MUCHO artwork by Michel Mirabal

ENGLISH: It's been over five years since the last album by Giraldo Piloto & Klímax, but they are back with the apptly-named project "MUCHO". The album will be released in stages and will eventually consist of 13 tracks. On December 17th the first four songs dropped as an EP. The new tracks feature guest artists Alexander Abreu and Brenda Navarrete, as well as Klímax bandmembers Yensa Mercedes Vidaurreta, Mily Cantero, Noel Díaz, and Joselier López. In the video below Piloto explains that subsequent songs will be released as singles, while the final five songs will also drop as an EP and will all have females leads.

Click here for links to MUCHO at the various digital sites.

The next single to drop will be "Si No Probaste Antes" featuring Yordys Larrazabal.
The best way to keep up-to-date with the releases as well as the band's concert schedule is to follow them on social media and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

ESPAÑOL: Han pasado más de cinco años desde el último disco de Giraldo Piloto & Klímax, pero están de regreso con el acertadamente llamado proyecto "MUCHO". El álbum se lanzará por etapas y finalmente constará de 13 pistas. El 17 de diciembre, las primeras cuatro canciones se lanzaron como EP. Los nuevos temas cuentan con los artistas invitados Alexander Abreu y Brenda Navarrete, así como con los miembros de la banda Klímax Yensa Mercedes Vidaurreta, Mily Cantero, Noel Díaz y Joselier López. En el video a continuación, Piloto explica que las canciones posteriores se lanzarán como sencillos, mientras que las cinco canciones finales también se lanzarán como un EP y todas tendrán protagonistas femeninas.

Dale clic aquí para enlaces a MUCHO en los diversos sitios digitales.

El próximo sencillo a lanzar será "Si No Probaste Antes" con Yordys Larrazábal. La mejor forma de estar al día de los lanzamientos y de la agenda de conciertos de la banda es seguirlos en las redes sociales y suscribirse a su canal de YouTube. 

Giraldo Piloto &  Klímax YouTube Channel
Giraldo Piloto &  Klímax Facebook

EP track list:

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The 2018 Fiesta del Tambor Guillermo Barreto en Memoriam begins March 5th and really is a party with so many facets that you are guaranteed to find something for you. The complete program has now been published. Check it out and you can even download it as a PDF if you want to have it with you as you walk around Havana.

Many of the events will take place the the new Cultural Center and Casa de la Musica in Plaza, which houses both a concert venue, a piano bar and also a community center. Click here to read Bill's blog on it.  There are music and dance workshops and competitions, and lots of concerts. How about Bamboleo, Klímax, Manolito y su Trabuco, Aisar y el Expresso de Cuba, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor, Azúcar Negra, Tanja Pantoja, Achy Lang, Charanga Latina, Los 4, Los Van Van, El Niño y la Verdad, Issac Delgado, and Havana d'Primera to name a few. And that doesn't include the jazz and rumba concerts! 

Check out the video below to see how things are already heating up at La Tropical.

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NG La Banda launched the timba genre with a ferocious, virtuosic horn section affectionately known as Los Metales del Terror. The saxophonists were Germán Velazco (still going strong) and Carlos Averhoff, Sr. (who passed in 2016). The trumpeters were José "El Greco" Crego and Elpidio Chappottín, both of whom have passed in recent weeks. After Irakere and NG La Banda, El Greco led his own jazz band, Top Secret, and Chappottín (the grandson of the legendary Arsenio Rodríguez trumpeter and bandleader Félix Chappottín and a cousin of the younger Félix Chappottín now leading Conjunto Chappottín) became an in-demand session player and touring musician, most recently coming to the States with Issac Delgado. El Greco's son Marcos Crego is a leading pianist who played with Klímax and Juan de Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars and now lives in Arizona.

       Elpidio Chappottín with Issac at SF Jazz (click here for photos from Kuumbwa Jazz)

José "El Greco" Crego

Marcos Crego (son of El Greco) with Afro-Cuban All Stars in SF

(photos by Tom Ehrlich)

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Chucho Valdés and Gonzalo Rubalcalba will perform as a duo at Smphony Center in Chicago on Friday, February 23, 2018 at 8:00pm.   Although each has a long and storied musical career, this tour is said to be their first time performing as a duo.   More information and tickets are available at the Symphony Center website. 


Omar Sosa will be on tour in the United States in  several cities in March including a key stop at the Old Town School of Folk Music  in Chicago on March 15.   This tour is in support of his new release with Seckou Keita, Transparent Water, scheduled for release this month.   We'll say more about that recording closer to the date.  For the Old Town School of Folk Music performane, tickets and more information are available here.  The rest of the tour schedule is available here.  
Here is some video of Omar and Sekou performing together:

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