Oprima aquí para leér este artículo en español - We Love Timba de Feri Dj - Perú Report 

Pinch me I'm dreaming....our Perú connect Feri DJ reports on an upcoming concert event of historical proportions. For this great collaboration to happen, the Cuban music agencies held a meeting in Lima with local promoters discussing a hold on all timba tours -- a vision led by Juan Formell of Los Van Van. The lineup is so loaded that a really concentrated effort was needed to assure participation from all the band leaders. Are you READY FOR THIS....

The concert counts with the participation of up to 40 artists of top calibre, among them...

• Juan Formell y Los Van Van (most of the band is coming)
• Adalberto Álvarez, "El Caballero del Son", and his daughter Dorgeris (pianist)
• drummer Giraldo Piloto, leader of Klimax 
• Alexander Abreu (trumpet) director of Havana d' Primera
• Maykel Blanco, director of Salsa Mayor.
• singer Leo Vera  ex-Irakere & ex-Charanga Habanera, "Hombre casado" & "Mi estrella" 
  
• singer Emilio Frías, "El Niño",  from Orquesta Revé
• Lázaro Valdés,  pianist & director of Bamboleo
• José Luis Cortés “El Tosco"  (flute) director of NG la Banda
• singer of NG fame, Tony Calá 
  
• ex-Bamboleo singer Tania Pantoja
  
• among others...Can You Believe It!!

Here's the first official video of the event:

For tickets contact - Teleticket de Wong y Metro (http://www.teleticket.com.pe/ )
Facebook page = https://www.facebook.com/festivalcubanisimo

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El pianista y director Manolito Simonet arrasando en Los Angeles con su tremenda orquesta "El Trabuco" de quince (15) músicos: un violín, una fluata, un chelo, un sintetizador, dos trompetas, dos trombones, guiro, piano, bajo, batería y tres cantantes. Entre los canatantes principales están Ricardo Amaray, El Noro y Lázaro "Mayami" Alejandro Díaz.

Esta noche en el Café Cócomo de San Francisco hay boletos disponibles en la puerta.

MANOLITO Y SU TRABUCO - EN VIVO - DIRECTO DE CUBA
Mayo 8 2010 - Puertas abren a las 8pm
Café Cócomo - (415) 824-6910
@ Mariposa and 19th St., near hwy 280
650 Indiana St., San Francisco, CA 94107

Fotos por David González reportando desde Los Angeles

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COWELL THEATRE, SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 29, 2011
TOM EHRLICH reporting from San Francisco - view the full story & gallery here 
** Notice to the politically paranoid - this article contains this author's honest attempt
 at accurately reporting the background information and context for the story of the theater performance, any political biases or interpretations are your own. **

La Colmenita, a group of extremely talented actors/musicians (ages 5 to 15 years old) from Cuba performed in New York City, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco Bay Area.  I was fortunate to catch their last show in San Francisco.  La Colmenita is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.  Unicef is a branch of the United Nations which specializes in issues related to children.  While in New York, La Colmenita presented a special performance at the United Nations.

During their U.S. tour, they performed various plays which included Abracadabra, which was presented the night I attended.   Abracadabra is described as introducing Americans to the Cuban youth perspective on everything from the Beatles and well-loved fairy tales to the plight of the Cuban Five, a group of men who sacrificed their lives to protect the Cuban people from terrorism.  

The play is short skits which show interactions in classrooms between teachers and students, blending in musical interludes with the young actors singing, dancing and playing all instruments. The music was salsa and timba (mostly Adalberto Alvarez and Los Van Van songs).  These kids smoked (meaning they played at an extremely high and impressive level),  especially a young female drum set player who is ready to replace Samuel Formell any day now.   The show was a class act in every way - the acting and performing were top notch and the writing of the play and how it was put together were superb.

Abracadabra a sympathic protrayal of the Cuban 5.  In case you have not heard, the Cuban 5 are five Cubans who came to the United States and inflitrated some of the anti-Castro organizations in the Untied States which were planning and carrying out actions against Cuba, including attacks and bombings in an effort to topple the Cuban government.  

The Cuban 5's mission was to monitor these groups.....read the full story here. 

One of the youngest actors in La Colmenita is the grandson of the great Cuban band leader and composer, Adalberto Álvarez. What follows are some photos I took at the joy filled and emotional performance.

Back stage before performance - Kevin Lázaro Pérez Álvarez - grandson of Adalberto Álvarez

This young lady had some mean timba licks.

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A special announcement for Cuban music lovers in Los Angeles! Get first dibs at tickets for Silvio Rodríguez at the Gibson Amphitheater June 17 BEFORE they open sales to the general public. Un boletín especial para los amantes de la música cubana de Los Angeles. Esta es una oportunidad de comparar boletoes para el concierto de Silvio Rodríguez ANTES de que se ofrezcan a la venta al público general. The Gibson Amphitheater is located at CityWalk in Universal City, CA. Doors open at 8pm.

Click here. Online only ticket pre-sales available now. Oprima aquí. 
for more info call - 408.241.0000 - llame para más información

IMPORTANT = When you get to the special ticketmaster page use the word "tango" in the left hand box titled TANGO PRESALE. Cuando veas la página especial de ticketmaster pones la palabra "tango" en la cajita (a mano izquierda) que dice TANGO PRESALE. 

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