The Peter Maiden "Manolito" Photo Gallery is up!

Click here to visit the photo gallery - Oprima aquí para ver las fotos

On February 26, 1993, after spending at least six years as musical director of Maravilla de Florida, pianist Manolito Simonet departed along with most of the group's members, added a horn section, synthesizer and kick drum, and started playing timba under the name Manolito y su Trabuco.

El Trabuco is one of the largest timba bands - a "super-charangón" if you will - with violin, cello, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, flute, and synthesizer in addition to the standard piano, bass, drums, congas and güiro.

Manolito is one of Cuba's most meticulous and prolific arrangers, making excellent use of the vast timbral resources at his disposal and frequently finding time to produce side projects such as his recent Tributo a Lilí Martínez. As of 2009, the group has released 8 studio albums, toured the world countless times, and risen to the top tier of the Havana club scene.

El Trabuco other main composer is singer Ricardo Amaray whose R&B influences are perfectly balanced by Simonet's encylopedic mastery of all the traditional forms of Cuban music.

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Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 10:03 PM

Even though Los Van Van has been postponed you will get your major fix with César "Pupy" Pedroso's powerhouse band "Los Que Son Son". Pupy will play the same venues Albert Torres hooked up for Manolito: the Sportmen's Lodge in Los Angeles and Café Cócomo in San Francisco. Click on the venue text for links to the ticket pages or call 310-445-9705.

Pupy will blow you away....read a concert report from Michelle La Timbera Mayor....click here.

César "Pupy" Pedroso (aka, "Pupi Pedroso") is one of the key figures not only in Timba, but in the last 40 years of Cuban pop music. As well as being one Cuba's best and most prolific composers, he played a seminal role in revolutionizing the art of salsa piano playing.

He started with Orquesta Revé and then became a founding member of Los Van Van. In the summer of 2001, he left to form his own group, "Pupy y Los Que Son Son", which has now released four of the best CD's of the decade.

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Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 05:07 AM

Latin percussionist Francisco Aguabella

A true percussion master and music celebrity Francisco Aguabella passed away yesterday in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. Aguabella emigrated from Cuba in the 1950's and played with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Tito Puente. Later he broke into celebrity status by playing with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Paul Simon, Santana and the Doors.

From his distinct, clear, sharp tone to his enigmatic, quinto-driven phrasing, Francisco, though a staple of the New York scene for many decades, never left Havana. Producer Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez, a Latin jazz headliner himself, managed to capture the raw, no-frills energy of Aguabella's style on Francisco's album H2O beautifully. Sonically, the record has the closeness and intensity of first-row seats in a small, smoky club.

Francisco is a recipient of awards such as the National Heritage Fellowship of the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and received a fellowship for the Durfee Foundation. Rest in peace.

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Monday, 10 May 2010, 10:20 AM

A special announcement for Cuban music lovers in Los Angeles! Get first dibs at tickets for Silvio Rodríguez at the Gibson Amphitheater June 17 BEFORE they open sales to the general public. Un boletín especial para los amantes de la música cubana de Los Angeles. Esta es una oportunidad de comparar boletoes para el concierto de Silvio Rodríguez ANTES de que se ofrezcan a la venta al público general. The Gibson Amphitheater is located at CityWalk in Universal City, CA. Doors open at 8pm.

Click here. Online only ticket pre-sales available now. Oprima aquí.
for more info call - 408.241.0000 - llame para más información

IMPORTANT = When you get to the special ticketmaster page use the word "tango" in the left hand box titled TANGO PRESALE. Cuando veas la página especial de ticketmaster pones la palabra "tango" en la cajita (a mano izquierda) que dice TANGO PRESALE.