Hot off the press...Incredible feel, insane groove, funky rumba....all of these descriptions come to mind when you experience Alaín Pérez play bass. Check out this video teaser for the upcoming Beyond Salsa Bass, a new instructional book & video by Kevin Moore & Alaín Pérez ( http://timba.com/bass ). Here Alaín demonstrates his unique bass movement and groove improvisation for the harmony of "No Me Mires", a song made popular by Issac Delgado.

Cubanos in New Jersey - Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center Chucho Valdés, Cuban pianist and composer, and the Afro-Cuban Messengers, plus the jazz pianist Hiromi and her Trio Project, featuring Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips. Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. $29 to $80. Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street. (888) 466-5722. njpac.org

Also Cuban-born saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, winner of two 2011 Latin Grammys, performs at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37-$67. D’Rivera’s most recent release, Panamericana, won two 2011 Grammys, for “Best Latin Jazz Album” and “Best Classical Contemporary Compostion.” The Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St., Morristown. For ticket information, call 973-539-8008 or visit mayoarts.org

Cuban Music Experience @ University of Colorado Denver - 7th Annual Cuban Music Experience featuring Latin-jazz greats Brian Lynch, John Benitez, Michael Spiro, and Jesús Díaz as well as the amazing 10 piece dance band Timbalive from Miami. February 15-17, 2012. Auraria Campus. source

Rumba master Gregorio Hernández passes away - Dancer, singer and master percussionist Gregorio Hernández Ríos ‘El Goyo’, one of the best known performers of Afro-Cuban rumba, died in Havana on Sunday, January 8th, 2012. He was 75 years old. The Cuban Ministry of Culture and the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC) expressed their grief by citing Gregorio Hernandez’s achievements and his contribution to Cuban culture. Gregorio Hernández Ríos was born in Havana on November 17th, 1936. He was the founder of the Conjunto Folclórico Nacional, which researched and recovered Afro-Cuban music of Yoruba and Bantu origin. source

Yoani Sánchez on Huffington Post - Famous Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez is now contributing to the Huffington Post (her current article reflects on Cuban music). Her book Havana Real: One Woman Fights to Tell the Truth about Cuba Today is now available on Amazon. 

Timba in Pittsburgh? - The rumor mill has it that a sensational timba group is forming in Pittsburg, PA and they are looking for a keyboard player. Anyone have a phone number to call? Hint: look on Craigslist.

Tiempo Libre with Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - "La fiesta más grande" is scheduled for January 20-21. Check out the enthusiastic video here = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJy0HO_W0i0

New program allows legal visitation to Cuba - Our government now allows visitation to Cuba under a program called People to People Exchange. With permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Office of Foreign Asset Control, it is possible for Americans to visit there legally. U.S. tourism is sanctioned under this program for either humanitarian or educational purposes. So, many organizations are abiding by the strictures and planning trips along the lines of religious mission trips, contemporary art and music trips, architectural trips and history. source

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Upgrade your salsa band to TIMBA! The motherlode has finally arrived. It is now impossible to argue against this instructional behemoth. "Well I love it and I can play in that style, but of the band doesn't, so I can't do my thing .... We can't get charts for the songs we like ... The charts are always wrong and incomplete".  NO MORE EXCUSES. 365 pages and 465 audio tracks (753 MB) later, INCLUDING the full sheet music transcription for César Pupy Pedroso y los que Son Son's EL BUENA GENTE (2005 version w/ Pepito Gómez), Beyond Salsa for Ensemble is HERE  !

Immediately download the FREE, 46 page sample PDF

             order the hard copy book              order the eBook & audio (sold separately)

Once you taste TIMBA you can ask for the salsa on the side. Beyond Salsa for Ensemble Volume 1 is now THE STANDARD for instruction of modern tropical dance music styles. This new series is designed to teach modern Cuban rhythm section techniques to college and high school bands, and working professional bands. Each volume contains extensive exercises that systemically teach each of timba's many rhythmic and formal innovations and each contains a full chart of an important timba hit, ready to play at concerts and gigs.

The most frequent question I've heard people ask about Cuban music is: "What's the difference between timba and salsa? "

There are many answers to this question, most of them having to do with lyrics, dancing, melody and chord progressions, but if we limit ourselves strictly to the percussion instruments and the rhythms played by the bass and piano, there are still many key differences and that's what these books are about.   read the full details >>>

BEYOND SALSA for ENSEMBLE Volume 1
COMPLETE AUDIO TRACK LIST (465 tracks - 753 MB)

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Havana weekly listings are up - Need a live music and performance schedule for Havana next week? Check it out in our new section = http://www.timba.com/encyclopedias/havana-live-music-listings

Music form the Cuba All Stars Festival in Perú - check some live tracks from the festival: Mandy Cantero with Los Van Van on Que Sorpresa and Alex Abreu y Habana D Primera with Cuando El Río Suena. Both on Radio Timba right now. 

Samuel Formell collaborates with Mexican guitar heroes Rodrigo y Gabriela - Ready to be released in the US this upcoming Tuesday, January 24th, Area 52 contains nine (9) of the duo's favorite songs from their own catalogue re-arranged and re-configured for a 13-piece Cuban orchestra comprised of some of Havana's finest young players, collectively known as C.U.B.A. This two-disc set includes a 30-minute 'making-of' documentary on DVD.  source

Area 52 was mixed by Rafa Sardina, one of the leading studio musicians in the Latin music world, and arranged by London-based pianist, composer and arranger Alex Wilson. Recording took place in the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba, at Abdala Studios, founded by the Cuban folk hero Silvio Rodriguez, as well as at Rodrigo & Gabriel's studio in Ixtapa, Mexico. Other players on the record include: bassist Carles Benavent (Paco De Lucia, Chick Corea, Miles Davis), drummer John Tempesta (The Cult, Testament, White Zombie), sitarist Anoushka Shankar and drummer Samuel Formell (Los Van Van). 

Radio Timba has an excerpt (with spoilers) of Samuel's killer solo (listen to track #1) of the album's first cut, entitled "Santo Domingo". Check out Rodrigo y Gabriela's iste at = http://rodgab.com/

CubaAntwerpen (title song for the festival), new video from Grupo Contrabando - Hey shameless plug, but it's always It's a great feeling to see and hear a song you mastered. I worked with leader and trombonist Andrés Fernández on this and the video blew me away. Check it out:

Felipe Lamoglia & Urban Beats in Miami - Cuban Timba All Star (Tomasito Cruz version) and ex-NG La Banda saxofonist Felipe Magnolia will be playing his special brand of Afro-Cuban jazz in Miami Beach tomorrow. Fellow CTAS drummer Reinier Guerra is also on the bill. 

Legendary, classical-style, afro-cuban "salsa suite" to be performed with 40 musicians - Pianist Larry Harlow's magnum opus "La Raza Latina" will be performed Friday night at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami as part of the Jazz and Roots series, with the composer conducting the local Mario Ortiz All-stars Band and a stellar lineup of musicians that includes the 90-year-old Cuban percussionist Candido Camero and Grammy-award winner and violinist Federico Britos. This will be only the second production of the show, first performed Aug. 14, 2011 at New York's Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, with Blades, now a Hollywood actor and former cultural minister of Panama, in the lead role. In Miami, Blades' part will be sung by vocalists Emo Luciano and Luisito Rosario. source

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**BREAKING NEWS - MICHEL MAZA UPDATE**
Michel Maza condemned to 25 years in prison in Lima, Perú
for armed robbery with a concealed weapon.

Recently Harper's Magazine writer Daniel Alarcón wrote a feature about Perú's Lurigancho prison. "All Politics Are Local". Excerpt here = http://harpers.org/archive/2012/01/hbc-90008428

Michel Maza arrested in Lima - The famous ex-Charanga Habanera singer Michel Maza was arrested in Lima, Perú for an alleged hold-up of a taxi driver. Money, a cellphone and a radio were taken with a concealed weapon, a serious charge in Perú that can carry a sentence of up to 25 years. Other charges allege drug use. There is talk that he will be deported to Cuba. source

Live in Havana - The Havana weekly listing is up. Would be great to hear about the new Sello LA, Monica y su Máquina, and Tania Pantojas line-ups. 

Papo Angarica y Son Yoruba - New track Juégala is currently #1 on RADIO TIMBA. The version of "El Jonrón" we have features Tania Pantoja (ex-Bamboleo) but the a new live Azucar Negra version can be heard here = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ_E1a6hTcI

New single from Miami: Xavier Mili's "Ya Sé Lo Que Tu Quieres" - Grandson of Los Záfiros creator Nestor Mili, Xavier Mili has made Miami his home working with local bands, most notably El Pikete, and on regional television Channel 41. Check out his new single here.

New Habana D' Primera Video Premier (Al fin de la vida) heats up London - One of London's original salsa dance events - El Rumbón Cubano - is featuring HDP's new video of "Al fin de la vida" on February 9nth. Dance teacher Kerry Ribchester directed the video. In related news, the video screening aslo includes Bamboleo’s "La Que Manda (Mujeres)" and Los Van Van’s "Me Mantengo", which was nominated for Music Video of the Year in Cuba's Lukas Awards. 

Upcoming Cuba y Puerto Rico projects...
1- Tres legend Francisco "Pancho" Amat to record album with Andy Montañez - Cuban musician Francisco Amat, recognized as one of the most talented treseros in the world, plans to record in 2012 a CD with the Puerto Rican singer Andy Montañez. "It is a project we did together some time ago to reflect the musical relationship between the two countries. I expect to complete it before the end of the year", Amat told Prensa Latina. Amat also announced as part of his plans for 2012 the realization of a CD with the Cabildo del Son, a group he founded in the 1990s. source
2- Danny Rivera new documentary "La música es mi aliento" - Puerto Rican singer Danny Rivera and young Cuban instrumentalists make up the cast of documentary "La musica es mi aliento" (Music is my breath), dedicated to the Cuban singer Adriano Rodríguez and directed by local composer Edesio Alejandro. With this film, Rivera, who is also a guitarist and producer, will pay tribute to Adriano Rodriguez. Composer Edesio Alejandro is directing. source 
3- 20-time Latin Grammy winners Calle 13 filming a documentary in Cuba - Puerto Rican reggaetón duo Calle 13 is currently filming a documentary in Cuba, official media said Monday, citing band member René Pérez, a.k.a. "Residente." Pérez said that he traveled to Cuba on a motorboat and that it was "a great experience, a little dangerous but nice at the same time." The duo's new documentary is being directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Lidy Paoli López. Residente and Visitante attended a concert offered by Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez last Thursday at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

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