30 December 2012

Happy New Year / ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!   2012 was a proflic year in the studio for Chicago-area bands: Afinca'o, Angel d'Cuba, Grupo Cha Cha, Rica Obesion and Sureya all had new releases, and there is more stuff in the pipeline.  2012 also so the birth of a new local Charanga ensemble, Charangueo, that shows great promise.  We lost a key figure in the  local music community, Richie Pillot, but his spirit lives on in not one but two bands, Havana and Havana Kings. 

As for New Year's Eve, there are plenty of private parties and DJ events going on, but not many live Salsa music options   So far the only live Salsa bands  that have come to our attention for NYE are 1. Angel Melendez y Su Orquesta at the Alhambra Palace brought to you by Latin Street Dancing. For more information, see their website.   This group is also performing tonight (Sunday)  at the Cubby Bear for Live Salsa Sundays at 9pm and 11pm.
2.  Mambo 7, which specializes in Merengue and Bachata but also plays some Salsa, is at Cailym Banquet Hall in Melrose Park.  For more information call 630.675.6558

See you next year!

23 December 2012

One of our local bandleaders, Jose Eliezer Armijos (Eliezer y su Orquesta),  has recorded a nice Christmas song, Navidad, Navidad,  which we share here with his kind permission:

Thanks Eliezer, and Merry Christmas to you as well! Eliezer's Youtube channel isEliezerysuorquesta.  

We recently posted an article in our Sin Clave No Hay Na' blog about a new Chicago festival that may be of interest when it comes around next year for its third round.  You can read about the 2nd Annual Afro-Caribbean Improvised Music Festival here.

As for New Year's Eve, there are plenty of private parties and DJ events going on, but not many live music options   So far the only live band that has come to our attention for NYE is Angel Melendez y Su Orquesta at the Alhambra Palace brought to you by Latin Street Dancing.  For more information, see their website. 

We also posted two CD reviews during the last week.  One, A Dream Come True by the Cubana All Stars, was recorded in Havana, and you can read our review here.  The other, A Wonderful Thing by Rob Ryndak, is a little different from what we normally cover here, but it's relevant for us because it features some work by some top local cats including Rubén Alvarez, Victor Gonzalez Jr.  and Tito Carrillo.   Rubén and Victor had a good year musically - they were also in the Chuchito Valdes recording Live In Chicago, which was nominated for a Latin GRAMMY.  You can read that review here. 

See you next week. 

16 December 2012

Folks, this writer has been too busy going to things around Chicago (and then resting up from them) to write about them just yet.  This 2nd Annual Afro Caribbean Improvised Music Festival is one of them, and it isn't over yet.  Orquesta El Macabeo did a great show at the Bottom Lounge in connection with Salsa Friday night, we're told that they really cranked up the crowd in St. Louis last night, and they are back in our area tonight (Sunday, December 16)  at the Willowbrook Ballroom, 8900 S. Archer Av., Willow Springs, IL.  (Tickets are $15 at the door, for more information, see Aguzate.org)   Here's another taste of this band, which is one of the most fun groups in Salsa today and something we highly recommend:

We also dropped in on Nabori at the Mambo Cafe Saturday night.  The guys are sounding great...

Stay tuned for a special midweek update this week which will cover the Festival in our Sin Clave No Hay Na'  section as well as reviews of 2 new CD releases - one by local musicians and the other by the Cubana All Stars in Havana, Cuba....

9 December 2012:

We're back after a wonderful trip to New York and New Jersey, parts of which you can read about it our Sin Clave No Hay Na' blog.  We have also updated this month's Event Calendar.  This week's big event is: 

EVENT ALERT:

Also, As part of the festivities,  the 2nd Afro-Latin Record Collectors' Fair and Exhibit  will take place at 4:00pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 914  Studio, 914 N. California, Chicago, IL.   For more information, see Aguzate.org
I saw a lot of good stuff there last year (and Omar, I call dibs on the Pijuan if you still have it....)

All of the above should be exciting.   Omar Torres-Kortwright of Aguzate has been working on an interesting documentary film about the late salsero Chamaco Ramirez, and the concert shown above provides a good tie-in for that film.  Here's a taste of Henry Cole's Afrobeat Collective:

As for Orquesta El Macabeo, if you saw them earlier this year, you already know why this is a don't miss.   You can read out July 2012 story about them, which includes an interview, here.  This is one of their videos:

25 November 2012:

As part of the 2nd Annual Afro-Caribbean Improvised Music Festival (see our November 11 post), the 2nd Afro-Latin Record Collectors' Fair and Exhibit  will take place at 4:00pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 914  Studio, 914 N. California, Chicago, IL.   For more information, see Aguzate.org

18 November 2012:

As part of his continuing mission to make a better understanding of Timba and its relationship to other rhythms available to everyone, Kevin Moore has just published a new book for beginning drummers and timbaleros.   Kevin is one of the most prolific (probably THE most prolific) authors who has ever written about the music.  For more details about the newest book in the series, see https://www.createspace.com/3500612

 11 November 2012:

EVENT ALERT:

All of the above should be exciting.   Omar Torres-Kortwright of Aguzate has been working on a documentary film about Chamaco Ramirez, and the concert shown above provides a good tie-in for that film.   We'll post more about Henry Cole and the Afrobeat Collective closer to the date. As for Orquesta El Macabeo, if you saw them earlier this year, you already know why this is a don't miss.  If you didn't catch them the first time around, they happen to be one of the most exciting and interesting dance bands in Puerto Rico today, and we'll also have more about them closer to the date. 

Distant Early Warning:  Chicago International Salsa Congress, February 14-16, 2013
This has the unfortunate habit of falling more or less on the same dates as San Francisco's annual Salsa Rueda Festival, but nevertheless, Chicago's annual congress is also a great event for salsersos, especially if you aren't in the mood to hop a plane west.   Watch their website (see the link above) for updates about the entertainment and dance schedule as they become available. 

Finally, Happy 50th Anniversary to El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, who celebrates today at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico (technically, they were founded in May 1962, but they are just having their anniversary celebration).   Here's to another 50 years!  

4 November 2012:

See our 28 October entry for this weekend's big event.   

28 October 2012

EVENT ALERT:   FIESTA CULTURAL ANNUAL BENEFIT
SATURDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2012 4-8:30 PM
851 W. Waveland, Chicago IL  (Free Parking at 835 W. Addison)  

INTER-AMERICAN MAGNET SCHOOL is hosting their annual spring benefit, FIESTA CULTURAL, on Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 4 to 8:30 PM at 851 W. Waveland Ave. in Chicago. This year’s event features food and entertainment from Spain, Latin America, China, and Russia in support of Inter-American’s “Curriculum of the Americas”.
Inter-American is a Chicago Public School serving almost 700 ethnically and economically diverse, preschool through 8th grade students from all over Chicago. One of few public schools to be founded by parents, Inter-American is the oldest "dual language" program in the Midwest. This nationally-renown program teaches Spanish and English speaking children to read, write and speak fluently in both languages. The innovative school is not only known for its dual-language (also known as "two way immersion" or TWI) approach; Inter-American's "Curriculum of the Americas" integrates studies of the history, cultures and contributions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, promoting heritage pride and a framework of social justice to build a lifelong love of learning with a global perspective.

For a more complete description including food, entertainment, workshops, etc., click here. 

Also: some of you who are complete newcomers to the music have asked about whether there is a good introductory book for beginners who aren't musicians but enjoy listening and dancing and want to understand more about the music.  That book is coming soon thanks to the efforts of Kevin Moore, who will soon be releasing Beyond Salsa For Beginners.  Click here for more information. 

7 October 2012

VACATION!!   Yes, we're taking a couple of much needed weeks off here, but our Calendar of Events has plenty of things posted up.  Meanwhile, check out our Sin Clave blog for pictures and review of Arturo Sandoval's concert as well as guest photographer Joshua Bennett's great shots of Septeto Nacional de Cuba.