On May 19th Maykel Blanco announced at Facebook that singer Alexis David Zamora Garrido will be leaving Salsa Mayor. Word has it that Alexis David will be joining David Calzado y Su Charanga Habanera. Today Maykel announced that he has signed two singers: Yunier Pérez Enrique and Alejandro González Casanova who we know from Azúcar Negra. The announcement said that they will be recording their first TV program with Los Mayores today, and their first performance with the band will be in the middle of June. We wish Alexis David our best in his new role with the charangueros and are excited to see and hear the new Salsa Mayor with a four man front line!

Photo courtesy of Maykel Blanco @ Facebook

You have heard Kasanova singing lead on "Un beso y una flor" and "Maltratando la Tela" among other songs.

Kasanova

Yunier is the voice behind the hit "A bailar con tacones" studied at El ISA.

Yunier - also known as "El Chino"

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Bill is currently in Havana for Cubadisco and other events and will get back to us with a full report. In the meantime, the Cubadisco 2015 awards have been given and I'll just mention those closest to our hearts at Timba.com.

Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera won big, taking home the Best Dance Album award as well as Grand Prize, which they shared with Digna Guerra (choral music). These awards come as no surprise to anyone who has listened to Havana D'Primera's new CD "La vuelta al mundo". It is an exceptional album of which a review will be forthcoming from Bill after he gets back from Havana.

If you missed it, Havana D'Primera has just released a remix of the song "Trece", available at CDBaby. A rap section has been added to the song. In terms of lyrics "Trece" is by far the most "urban" song Havana D'Primera has done. It makes references to the "charada china" or "la bolita" throughout the song. Doce, trece, cincuenta and noventa y seis each take their meaning from this popular yet unofficial lottery. Like many of you, I was ignorant of the whole charada, so I will share here the meanings of these numbers and it will give a whole new dimension to the song. 
12 - prostitute
13 - peacock (or a conceited man)
50 - police
96 - old prostitute

Another winner at the 2015 Cubadisco Awards was Emilio Frias "El Niño y La Verdad" who won Best Dance Album by a new group. I have to say that I am so glad Cubadisco had this category because honestly I would have found it very difficult, if not impossible to choose between "Llegó la verdad" and "La vuelta al mundo". My own review of the brilliant debut album by La Verdad will be published soon. "Llegó la verdad" was also nominated for Opera Prima (Laritza Bacallao took that category) and Best Recording, which went to Maykel Bárzaga for "Cuba now danzón". 

Septeto Santiaguero took home the award for Best Traditional Son with their magnificent album "No quiero llanto - Tributo a los Compadres" featuring José Alberto "El Canario". Here is SuenaCubano's full list of winners while we await Bill's return with all the gossip from the event and what's up in Havana. Timba.com congratulates all of the 2015 Cubadisco winners!

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Master percussionist Calixto Oviedo is back with his second Latin Jazz album, due for release very soon. We have heard four of the songs that he has uploaded to his YouTube channel. Below you will find a short teaser with clips of some of the tracks that will be on the album. We have recieved this preliminary review from Miriam Dotls who has had the pleasure of hearing more than we have.

"Calixto Oviedo is finishing his second Latin Jazz production  with his band The Cuban Jazz Train. This new band, which is emerging in L.A. as the flag of Latin Jazz in California and one of the most noted in the USA these days, will present compositions by Yosmel Montejo (bassist), Joel Nunez (sax) Yasser Morejón (one of the great Cuban bassists who resides in Denmark), Calixto Oviedo as well as some classics of Latin Jazz. "Como Suena" is the name of a composition by Yosmel Montejo that also lends its name to the CD. Soon,  in late May, we will be enjoying The Cuban Jazz Train.

The musicians are Montejo Yosmel - bass, Joel Nunez - piano, Nathanael Molina and Alex Rivas -piano, Christian Moraga - congas, Lily D Oviedo - vocals and one of the great Cuban trumpeters of the moment guest star Josiel Perez on flugelhorn. It will for sure be an album that everyone will enjoy, and from now on with what little I have heard you can say Como Suena!" - Miriam Dotls

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International Timba Month has hit Venezuela in the form of Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor. They will perform their Venezuelan debut concert this Saturday in Barquisimeto. Fans are thrilled to finally get an opportunity to see Los Mayores en vivo. Maykel has been working hard over the past few years to really put together not only a great musical repertiore, but also a well-rehearsed, fun performance that makes Salsa Mayor arguably the best timba show in Havana today.

Los Mayores will be in Venezuela for five concerts. Click here to see the list of concert dates. If you are not fortunate enough to be in Venezuela, you can console yourself with the brilliant new DVD/CD "Cerrando Filas" available at iTunes and other digital retailers. Here is a personal message for the Venezuelan fans from the Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor official Facebook page.

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