The 14th World Music Expo - WOMEX, will take place from October 22-26 in the beautiful, historic city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Last year Los Van Van was given the Artist Award at WOMEX 13. This year Mayito Rivera & The Sons of Cuba have been selected as part of the Artist Showcase. They will perform on October 23rd. Click here to purchase your tickets for the October 23rd showcase.

For those of you unfamiliar with WOMEX, it is a world music trade fair where artists, promoters and labels can meet and network. It also includes showcase performances each night open to visitors, as well as awards for excellence presented at events only open to attendees. 

Mayito's selection for the WOMEX showcase is an affirmation of his recent solo work as represented by the album "Invéntate una historia". All arrangements and lyrics on the new album are by Mayito. With this album he is mixing Cuban music with a broader range of world musical traditions. Check out the electronic press kit below to hear more about Mayito's latest project from the man himself. And if you can't make WOMEX, you can still catch Mayito performing with Soneros de Verdad tomorrow, September 25th in Brussels at Moliere, Friday the 26th in Utrecht at Rasa and Saturday the 27th in The Hague at Korzo. 

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Front cover of Manolito's new CD "Sin Freno"

Manolito y Su Trabuco are on their way to Europe "Sin Freno". The tour starts next week, June 27th, with a concert at the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival in Rovinj. Click here for the complete list of currently confirmed concert dates. The official release date of "Sin Freno" is still unclear and I don't know if they will have the CD with them. But take some extra cash just in case. Hardcopy CDs are getting to be a rare commodity these days, so you don't want to miss a potential opportunity to buy one! Stay tuned for more tour updates!

Track list:

Stay tuned for more tour updates!

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WOMEX is the biggest international World Music Exposition and they have selected Los Van Van for the 2013 Artist Award. Timba.com wants to congratulate all Vananeros, past and present.  You have been and continue to be a source of joy and pride to the Cuban people, wherever they reside, as well as an inspiration to musicians around the world. Congratulations!

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The place to be in Havana this weekend is Teatro Lázaro Peña for the 10th anniversary celebration of Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor. Maykel has been keeping most of the plans to himself to maintain the air of mystery, but he has stated that in addition to the guest musicians, a number of plastic artists are invited.  Fans from around the world have been sending the band video greetings that Maykel will be incorporating into the anniversary AV show.

The popularity of Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor, both in Cuba and abroad, is indisputable. Maykel's hard work with both the music and the audiovisual aspects of the show has made their matinee one of the must-see concerts for timberos visiting Havana. If you're in Havana, don't miss it!

During a recent appearance on Donde si no, the band performed three new songs that they will be doing at the anniversary gala, and each bears the unmistakable Salsa Mayor sello. Maykel himself classifies his music as son with songo. Over the past decade he has faced criticism for similarities to Van Van and Pupy, but there is no longer any question that Salsa Mayor has its own sound that is as recognizable as the great bands of the classic timba era. Click here to watch the video interview (in Spanish) and see all three of the new songs.

Te Escapaste - Yordys Larrazábal

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