Well things took a little longer than planned but the US tour of Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son is now set to begin September 8th . It is good to know that even when the summer comes to an end there is still something wonderful to look forward to. Of course as the dates become available we will update the tour page. In the meantime the new CD is just about ready for release, and although I don't know the exact date, it should be before or at least coincide with the US tour. Word has it the CD is hot! Some of you have probably already heard "El Melon", which is a big hit in Havana along with "Bailando en la Tropical" of course. And for the gente of Oriente there is the song "Santiaguera". So prepárense for El Caballero del Son!

The track list for the new CD is:
1) Santiaguera
2) La Falta de Ortografía
3) Vete
4) El Melon
5) Quien será mi amor
6) La Tropical en la Habana
7) Canción para ti
8) No soy el mismo
9) Dos Mujeres
10) Entre la rumba y el son (with Rumbatá)
11) Bonus track: Concierto del Karl Marx

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Orquesta Aragón are celebrating their 70th anniversary with a concert at Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley this Friday August 13 at 8pm. The band is currently touring the US and has a number of To Be Determined concerts but this is the last confirmed date as far as I know so don't miss them! No they don't play timba but they swing, or as Gabriel of Yemayá's verse said "they rock".

Gabriel prepares for Van Van in Sydney

And speaking of Gabriel, her interview with Samuel Formell and Yeni Valdés has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald in preparation for the impending Los Van Van concert Sunday August 15 at the Opera House in Sydney.

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Here are some killer video clips of footage from Elio & Elito Revé's new documentary, an interview with Danny Lozada and a great live performance from Alexander Abreu & Habana d' Primera, courtesy of David (DJ Melao) and Duni's new blog El Puente. To access the new column click on blogs and then select EL PUENTE. Enjoy.

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I have finally published the band section for Juan Kemell & La Barriada. This is long overdue. I have seen this band live 3 times and every time I am struck by how fun the concerts are! They have a gift of really communicating with the audience, whether or not you understand Spanish.

Under the direction of trumpet player Juan Kemell, La  Barriada plays a mix of Cuban music as well as other Caribbean genres, and has a loyal following both in Cuba and throughout Latin America.La Barriada plays regular bi-weekly gigs in Havana, tours the provinces and tours Europe and Latin America regularly. Their last CD/DVD "Havananza" was one of the best albums of 2008.  If you are not yet familar with La Barriada check out the new section with video, interviews, concert reports and more.

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