Cuba Isla Bella

A few weeks ago when Orishas announced they were getting back together they really made my day. This is my kind of Cuban urban music with intelligent lyrics and a taste of son and Cuban music traditions combined with modern hip-hop. Today they released their first new single, "Cuba Isla Bella" featuring a pantheon of guest artists from various genres: Buena Fe, Descemer Bueno, Issac Delgado, Leoni, Waldo Mendoza, Laritza Bacallao, Gente de Zona and Pedrito Martínez. You can buy the single at digital retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.

Orishas will follow up the release of the new single with a US tour. Click here for the tour dates . Now sit back and enjoy "Cuba Isla Bella" and join me in hoping for a renaissance of Cuban hip-hop!

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miércoles, 01 junio 2016, 02:28 am

Elio Revé Matos @ La Loma del Chivo

June 23th - 27th Guantanamo will again play host to the National Changüí Festival. This year the festival is dedicated to three important anniversaries: the 100th year anniversary of the birth of tresero and founder of the group Changüí Guantanamo - Chito Latamblét, the 60th anniversary of Orquesta Revé, and the 25th anniversary of Los Morenos del Changüí. It is also dedicated to the Guantanamo Diaspora - especially the artists and musicians.

So what does the festival have to offer?

The main activities are:
• Contest for best new Changüí song in honor of Pedro Speck.
• Competitions for treseros, bongoceros, marimbuleros and dancers.
• Rafael Inciarte Seminar: Seeds, Parallels and Projections of Changui
• Meeting Families, Musicians and traditions.
• Traditions in projection
• Changüí and Cumbancha, now. The World's Longest Changüí.
• Tributes, dances, community changüí parties, exhibitions, audiovisual materials.

The concerts will include the participation of Elito Revé y su Charangón, Oderquis Revé and Pancho Amat y su Grupo. There are usually also timba groups participating, but I haven't seen a list yet. If you are in Cuba I strongly recommend making a trip to Guantanamo for this event. While there you should also try to attend some of the community Changüí parties. I went to la Casa del Changüí in Yateras in 2007 and it was really a wonderful experience. I have posted some of my pictures from Guantanamo and Yateras for your viewing pleasure.

The contact information to sign up for all of the events is below, but many events are also free or just require payment of the entry fee to the Casa del Changüí.

Registration fees:
National Participants 50.00 CUP
Foreign participants 50.00 CUC

Contact:
Paradiso Agency. Artex
Email: paradiso@scgt.artex.cu

Elito Revé y su Charangón perform Fresquecito from their 50th anniversary at the
3rd National Changüí Festival in 2007

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lunes, 23 mayo 2016, 01:53 am

Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor & Calle Real in Stockholm May 27

Maykel Blano & su Salsa Mayor in Rome Photo courtesy of Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor Official Facebook page

Te escapaste

Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor are in full swing with their Summer 2016 tour of Europe . They have played three gigs in Italy where Dancer/Singer Maykel Fonts joined in performing his duet "Dale lo que lleva" with Maykel B and adding some spice to "Bembé" with his world renowned rumba moves. Tomorrow Maykel B and the boys will be at the "I am Cuban All Star Festival" in Corfu, Greece and they will be in my own town of Stockholm, Sweden this Friday May 27th where they will appear with our own Calle Real!

Calle Real in turn has already performed several concerts this year in Ethiopia and France. Both bands released their latest CDs in December of 2015. Maykel Blanco released his fifth studio album "Que no me quiten la fe", which is also Cuba's first Blu Ray disc and Calle Real finally gave fans a long-awaited third album "Dime que?!". Both are excellent CDs and highly recommended. Stay tuned for the reviews (I apologize for falling behind in that). In the meantime you can enjoy a little concert video of both bands performing songs from their new CDs.

Calle real - Te lo di

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viernes, 20 mayo 2016, 08:41 am

David and the boys are back in the USA with their first concert tonight at Twelve in Miami. At the top of the eastern seaboard you can catch them Sunday May 22nd at B.B. Kings in New York City. Click here to book your tickets in advance.

If you can't make either of these concerts, click here to find one near you!

David's personal invitation to B. B. King's