Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas Is On the Move

Conjunto Chappottín y Sus Estrellas Summer Tour

Conjunto Chappottin y Sus Estrellas is in the middle of a first-time-ever US tour. This legendary band dates to the Arsenio Rodriguez era and continues to defend that music with a powerful conjunto that includes 4 trumpets. Chicagoans can (and should, we might add) catch them tonight, July 14 at Martyrs' (the photos are from yesterday's excellent performance at the Square Roots Festival). The rest of the tour dates can be found here:

We'll have a lot more pictures and a full review later this week.

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Saturday, 05 July 2014, 03:08 PM

Several months ago, we did a few pieces about Dayramir González, the leader of the phenomenal Afro Cuban Jazz project Habana enTRANCE, which won a Cubadisco for their album of the same name.. Dayramir went on to study at Berklee College of Music and won their Wayne Shorter award for most outstanding Jazz composer in 2013. (You can see more of his resume as of 2013 here.) He is now resuming his performing career in earnest and has teamed up with Edrey aka Ogguere, also a Cubadisco winner, Jazz poet and a key member of Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura, to lead The Afro Cuban Soul Rebels, a 9-piece ensemble that is about to release its first single (also called Afro Cuban Soul Rebels)

This writer has had his ears peeled for new things by Dayramir since first hearing Habana enTRANCE (which came out before he started writing reviews here.) Havana Cultura, Edrey aka Ogguere's associates, is also very impressive. The style of this new project will be different, but we think you'll want to check this out:

Key Links:
Concert info: SOBs, Thursday, July 10 The Afro Cuban Soul Rebels Facebook Page
Ogguere's website

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Sunday, 22 June 2014, 02:34 PM

Alexander Abreu and Havana D'Primera, one of the most important Timba groiups performing today and winner of the Música Popular Bailable category in Cubadisco 2013 for their recording Pasaporte, has been booked for two performances in the Midwestern United States. The first performance is at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 7, 2014; the second is at the Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie in Chicago Illinois on Friday, August 8, 2014. Tickets for the Minneapolis performance are being sold via Eventbrite; Tickets for the Chicago performance may be purchased at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/742435
This group is a must-see if you are able.

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Wednesday, 18 June 2014, 11:37 PM

At a press conference on June 18, the organizers of Chicago's Festival Cubano, a privately-organized event that has grown massive since its beginnings, announced the acts that will be headlining the 5th edition of the event, which will take place from August 15-17 in Riis Park in Chicago. Some of the key acts will be Palo!, El Gran Combo, Rey Ruiz and Alex Bia among many others.
The organizers announced that the event will also include a tribute to the late Juan Formell.
For more details, click here