top of the charts year after year, as with their new release "Que no me quiten la fe" (review coming soon). He has also dedicated himself to finding new ways to promote Cuban music and dance, both on the island and internationally.

Part of this endeavor is the 1st annual Carnaval de la Salsa, which will take place in Havana from February 25-28. The program (which is still subject to change) includes concerts by the most popular timba bands in Cuba: Los Van Van, Issac Delgado, Klímax, Manolito y su Trabuco, Paulo FG, Tanja Pantoja, Havana D'Primera, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, El Niño y La Verdad, Elito Revé y Su Charangón, Bamboleo and of course Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor.

That is more than enough to make the Carnaval de la Salsa a must-attend event for any timba fan. But Maykel hasn't forgotten the dancers who want to work on their cubania . By day you can take part in workshops with well-known Cuban dance instructors and the special participation of Maykel Fonts.

For the parties, Maykel (Blanco) is also bringing in international DJs such as Jack El Calvo (France), El Samurai (Italy) and Patricia La Peruana (France), as well as Cuba's best-known timba DJ - Mandy. There will be comparsas every day, so this really is going to be an amazing event. I am tempted to ask for vacation, even though I just got back from Cuba three weeks ago. Book your plane tickets now before the prices go up! We will keep you updated, and don't forget to follow Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor at Facebook .

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lunes, 21 diciembre 2015, 08:24 am

Calle Real's third CD is available today at on-line digital retailers, just in time for Christmas!

It has been a long road - six years to be exact - but with patience, dedication and faith the guys from Calle Real will celebrate the release of their third album with a release party tonight at Scala Theater in Stockholm, Sweden. I happen to be out-of-town as often seems to be the case when we have timba events in Stockholm, so I will not eb able to report on the party. But I have already bought the CD and can recommend it as an important addition to any timbero's collection, be you DJ, dancer or simply someone who likes to listen. If you're lucky enough to be at the concert tonight or catch them in concert next year - bring some extra cash and pick up a hardcopy! Stay tuned for the full album review!

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miércoles, 09 diciembre 2015, 11:18 am

Just in time for the holidays, two long-awaited timba releases will be dropping in December. First out is Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor with "Que no me quiten la fe", which will be available on December 18th. They are being very hush-hush about the 10 tracks on the album other than the songs we've already heard of such as "Te escapaste" and the title track. Maykel promises us that we'll be surprised.

No me quiten la fe

Calle Real is also back after a six-year wait. On December 21st they will release their third CD - "Dime qué". The album contains an intro and 10 tracks (see below). We've heard some of the new songs in recent live performances. At this point you can really say that Calle Real has a sello . Some things that stand out are the laid-back groove and the unusual harmonies in many of the songs. I really enjoy the role of the horns in the new arrangements as well. ButI will leave the album review for later. For now just remember to save the dates December 18th and 21st!

Dime qué

Track list
Intro
Somos El Team
Donymood
Te Lo Di
Bienvenido
Créeme
Película en color
Hoah!
Oye!
Dime Qué
Entre La Espada y La Pared

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domingo, 18 octubre 2015, 04:15 pm

I had a little chat today with Luisin Martí, executive producer and president of Oye Mi Musica Records , and he told me about a few projects that they will release next year. Yeni Valdés of Los Van Van is recording her first solo album! The first single is called "Ya no me llevas de la mano".

Yeni - Ya no me llevas de la mano Yeni Valdés single "Ya no me llevas de la mano"
coming soon by Oye Mi Musica Records

Don't worry, Yeni is not leaving Los Van Van. Luisin tells us "It is nothing related to what people are used to hearing Yeni sing with Los Van Van. It's a salsa dance track and recording is currently underway in Havana and Puerto Rico with the participation of outstanding artists such as pianist José M. Lugo of Guasabara Group. The album will have 10 salsa songs and some surprises". Luisin has promised to bring us back un cachito pa' huele when he gets back from Havana.

Another Oye Mi Musica project is Maikel Dinza's album "Regalando corazones" with the very sexy cover below. They expect to release it in January/February 2016. I've heard a number of his songs that are up at YouTube and am very much looking forward to his album.

Maikel Dinza - "Regalando corazones" should be released in early 2016

In 2016 Oye Mi Musica will also release a CD by Dominican singer Sergio Vargas. It is a collection of boleros he recorded in Cuba. Stay tuned for more info!

Dominican Sergio Vargas singing "Boleros en La Habana"