Bill Tilford went to Havana with a licensed cultural/educational "people to people" group trip organized by Plaza Cuba this month, and Jazz Plaza, the great Jazz festival in Havana, was going on at night during the trip.  Plaza Cuba's trips are a great way to visit Cuba legally in a structured, culturally-oriented setting, and while there, he also obtained a lot of information and recordings. Next month, you will see impressions (with photos) of Jazz Plaza, more information about the music industry in Cuba, more about Cubadisco (Cuba's music awards program and festival) and many, many CD reviews.   In the meantime, Happy New Year!

Bill Tilford fue a La Habana este mes con una licencia culturales / educativos "pueblo a pueblo" viaje en grupo organizado por Plaza Cuba, y Jazz Plaza, el gran festival de Jazz en La Habana, estaba pasando en la noche durante este viaje.  Viajar con Plaza Cuba es un gran manera de visitar Cuba legalmente en un ambiente estructurado y orientado culturalmente, y mientras allí, él obtuvó también un montón de información y grabaciones.  Proximo mes, ustedes verán unas impresiones (con fotos) de Jazz Plaza, más información acerca de la industría de la música en Cuba, más acerca de Cubadisco (el programa y feria de premios de la música en Cuba) y muchísimas reseñas de CDs.  Mientras tanto, ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 

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Nils Fischer with Timbazo singers
Alberto Caicedo, Fabian Nodarse "Huracán" & Nando Vanin

The second installment of our Eurotimba 2014 series is all about the new project by Nils Fischer & Timbazo. Following up their highly acclaimed debut CD ¡Gracias Joe Cuba!, Nils Fischer has brought together an amazing constellation of artists to do something new. Although he has not revealed the title of the new album to us, Nils did tell us that it will contain original material as well as some existing material á la Timbazo.  Check out the guest list: Lucrecia, Calixto Oviedo, Alexander Abreu, José Luis Quintana ‘Changuito’, Carlos Del Puerto, Julito Padrón, Amik Guerra, Jan Hartong, Ernesto Paz, Bart Platteau and Volkan Bayda.

Below is a promo video with clips of Timbazo and the recording sessions. Timbazo is doing something a little different with this album. In order to fund the mixing, mastering and artwork for the album, They have set up a crowdfunding site. I asked him about this.

Crowd funding is increasingly common in the arts. What made you decide to take the step to use crowd funding?

I got the recordings together by emptying my own wallet, and I appreciate a lot the patient and passionate help of my friend, piano/arranging/soundtech-genius Marc Bischoff who also has a recording studio. The album is almost ready to rock right now, recordings are done. A big part of the production however will be the mix, the mastering, the rights, the artwork, promotion, shipping and so on. 

All that will still cost a lot of money. Nowadays (the CD market is down) you can't earn back your investments by selling the product, to break even is impossible. Besides that, basically all work is for free, too - the problem is that we love music... before I start crying, that's how I discovered crowd-funding which is great, it brings a positive side to all this. Everybody can become a part of the production,  you can already buy the new CD in advance so that we can bring it out. You can even pledge more and there are great rewards for those who do, it is all on the website www.voordekunst.nl. If we don't succeed, all money goes directly back to the pledgers.

The site is in Dutch, but there's a full English translation on my site at voordekunst. I also love to receive emails about it to info@nilsfischer.com

By the way: All who participate will be mentioned in the liner notes ;) Dear timberas & timberos: once more, we do need you to bring our music to you! Please check the possibilities here. Our deadline is 01. of March 2014. ¡Gracias mil!

Click here to read the full interview including videos and anecdotes from the recording sessions.

Timbazo is:
Nils Fischer - leader, congas, bongos, batá & other percussion
Fabian Nodarse “Huracán”- vocals
Alberto Caicedo - vocals
Nando Vanin - vocals
Marc Bischoff - md, grand piano, keyboard & Rhodes
Adinda Meertins - bass
Armando Vidal - drums, timbales
Wigbert Martina – bongos
Joe Rivera - trumpet
Alex Rodriguez  - trumpet
David Rothschild - trombone
Frans Cornelissen – trombone

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ENGLISH: Anyone who despairs about the current state of Jazz in the world need only look to Havana, Cuba to find solace.  We have written before about the musical renaissance currently underway among Cuban musicians living in New York, and Havana is simultaneously experiencing one of its own. This atmosphere of excitement and innovation was evident everywhere during Jazz Plaza 2013, the 29th International Jazz Festival in Havana.  You can read the rest of the article in English here...

ESPAÑOL: Cualquier persona que desespera por el estado actual del Jazz en el mundo sólo necesita mirar a La Habana para encontrar consuelo.  Hemos escrito antes sobre el renacimiento musical en curso entre los músicos cubanos que viven en Nueva York, y La Habana está experimentando lo suyo. Esta atmósfera de entusiasmo y la innovación era evidente en todas partes durante el Jazz Plaza 2013,  el 29º Festival Internacional de Jazz de La Habana.  Puede leer el resto del articulo aquí...

Photo Gallery 1 - Havana Jazz Plaza International Festival

Photo Gallery 2 - Havana Jazz Plaza International Festival

Photo Gallery 3 - Havana Jazz Plaza International Festival

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Sebastian Natal (piano) and Jhair Sala (percussion - of Pedrito Martínez fame) are making waves with their new, New York-based band LA TEMATI-K and their first single "Vuelve A Mi", which is currently #1 on our RADIO TIMBA player.

Also, Martin Cohen a.k.a congahead has released their EPK so you can meet the band and get to know them better. Shout out to salsero / engineer Willie Torres! Check it out.

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