instrumento/instrument: voz/voice; compositor/composer

grupos/groups: Chambo; Grupo Sinigual, Papo y su Inspiracion, Ellas Son, Tumba Son

grabaciones/recordings: Chambo (upcoming new Timba CD), Sonora USA, Ellas Son, John Santos & The Machete Ensemble

lugar de nacimiento/birthplace: San Francisco, California

formación musical/musical background: Blue Bear School of Music, Community Music Center, City College of San Francisco, Raz Kennedy, Vocal Coach

lugar actual de residencia/current residence: Richmond, California

¡escúchala! from Endereza tu vida

homepage: http://www.mp3.com/Chambo

Cuban American vocalist and songwriter Bárbara Valladares (Barbara Valladares) is the leader/composer of Chambo, a 12-piece Cuban salsa/timba band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1985, Bárbara has been singing traditional Cuban Son with a funky groove, infusing ingredients of jazz, funk & R&B, reggae, and hip-hop, but when she started hearing Timba, her future became obvious to her. She teamed up with Carlos Caro, a transplanted ex-member of Paulito FG y su Élite, and with arrangements by no less that Juan Ceruto (Paulito & Issac), Luis Bu (Manolín), and Melón González (Issac), they've put together one of the first bands from outside of Cuba to really play Timba and actually "get it". Check out this excerpt from Endereza tu vida to see what I mean! [Kevin Moore]

photo by Peter Maiden