José Luis Cortés "El Tosco" - Stockholm 2002

Para español dale clic aquí.

It seems that the bad news just keeps coming. Monday the 18th of April, 2022, the terrible news arrived that José Luis Cortés "El Tosco", flautist extraordinaire and leader of NG La Banda, had passed away from a hemmorhagic stroke. Exactly four month earlier, December 18th, José Crego "El Greco" died and on January 26, 2022 Elpidio Chappotin. Both formed part of NG La Banda's Metales de Terror. The 2020s have truly been anni horribiles for Cuban music.

El Tosco was a graduate of the Escuela Nacional de Arte as a flautist. After graduation, he worked with Los Van Van, including composing and arranging before moving on to Irakére, where he spent the better part of the 1980s. In 1988 he founded NG La Banda, which is credited with being the first true timba band, and the rest is history. A quick search at YouTube will give a you a variety of video evidence of El Tosco's dominance of everything from classical music, to jazz to música popular bailable. I recommend a deep dive into the available videos.

I am not Kevin or Bill, so I can't give you a musician's breakdown of El Tosco's importance to the development of Timba and his influence on all the bands that came after. For more on that, you can check out Kevin's articles on NG La Banda and stay tuned for Bill's radio tribute.

My experience with El Tosco is as a music fan and a dancer. My first time seeing NG La Banda was in Stockholm in 2002. After serving up an amazing night of dance music, including hits such as Santa Palabra, La Bruja, and Picadilla de Soya, El Tosco took the band and the entire audience out into the Swedish summer night at 1:00am dancing and playing conga. We got many a nasty look from the apartment windows as we danced down the street to the sound of trumpets, but it was an unforgettable experience and very un-Swedish.

I saw them again at Casa de La Música Miramar in 2004, where I went to present El Tosco with the Timba.com award for best horn section. He was not exactly fond of Timba.com at the time, because Kevin had said he must be crazy to use sampled bass after Feliciano Arango left. So Timba.com was on his website non grata list, but despite his rough reputation, he was polite to me.

The sudden loss of so large a figure from the world of Timba and Cuban music weighs heavily on so many of us. But today we have the opportunity to say goodbye to El Tosco with the online concert that will be shown at 4:30pm Havana time on the Facebook page of Instituto Cubano de la Música, the YouTube channel of the Ministerio de Cultura de Cuba  and on Radio Progresso. Click the image above to go to the facebook page with more information. May El Tosco now take his place beside the other greats of Cuban music in that great jam session in the sky. ¡Ataca Chicho!

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ENGLISH: After a two-year hiatus caused by the corona virus pandemic, the XIX Edition of the Havana Rhythm and Drum Festival "Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam" will kick off in one week with events at Hotel Nacional, Salón Rosado de La Tropical, Arco de Belén and the Anfiteatro del Puerto de La Habana. This year, Masters Classes in percussion and dance will be offered, and the international drum competition will be held in Salón 1930 at Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Participants will perform a two minute drum solo based only on rumba clave. The jury will be made up of Enrique Pla, Jose Luis Quintana "Changuito", and  Oliver Valdés.

As always, there will also be concerts at venues throughout the city. Bands include Brenda Navarette, Michel Herrera, Geidy Chapman, Alain Pérez, Haila, Havana D'Primera, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Timbalaye, Elito Revé y Su Charangón, Obini Batá, Giraldo Piloto y Klímax, Los Van Van, Santiago All Stars, Oliver Valdés Rey, Yoruba Andabo, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Santiago All Stars, Ronald y Explosión Rumbera, Compañía JJ, and Rumbatá de Camagüey. Tickets are on sale at the official Fiesta Del Tambor website. You can choose from a complete VIP pass, to tickets for individual classes and concerts.

Click here for more information and the complete event program.

ESPANOL: Luego de un paréntesis de dos años provocado por la pandemia del corona virus, la XIX Edición de La Fiesta del Tambor “Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam” arrancará en una semana con eventos en el Hotel Nacional, Salón Rosado de La Tropical, Arco de Belén y el Anfiteatro del Puerto de La Habana. Este año se ofrecerán Clases Magistrales de percisión y baile y se realizará el concurso internacional de drums en el Salón 1930 del Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Los participantes interpretarán un solo de batería de dos minutos basado únicamente en la clave de rumba. El jurado estará compuesto por Enrique Pla, Jose Luis Quintana "Changuito" y Oliver Valdés.

Como siempre, también habrá conciertos en lugares por toda la ciudad. Las bandas incluyen a Brenda Navarette, Michel Herrera, Geidy Chapman, Alain Pérez, Haila, Havana D'Primera, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Timbalaye, Elito Revé y Su Charangón, Obini Batá, Giraldo Piloto y Klímax, Los Van Van, Santiago All Stars, Oliver Valdés Rey, Yoruba Andabo, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Santiago All Stars, Ronald y Explosión Rumbera, Compañía JJ, y Rumbatá de Camagüey. Las entradas están a la venta en el sitio web oficial de Fiesta Del Tambor. Puedes elegir desde un pase VIP completo, hasta entradas para clases y conciertos por unidad.

Dale clic aquí para obtener más información y el programa completo del evento. 

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ENGLISH: Last night Elito Revé y Su Charangón held a concert to celebrate the release of the album "Evolution 6.5". Recorded in the middle of the pandemic, "Evolution 6.5" contains ten tracks plus a bonus track of "Guantanamera" and features guests Alexander Abreu, Alaín Pérez, Vadím Cárdenas, Yahaira Placencia, Brenda Navarrete, and La Colmenita. The album is available at the usual streaming sites and digital retailers. If you are in Havana, don't miss the Gran Matiné Sunday, February 20th, at Salón Rosado de la Tropical with guests such as Alexander Abreu and Divan. Doors open at 6:00pm and the concert is at 9:00pm. In the meantime, you can enjoy the release concert in the video below. To keep up with Elito Revé y Su Charangón follow them at Facebook and YouTube!

ESPAÑOL: Anoche Elito Revé y Su Charangón realizaron un concierto para celebrar el lanzamiento del disco "Evolución 6.5". Grabado en plena pandemia, "Evolución 6.5" contiene diez temas más un bonus track de "Guantanamera" y cuenta con los invitados Alexander Abreu, Alaín Pérez, Vadím Cárdenas, Yahaira Placencia, Brenda Navarrete y La Colmenita. El álbum está disponible en los sitios de transmisión habituales y minoristas digitales. Si estás en La Habana, no te pierdas la Gran Matiné del domingo 20 de febrero en el Salón Rosado de la Tropical con invitados como Alexander Abreu y Divan. Las puertas abren a las 6:00pm y el concierto es a las 9:00pm. Mientras tanto, puedes disfrutar del concierto de lanzamiento en el video a continuación. ¡Para estar al tanto de Elito Revé y Su Charangón, síguelos en Facebook y YouTube!

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MUCHO artwork by Michel Mirabal

ENGLISH: It's been over five years since the last album by Giraldo Piloto & Klímax, but they are back with the apptly-named project "MUCHO". The album will be released in stages and will eventually consist of 13 tracks. On December 17th the first four songs dropped as an EP. The new tracks feature guest artists Alexander Abreu and Brenda Navarrete, as well as Klímax bandmembers Yensa Mercedes Vidaurreta, Mily Cantero, Noel Díaz, and Joselier López. In the video below Piloto explains that subsequent songs will be released as singles, while the final five songs will also drop as an EP and will all have females leads.

Click here for links to MUCHO at the various digital sites.

The next single to drop will be "Si No Probaste Antes" featuring Yordys Larrazabal.
The best way to keep up-to-date with the releases as well as the band's concert schedule is to follow them on social media and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

ESPAÑOL: Han pasado más de cinco años desde el último disco de Giraldo Piloto & Klímax, pero están de regreso con el acertadamente llamado proyecto "MUCHO". El álbum se lanzará por etapas y finalmente constará de 13 pistas. El 17 de diciembre, las primeras cuatro canciones se lanzaron como EP. Los nuevos temas cuentan con los artistas invitados Alexander Abreu y Brenda Navarrete, así como con los miembros de la banda Klímax Yensa Mercedes Vidaurreta, Mily Cantero, Noel Díaz y Joselier López. En el video a continuación, Piloto explica que las canciones posteriores se lanzarán como sencillos, mientras que las cinco canciones finales también se lanzarán como un EP y todas tendrán protagonistas femeninas.

Dale clic aquí para enlaces a MUCHO en los diversos sitios digitales.

El próximo sencillo a lanzar será "Si No Probaste Antes" con Yordys Larrazábal. La mejor forma de estar al día de los lanzamientos y de la agenda de conciertos de la banda es seguirlos en las redes sociales y suscribirse a su canal de YouTube. 

Giraldo Piloto &  Klímax YouTube Channel
Giraldo Piloto &  Klímax Facebook

EP track list:

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