Sierra Maestra on tour now!

Tour season is upon us and we are starting to update the tour section for more and more groups, so keep a close eye on the tours section and send an e-mail if you know about any concerts we are missing. Currently Havana D'Primera are in Quebec where they will give two presentations,  Tiempo Libre is on tour in the US in support of their new release "My Secret Radio", and the defenders of son, Sierra Maestra are touring Europe. They will be stopping here in my hometown of Stockholm on May 7th. There is nothing as tasty as a good son, so check their full tour schedule to find a concert near you!

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photo by Tom Ehrlich

Calixto Oviedo's concert with the CSULA AfroCuban big band went very well. Calixto gave private and group lessons to the various student percussionists and played different instruments on different songs. He also played an electrifying percussion duet with conductor Robert Fernández. And to top it all off, he took the microphone on the last song and sang lead quite brilliantly - who knew? We'll have video in our new Clinics section soon.

Various LA illuminati were on hand, including George Balmaseda (singer of The Latin Giants of Jazz), pianists Gustavo Ramírez, Alberto Salas, Paul de Castro and Scott Oakley, leading drummer and Ritmologist Victor Barrientos, bassist/arranger/author Edgar Hernández (who will soon be opening an educational section in the timba.com escuelas section), Kay Torres of Curuye, and Gloria Herrera.

The May 2nd San Francisco clinic was cancelled, but now a new clinic and concert have been booked for May 7 with Edgardo Gambón and his group Candela. It's an all-day event called the Island Arts Festival, with the following schedule:

11:00 AM -1:00 PM: Percussion Workshop with Calixto and Edgardo  (drop-ins welcome)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Special Family Percussion Workshop with Calixto and Edgardo (drop-ins welcome)
8:00 PM: Salsa Lesson
9:00 PM: Candela (Edgardo's full 9-piece band, with guest artist Calixto Oviedo)

Sliding scale $15-25, includes the workshops.
Free parking at the Paint Company nearby.

On May 9th Calixto returns to STOCKHOLM for several more clinics and gigs with the sizzling new timba band La Jugada. Meanwhile, another Afro-Cuban All Star percussionist, Pepe Espinosa (ex-Bamboleo, Azúcar Negra, Danny Lozada y su Timba Cubana, Klímax, Cubanismo etc.) has moved from Sweden to Miami.

Finally, Tom Ehrlich hits the road for two weeks in New York where he'll photograph Omar Sosa's concert and recording session, Los Muñequitos, and other events.

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Calixto with the Afro-Cuban All Stars - Photo by Tom Ehrlich

***  click here for Tom's New Muñequitos Gallery   *** 

UPDATES: The LA clinic was great - we'll have video in our new CLINICS section soon. The concert is tomorrow, Thursday, at the Music Hall (near the Luckman Complex) at CSULA. It's free - 8:00 p.m.

Bay Area Clinic Cancelled - Sadly, there will be no Bay Area clinic or concert.

The first Calixto Oviedo clinic (Tuesday) and concert (Thursday) are in Los Angeles, at the CAL-STATE campus (full website here) and they are FREE (GRATIS). These are almost always FULL so get there EARLY because seating is limited.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26  Beyond Salsa Percussion Clinic
7pm @ the 150 Band Room at the Music Department Cal-State
Featuring Questions and Answer Session with Calixto Oviedo and Keivn Moore & the Cal-State LA Afro-Latin Ensemble.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28  Cal-State LA Afro-Latin Ensemble Concert featuring Calixto Oviedo
8pm @ the Music Hall at the Music Department Cal-State
Cal-State LA Afro-Latin Ensemble Concert featuring Calixto Oviedo
Also Los Jovenes del Son Septet (Cal-State LA Latin Combo)

Then Calixto returns to the Bay Area for the filming of an educational video for congamasterclass.com. 

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click here to pre-order from amazon.com

Tiempo Libre's My Secret Radio is very hot, take-no-prisoners timba, laced with all sorts of great bloques, gear changes and slick arranging. The new member (2nd from the right, standing) is Pututi III, and he's an amazing drummer who lives up to the reputations of his two older brothers (who recorded all the classic Manolín records) and his cult legend father (who should be Pututi I, and everybody else should have one number added, but ...). Anyway, the album is mostly pure timba dura, with one clever Earth Wind & Fire cover (it works well in Spanish) and a guest appearance from Albita.

Here's the latest tour info. They're in Oregon now and will play Montana and New York.

This just in: TL was just confirmed for an October date at the SF Jazz Festival!

Note: Two other TL CDs can be bought at LPM.

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