The 58th Grammy(R) Awards process began today with the release of the official Entry List to it's academy members. Thankfully, this first round ballot acknowledges some truly great records by Cuban and Cuban music artists alike.

We begin with the already 2015 Latin Grammy(R) nominated and Cubadisco Winner "No Quiero Llanto - Tributo a Los Compadres" (click to read our review), a Tropical Latin double CD collaboration between world-wide salsa star José Alberto "El Canario" and El Septeto Santiaguero. The New York Times reported "The album, which came out earlier this summer as a double CD, reupholsters old music with relentless technical perfection." Sweet. 

Other notables in contention under Tropical Latin are Austin, Texas mega-timberos Timberos del Norte with their self-titled debut album, Singer Xiomara Laugar "Tears & Rumba", and Miami's Tiempo Libre "Pánamericano", Sonlokos "Locos Por El Son", and Leslie Cartaya "Llévame Contigo". 

Next we move to Latin Jazz -- a notoriously fierce and culturally important category -- where a not-to-be named album of midi sequences was somehow embarrassingly included under Latin Jazz in the Latin Grammys(R) and is fortunately not present here. Said controversy was avoided. Instead, we have a story of very interesting bedfellows.

Before getting to that we begin with Pure Mezcla, a live release from Pablo Menéndez & Mezcla. The record got a shining review in All About Jazz, who called it "Rare and beautiful music." Read it here. Another musician who left their soul in Cuba is Australian saxophonist Paul Van Ross, who recorded "Mi Alma Cubana" in Havana with the participation of slamming players including master percussionist José Luis Quintana "Changuito". Next we visit NATURA, by bassist and now residing in Denmar Yasser Pino & The Latin Syndicate. Interestingly, the entry list also includes records from fellow players of his Latin Syndicate: percussionist Eliel Lazo "Eliel Lazo & The Cuban Funk Machine" (in which Yasser also performs) and drummer extraordinaire Calixto Oviedo "Como Suena". More on Calixto soon as he will play a CD release concert in New York at SUBROSA on Monday November 30. For tix and more info click here. Dang... they could form a grammy nominee band. Are we talking after-party? I hope so. 

It is also important to note that one of TIMBA.com's favorite pianists -- Iván "Melón" Lewis -- who is already nominated for Best New Artist and Best Latin Jazz in this year's Latin Grammys (R), has a great record on the entry list "Ayer y Hoy". Here's a reminder why... enjoy!

More Grammy(R) news to come as we dig deeper into the list and report on other notable entries. ¡Que viva la música cubana!

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Videography by Tom Ehrlich of http://timba.com
Mastering by Michael Lazarus of http://latinmusicmastering.com

New song by Alexander Abreu & Havana D' Primera called "Rosa La Peligrosa", which will be included in their third album. One peculiarity of this song is that during the main coro section Alexander and the other singers lift one fist and turn, as if they were revving up a motorcycle. You will see it when they sing "Trabájala" (for example at 4:58).

Special thanks to Lisa Bautista and Jessi Abraham of Yoshi's San Francisco http://yoshis.com/sanfrancisco

Alexander Abreu - leader, vocals, trumpet
Tony Rodríguez - piano
Avis Tobías - bass
Harold Díaz Escobar - teclado
Keisel Jiménez - drums/percussion
Guillermo del Toro Varela - drums/percussion
Mauricio Gutiérrez Upman - drums/percussion
Amaury Pérez Rodríguez - trombone
Jannier Rodríguez - coro
Enrique Luis Pérez - coro
Rogelio Nápoles - guitar
Uyuni Martínez Romero - trumpet
Orlando Jesús Vázquez - trumpet
Angel Batule - sound engineer

Tema nuevo de Alexander Abreu y Havana D' Primera titulado "Rosa La Peligrosa", que será incluido en su tercer disco. Una peculiaridad del tema es que cuando cantan el coro principal Alexander and y los coristas suben un puño y lo tiercen, como si estuvieran acelerando una motora. Lo verás cuando cantan "Trabájala" (por ejemplo a los 4:58).

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Music organization PLAYING FOR CHANGE brings us this Cuban classic... "Guantanamera". PFC started the song with Carlos Varela in Havana and it features over 75 Cuban musicians around the world, from Havana and Santiago to Miami, Barcelona and Tokyo. They recorded and produced this track with Jackson Browne, who explains that “traveling with Playing For Change across Cuba was one of the most rewarding and inspiring musical experiences of my life.”

Aymee Nuviola (vocals)  --  Equis Alfonso (vocals) -- Eva Griñán (vocals) --  Carlos Varela (vocals/guitar) -- Diana Fuentes (vocals) --  Grupo Síntesis (vocals) --  Luis Bofill (vocals/guiro) -- Reinaldo Elosegui (vocals) --  Candi Sosa (vocals/maracas) --  Manuel Galbán (guitar) --  Gabino Jardines (guitar) --  Alexander “Pupi” Carriera (conga) --  Miami Cuban Horns (Braily Ramos: trombone, Carlos Puig, trumpet, Felipe Lamoglia: saxophone) -- Camerata Romeu (strings conducted by Zenaida Romeu Diogenes) -- Manfarrol Medrano (marímbula) --  Gastón Joya (upright bass) --  Ernán López-Nussa (piano) -- Joel Peña (tres) --  La Conga de San Agustín (La Pasión) --  Luis Conte (bongos) --  Luis Valle (trumpet) --   Michelle Fragoso (piano) -- Papa Orbe Ortiz (bass) --  Sergio Cardona Veranes (guitar) --  Rigoberto López (bass)

Playing for Change is a multimedia music project, created by the American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. Playing For Change also created a separate non-profit organization called the Playing For Change Foundation, which builds music schools for children around the world.

"Guantanamera" is a track from the album “PFC3 Songs Around The World”, which features 185 musicians from 31 countries, including performances from Keith Richards, Sara Bareilles, Taj Mahal, Toots Hibbert from Toots & The Maytals, Los Lobos, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Keb’ Mo’, and Andres Calamaro, in addition to a song produced by Jackson Browne. Here is the cover and link...

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Miami is the "The Place" for Havana D' Primera's last show of their 2013 USA tour. This farewell concert is also a birthday celebration for Carlos Otero, a local hispanic television celebrity for Miami's AmericaTeVe channel 41.  La "cubanía" will be there in full force. 

For tickets call 305.642.6994 
The Place
833 SW 29 Avenue, Miami, FL 33135

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