Buena Fe rehearsing with for the concerts in South Korea
Photo courtesy of Buena Fe (PÁGINA OFICIAL)

UPDATE: The concert dates for South Korea are August 2nd at 8:00, 3rd at 19:00 and 4th at 17:00. This facebook link includes instruction on how to book your ticket. Tickets are free but you should book your seat in advance to ensure you get one! Click here for all the information on the concerts and how to book your ticket by fax or e-mail.

Tonight Buena Fe will perform at La Tropical in Havana, giving Habaneros a sneak peek at the show they have put together for their debut performance in South Korea, which will be part of the Festival Cubano del Arte y la Cultura for Martí Cultural Day. The South Korea show will include Cesar López and Habana Ensemble, and the Habana Compas dance company. There will be also an exhibition by photographers Roberto Chile, Julio Larramendi and Gabriel Dávalos .  The event takes place at the beginning of August, although the actual concert date has yet to be announced. Buena Fe will soon be updating their Facebook page with the times, dates and locations. If you happen to be in Asia, this may be your best chance to see the band short of going to Cuba. So keep an eye https://www.facebook.com/buenafe.oficial !

Prior to South Korea, "El Duo" - i.e. Israel and Yoel will travel to El Salvador for two concerts along with trovador Eduardo Sosa:
July 27, 2013 - Santa Ana, El Salvador- Estudio y Lucha @ Teatro Nacional de Santa Ana 6pm
July 28, 2013 - San Salvador, El Salvador- Estudio y Lucha @ UCA Auditorio Ignacio Ellacuría 4pm

In Timba-related Buena Fe news, Israel and Yoel sing with Lachy on the updated version of "Esa Mujer" on the new 2-CD set by Elito Revé y Su Charangón. "La Aplanadora de Cuba" contains 24 songs: 12 remakes interpreted by singers of the charangón together with stars such as Gilberto Santa Rosa, Mayito and Haila, as well as 12 new songs. This is a must have for timberos! In a recent interview by Marino Luzardo at Suena Cubano , Israel said that they worked out an arrangement that was a mix of both styles. Certainly Buena Fe's own changüí fusion "Pi 3,14" was a big hit for the band in 2010/11. Although Israel has written songs for Pedrito Calvo, Bony & Kelly and La Charanga Habanera, this is the first time that they actually have recorded with a timba band, to my knowledge. If someone has other information, let me know.

I leave you with the song (not timba) that has become a summer 2013 anthem in Cuba, from their latest CD,"Dial" , "Volar sin ti" featuring my favorite gallego, Andrés Suárez .

Buena Fe - "Volar sin ti" feat. Andrés Suárez from the CD "Dial" (2013)

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ENGLISH:  As the recorded music industry in Cuba continues to evolve and diversify, a growing number of new recordings are being made either completely independently or by using the services of Cuba's major recording companies a la carte. (These companies acquire some of those projects later.) A relatively new aspect of the environment is the consideration of crowdfunding by some Cuban artists. The above example is for a new project by Yissy García, an exciting member of the new wave of music in Havana today. Genre labels can be misleading, but the term Acid Jazz as it was used in the United States (her quintet includes a turntable) comes to mind. The crowdfunding company is based in Barcelona, and the campaign is happening now. To see the crowdfunding website page, click here. 
ESPAÑOL:  A medida que la industria de la música grabada en Cuba sigue evolucionando y diversificándose,  un número cada vez mayor de nuevas grabaciones se están haciendo ya sea totalmente independiente o mediante el uso de los servicios de las principales empresas discograficas de Cuba a la carta. (Estas empresas adquieren algunos de aquellos proyectos más adelante.) Un aspecto relativamente nuevo del medio ambiente es la consideración de crowdfunding por algunos artistas cubanos. El ejemplo anterior es para un nuevo proyecto por Yissy García, miembro emocionante de la nueva onda musical en La Habana de hoy. Etiquetas de género pueden ser engañosos, pero el término Acid Jazz, ya que se utiliza en los Estados Unidos (su quinteto incluye un giradiscos) viene a la mente. La compañía crowdfunding se basa en Barcelona, y la campaña está sucediendo ahora. Para ver la página web de crowdfunding, haga clic aquí.

ENGLISH:  Young but already-renowned tresero Renesito Avich is now offering lessons to the entire planet via Skype.  To register for classes, you can contact him at renesitoclass@gmail.com
ESPAÑOL:  Joven pero ya reconocido tresero Renesito Avich está ofreciendo lecciones a todo el planeta a través de Skype.  Para inscribirse en una clase, puede ponerse en contacto con él @ renesitoclass@gmail.com

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"Para Ti" by Vitaly y Su Timba Habanera was released on 15 June 2013

Vitaly Osmachko appeared on the international timba scene twelve years ago with "Desnudar tu cuerpo". The project Vitaly y Su Timba Habanera included the participation of stellar musicians from Cuba such as Ricardo Amaray, Carlos Kalunga, El Gallo, Amaury Pérez and Alexander Abreu. Well Vitaly is back in 2013 with his second CD, "Para Ti", again collaborating with los grandes. The new CD contains ten tracks. All arrangements are by Vitaly with lyrics provided by Giraldo Piloto, Ariel Cubría, Joaquín Betancourt and Alberto Alberto. Click here for an interview with Vitaly about "Para Ti".

A review will be coming soon to Timba.com but let me give you the short version: DJs should add this to their collection, especially DJs who play for a mixed crowd of casino and cross-body dancers. It should appeal to dancers of both styles. "Para Ti" is not available via on-line digital sales or at record stores. It is being distributed by authorized DJs. If you don't find a DJ in your area who is selling the CD, contact pelikanrec@gmail.com, or facebook.com/vitalyysutimbahabanera to order your copy.

Giraldo Piloto & Vitaly Osmachko at Abdala

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If Issac's performance on this early arrangement of Solar de la California doesn't take you on an emotional journey from tears to euphoria, check your pulse. Of Issac's many epic live bands, the Alain/Melón, Yoel/Joel, and Piloto/Pérez incarnations are probably the most famous, but the Spring 2000 group was just as amazing in its own way.

Before Bombón Reyes became the founding drummer/arranger of Pupy y Los Que Son Son and Pupy's spot in Van Van was taken by Roberto "Cucurucho" Valdés, both of these phenomenal musicians played in this short-lived but historically great Issac Delgado Group, along with the ubiquitous bass master Frank Rubio, conguero Denis "Papacho" Savón and many others.

This concert includes the original arrangements of El Solar de la California and Amor sin ética and two tremendous guest vocals by Mayito Rivera. Manolín is on hand, and, doing what he does better than anyone, he adds coros, rather than guías, to the proceedings. Don't forget that you can use the links in the video descriptions to jump from song to song. For Beyond Salsa geeks, this band was the heavyweight champion in the categories of efectos and signals. The rhythm section here is as brilliantly loose and creative as the piano and bass were in the Melón-Alain band of 1997. The '00 band's sello is based on that of the '99 band that played the Y2K Concert that we added last week, but they added their own sello to the inherited sello - you'll see what I mean. Enjoy! If the response is good I'll add another show, two days earlier at the same club, with Robertón sitting in.

And Bay Areans - Gente de Zona will be in Alameda Sunday for their Bay Area premiere. It's supposed to be a full band of live musicians - will they force us to change our name to regueton punto com? [Kevin Moore]

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