In just under a week the 10th Annual Contest of Popular and Traditional Cuban Dance and Rueda de Casino will take place in Parque Céspedes in Santiago de Cuba. While the contest name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, it is a very accurate descriptor of the event. Couples who wish to compete must be acredited by the provincial commitee of UNEAC (Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba). Competitions will be held in Danzòn, Son, Mambo, Cha Cha Chá, Pilón, Mozambique, Casino in couples and Rueda de Casino. Winners will be chosen in each category and an award will also be given to the couple that has the best overall command of Cuban dances. This will be the first year that a Children's Contest will be held for ages 5-15. The children's contest will take place the 15th and 16th of October. If you are going to be in Santiago don't miss this opportunity to see over 100 years of Cuban popular dances as interpeted by the best local dancers. The event will also include music performances by artists from Santiago de Cuba.

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We have updated Orlando "Maraca" Valle's tour section. As usual Maraca's schedule is rapidly filling up so if you want to book you should get in touch with Celine soon. Fans, take a look at the schedule and find a concert near you.

The band has some exciting additions this year. While young soneros seem to be an endangered species, Maraca has added both Alexei Sánchez "El Nene", and Lester Ciarreta to the group. You know Alexei "El Nene" from Azúcar Negra and Elito Revé, where he both composed and sang several of the hits on the "Se sigue comentando" CD. When El Nene left Azúcar Negra it was actually Lester Ciarretta who filled his place, moving over from Salsa Mayor. Well now both these young sonero/timberos are together in one band under the leadership of one of the most sucessful young bandleaders in Cuba today. French DJ Jack El Calvo informs us that Maraca even has other new musicians including a new trumpet player, from Klímax. Stay tuned for video of the new Maraca line-up!

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The 2011 Latin Festival in Copenhagen will take place November 5th at Amager Bio. The bands this year are Manolito y Su Trabuco and El Micha . This event is highly recommended! The Trabuco is in top form right now with a selection of great new songs, so they are really worth seeing una vez más . The Trabuco concert is from 9:00pm-10.30pm. It will be followed by 30 minutes of dance shows and then El Micha will close the evening with a concert from 11:30pm-00:30. El Micha is hugely popular among reggaetoneros and has done a number of timbaton songs such as with Issac Delgado, La Charanga Habanera and Alain Daniel. You can get all the information at the Latin Festival website . Note that if you don't buy your ticket in advance they will only accept cash at the door!

Here is a little taste of something new by El Trabuco, a song written by Alexander Abreu and sung by Mayami that has Gabriel from Yemayá's verse raving! Check her blog for more estrenos direct from Havana. Now that she's back, she starting to upload.

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Wow! I just got my first listen to the title track from the new CD "De que estamos hablando". Now you all know that I'm a big Revé fan, and I am always confident that they will release quality songs. I knew the CD would be good, but this is blowing me away! So far I've only heard part of Chichi and the full tracks of the remake of "La boda en bicicleta", "Agua pa' Yemayá" and "De que estamos hablando", but I tell you my fellow charangoneros, this is hard core timba as only changüí can be.

I still haven't figured out what it is that gives changüí that extra kick, but I tell you this is absolutely impossible to resist. I was going to say that you'd have to be dead not to dance to these songs, but to be honest I'm pretty sure this will even get los muertos on their feet. I'm not exaggerating! This CD cannot get into my CD player soon enough!



Elito Revé photo Cristian Muñoz

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