Dayme Arocena, Kati Hernández, & Melvis Santa

DAYMÉ AROCENA, and MELVIS SANTA will be featured live on line this weekend in two different classes, thanks to Los Angeles-based Cuban dancer Kati Hernández, director of Kimbámbula dance ensemble, and the power behind a series of on line Cuban dance and music classes that has been dubbed by a growing number of students around the globe as a "virtual university of Cuban arts!"

DAYMÉ AROCENA, composer singer, arranger, internationally feted jazz artist, will be speaking  on Saturday, April 10 at 12:45 pm (Pacific Time) to the Con Clave: Musicality for Dancers class, a class that incidentally, and understandably, has attracted as many musicians as dancers over this last year.

MELVIS SANTA, musician, song writer, singer (Interactivo, Sexto Sentido...) has become a regular bright spot in Kati's program speaking to and leading lectures on Cuban music in the Musicality for Dancers class, as well as periodically teaching Afro Cuban song. This Sunday, April 11 at 11 am (Pacific Time) Melvis will be leading the Afro Cuban song class.

To sign up for these special guest classes ($15/class), as wel as Kati's dance classes, and to peruse the over 60 classes/month that Kati's program offers (including not only musicality, for dancers, Afro Cuban song, popular and Afro Cuban dance classes, but percussion workshops as well), visit www.katicubandanceonline.com.
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Watch for Curuye LA's upcoming interview with Kati Hernández

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ENGLISH:  The 4th Matanzas Jazz Festival will be presented online with a very impressive roster of performers and presenters from April 29 - May 2, 2021. You can read all the details shared by the Organizing Committee (special thanks to its Vice President, Alejandro Falcón), here.
Closer to the date we will provide the appropriate  links for viewing. 
ESPAÑOL: El IV Festival de Jazz de Matanzas se presentará en línea con una lista de artistas y presentadores muy impresionante del 29 de abril al 2 de mayo de 2021. Puede leer todos los detalles compartidos por el Comité Organizador (agradecimiento especial a su Vicepresidente, Alejandro Falcón), aquí.
Más cerca de la fecha, proporcionaremos los enlaces aproppiados para su visualización. 

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Sad news. One of the key figures in the legendary creative chemistry of Los Van Van has passed. 

Click here for more LVV photos by Tom Ehrlich.

Hugo Moreón was a trombonist, keyboardist and arranger who first came onto the radar in the early 70s in Acheré, a group of future all-stars that included Calixto Oviedo, Omar Hernández and NG trumpeter El Greco.

Hugo did stints with Pachito Alonso and Adalberto Álvarez before joining Van Van in the early 80s. In addition to playing trombone and keyboard solos on many classic tracks, he composed the mambo parts for nearly every major Van Van hit. He'll be sorely missed.

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In addition to the many Chicago-based musicians that you will encounter in connection with this year's Jazz Plaza, there are additional musicians in the windy city that have performed in Cuba and with Cuban musicians touring in the US.  Here we introduce you to two of them:
1. Leon Allen has performed with several Cuban bands including Manolito Simonet y Su Trabuco, Bamboleo, Hermanos Avilés, Cimafunk and others.  Here he discusses his experiences in a 2020 Skype conversation with Bill Tilford:

2. Singer and filmmaker Jesse Charbonier performed at the Teatro America in Havana during the 2020 edition of Jazz Plaza.  Here his discusses that experience and future plans in a 2020 Skype conversation with Bill Tilford:

Jesse graciously shared three stills from his Jazz Plaza performance:



His video Black Is The Color is here:

Finally, a live clip from his performance in Havana:

If you are watching this year's Jazz Plaza on line (and we hope you are), you will encounter many other Chicago musicians in connection with this year's festival. 

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