ENGLISH: Lima, Perú will play host to a weekend of Cuban dance workshops presented by Arturo Rojas and Fredyclan. The workshops will be taught by Arturo, Fredyclan and the divine Yanet Fuentes. This is the first time Fredyclan and Yanet Fuentes  have appeared in Lima. The workshops will range from ladies and men's styling to rumba and afro-cuban to casino and son.

I expect that these names need no introduction to timberos and casineros but for any newbies out there let me present them. Fredyclan is a dancer and choreographer and has also made a name for himself as a singer with hits such as "Yo Vengo de Cuba" ft Alexander Abreu & Havana D' Primera, "Yo Soy Bueno" ft Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco , "Tranquilo Calmao", "La Calle EstáQue Arde" and more.  Yanet Fuentes is a dancer who has appeared in television and film and has even been a choreographer for Shakira. Rounding out the instructors is Peruvian dancer and choreographer Arturo Rojas who is based in Sweden.

ESPANOL: Lima, Perú será la sede de un fin de semana de talleres de bailes cubanos presentado por Arturo Rojas y Fredyclan. Los talleres serán impartidos por Arturo, Fredyclan y la divina Yanet Fuentes. Esta es la primera vez que Fredyclan y Yanet Fuentes han dado clases en Lima. Los talleres van desde styling  de mujeres y hombres hasta rumba y afrocubano, hasta casinos y son.

Imagino que estos nombres no necesiten ninguna introducción a timberos y casineros, pero para los novatos, déjenme presentarlos. FredyClan es bailarín y coreógrafo y también se hizo un nombre como cantante con éxitos conocidas mundialmente comoo "Yo Vengo de Cuba" ft Alexander Abreu y Havana D 'Primera, "Yo Soy Bueno" ft Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, "Tranquilo Calmao", "La Calle EstáQue Arde" y más. Yanet Fuentes es una bailarina que ha aparecido en televisión y cine e incluso ha sido coreógrafa de Shakira. Completando los instructores está el bailarín y coreógrafo peruano Arturo Rojas radicado en Suecia.

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"#Latino" is the fourth album released by Simon Monserrat & Djeli and their second release of 2017, the first being "#Afro", which dropped in July of this year. The title pretty much sums up the album. It is a trip through the Carribean with stops in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Colombia.

Some of the songs are served straight up such as "Oye mi songo" - self-explanitory - and "Mofongo" - a tasty son montuno - while "La rumba que traigo yo" and "Sabiduria antigua" are fusions, the former Cuban rumba with flamenco the latter a very modern cumbia-fusion with rap by MC Rico Pabon. "Suena tu tambo" is a classic descarga which features solos by Richard Ortega (piano), Monserrat (percussion) and Mats Hermansson (trombone) that allow the musicians to show their chops. "Latibonito" is an Afro-Haitian track, something new to me. A much slower song with vocals by Roger Chatelain, it has a melancholy quality with beautiful solos on violin and flute and almost feels like a slow cha-cha-chá as it progresses. "El Quitipla" picks up the pace again with a fusion of Afro-Venezuelan music and lead vocals in Portuguese from Brazilian Simone Moreno.

Monserrat performs most of the percussion on the album and also flute on "Sabiduria antigua". He has collaborated on the album with musicians such as Puerto Rican Jerry Medina, Colombian Roger Martinez and Cuban trumpet player Yuliesky Gonzalez. Monserrat is based in Sweden and the album features many well-known names from the Swedish timba scene such as Thomas Eby, Richard Ortega, Oldrich Gonzalez, and Raciel Garces Espinoso. See the track list below for more information on particiating musicians. I also want to mention Erik Steen who plays a mean flamenco guitar and Santiago Jimenez on violin.

I recommend that you check "#Latino" out at Spotify. It is available for purchase at the usual digital retailers and streaming sites such as iTunes and Amazon. 

Track list:
1. Oye mi songo ft Jerry Medina, Moncho, Thomas Eby
2. Mofongo ft Yuliesky Gonzalez, Oldrich Gonzalez, Roger Martinez
3. La rumba que traigo yo ft Raciel Garces Espinosa, Angeles Gomez, Erik Steen
4. Sabiduria antigua ft MC Rico Pabón, Marina Johansson
5. Suena mi tambo ft Richard Ortega, Raciel Garces Espinosa, Mats Hermansson
6. Latibonito ft Roger Chatelain, Santiago Jimenez, Martin Pålsson
7. El Quitipla ft Simone Moreno, Dekula Kahanga
8. Oye mi songo ft Jerry Medina, Moncho, Thomas Eby (bonus track)

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ENGLISH:  Se llama sabroso (They call it tasty) by Zona Franka is an exciting blend of Cuban and other Latin American music with modern urban music - a style they alternately call "changüi con flow" and "changüi de hoy".  Since two of us here at TIMBA.com (Michael Lazarus and Bill Tilford) believed enough in the music to get personally involved with the project (Omara Portuondo was also intrigued enough to make a guest appearance on the album in 20 años), we are publishing a review by Mildred Gloria Aguilar Díaz originally written for Radio Cadena Habana.  As you will read, it is a more heartfelt description than anything we might have written ourselves.   You can read that review in English here...
ESPAÑOL: Se llama sabroso de Zona Franka es una mezcla emocionante de música cubana y latinoamericana con música urbana moderna, un estilo que alternativamente llaman "changüi con flow" y "changüi de hoy". Dado que dos de nosotros aquí en TIMBA.com (Michael Lazarus y Bill Tilford) creímos lo suficiente en la música como para involucrarnos personalmente en el proyecto (Omara Portuondo también estaba lo suficientemente intrigada tambíen como para aparecer como invitada en el álbum en 20 años), publicamos una reseña por Mildred Gloria Aguilar Díaz escrita originalmente para Radio Cadena Habana. Como leerá, es una descripción más sincera que cualquier cosa que pudiéramos haber escrito nosotros mismos. Puede leer esa reseña en español aquí ...

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Adalberto Álvarez "El Caballero del Son"

ENGLISH: Music is in mourning today with the loss of Adalberto Álvarez, who passed away from complications due to COVID-19. During his 46-year career Adalberto was a leader in defending Cuban son, having an immense infuence not only at home but also in the international music scene. Following the news of his hospitalization, there was an outpouring of love on social media from Cuban and international artists as well as fans wishing him a speedy recovery, and a worldwide prayer chain for his health. Today there has been an outpouring of grief and shock at his passing. Although he is no longer with us physically, his legacy will be with us always. When we have had time to post a more fitting tribut, we will. For now we at Timba.com extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and the Cuban people. 

Below we have embedded the video from the celebration of Adalberto's 45 years as an artist. There is no greater memorial than his own music.

ESPAÑOL: La música está de luto hoy por la pérdida de Adalberto Álvarez, quien falleció por complicaciones a causa del COVID-19. Durante sus 46 años de carrera, Adalberto fue un líder en la defensa del son cubano, teniendo una inmensa influencia no solo en Cuba sino también en la escena musical internacional. Tras la noticia de su hospitalización, hubo una efusión de amor en las redes sociales de artistas cubanos e internacionales, así como de fanáticos que le deseaban una pronta recuperación y una cadena de oración mundial por su salud. Hoy ha habido un torrente de dolor y conmoción por su fallecimiento. Aunque ya no está físicamente con nosotros, su legado siempre quedará con nosotros. Cuando hayamos tenido tiempo de publicar un tributo más apropiado, lo haremos. Por ahora desde Timba.com hacemos llegar nuestro más sentido pésame a su familia, amigos, colegas y al pueblo cubano.

A continuación incluimos el video de la celebración de los 45 años de Adalberto como artista. No hay mayor memorial que su propia música. 

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