2 Nights at the Casa de la MÃºsica Miramar

ENGLISH:
During Cubadisco 2014, EGREM was kind enough to give me permission to photograph NG La Banda and Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco in the Casa de la Música Miramar. The Casas are one of the best options for tourists to enjoy some of the best current Timba bands. You can view the photo gallery here.

Also, see the Reviews section for new reviews of recordings by NG La Banda, Elito Reve y su Charangón and Moncada.

ESPAÑOL:
Durante Cubadisco 2014, EGREM tuvo la amabilidad de darme permiso para fotografiar NG La Banda y Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco en la Casa de la Música Miramar. Las Casas son una de las mejores opciones para los turistas a disfrutar de los mejores grupos que tocan la Timba en la actualidad. Puede ver la galería de fotos aquí.

Además, vea la sección Reseñas para nuevas reseñas de grabaciones de NG La Banda, Elito Revé y su Charangon y Moncada.

thursday, 25 july 2024, 12:04 am

Spring is here, and some dont'miss performances are coming up in different cities in the United States:

I. Omar Sosa y Cuarteto AfroCubano

Omar's newest group is currently on tour in multiple cities in the United States in support of their new release ilé, a return to Omar's Cuban musical roots. You can read my review of that album (in English) here. I will have the good fortune to be able to catch them live during one of their many performances at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago from April 23-26; they also have dates in LA on the 19th, Washington DC on the 29th and Brooklyn NY on the 30th before heading off to Europe. You can see the full tour schedule here.

II. Melvis Santa

Melvis Santa already has an impressive resume - a founding member of Sexto Sentido, work with Interactivo as well as many Cuban Jazz artists, film work in Siete días en la Habana and her own projects Santa Habana and Achedi. This Chicago performance (At Sabor a Cafe on May 9) has her collaborating with a hand-picked ensemble, three of whom took the roof off the place a few weeks ago when they played there with Eliel Lazo: Cuban saxophonist and keyboardist Orlando Sanchez "Cubajazz", bassist Joshua Ramos and guitarist/keyboardist Rob Block. Melvis' voice is one of those that I would listen too even if she were singing the Chicago telephone directory. But don't take my word for it - her YouTube channel is here. This is also an opportunity to buy her CD Santa Habana, which I have heard (I love it) and will be reviewing soon. This is a small venue (with wonderful Colombian food incidentally), so make your reservations now.

III. Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

This is hardly Jane Bunnett' s first rodeo with top-tier Cuban artists, nor is it the first time that an excellent all-female ensemble has come together to perform Cuban music. What is new is that the lineup includes heavy hitters like drummer Yissy Garcia, who recently stood a few US cities on their ears during a tour with her own project, Bandancha, and this group draws on the strengths of Yissy, Yusa and others to throw down an interesting mix of Cuban music, Jazz and Soul. The group will be touring Canada and the west coast of the United States in May at the following locations:

Jazz Bistro – Toronto Canada – Wednesday May 6 to Saturday May 9
PDX Jazz @ Jimmy Mak’s – Portland Oregon – Monday May 11
Jazz Alley – Seattle Washington – Tuesday May 12, Wednesday May 13
Piedmont Piano Company – In-Store Concerts – Oakland CA – Thursday May 14
Jazz Bakery Presents at Moss Theater – Santa Monica CA – Saturday May 16
MIM Music Theater (Musical Instrument Museum) – Phoenix AZ – Sunday May 17
Kuumbwa Jazz Center – Santa Cruz CA – Monday May 18

thursday, 25 july 2024, 12:04 am

photo courtesy Tiempo Libre

Jorge Gómez, líder de Tiempo Libre, habla del nuevo proyecto en español aquí

Tiempo Libre has never been afraid to take risks, whether fusing Bach with Cuban Music, working with symphonies, mixing in other genres of popular music with Timba and projects with Joshua Bell and James Galway. They have paid a price of sorts for that path - rather than being the darlings of the less expensive dance halls, they have sometimes had to settle for the likes of the Tonight Show, Live From Lincoln Center, several prestige festivals and three GRAMMY nominations. They have still been a perfectly danceable música popular bailable band throughout, just maybe a little too uptown at tmes for some of the most hard core Timba purists (which has never stopped open-minded listeners like yours truly from getting into them or most of the dancers either).

photo courtesy Tiempo Libre

Now comes a new Tiempo Libre project, Bohemia, a quartet that interprets more traditional material from the Cuban songbook. This isn't the first time that timberos have gone to the traditional songbook- former vanvanero Mayito Rivera for example has delved deep into Rumba and Son. Tiempo Libre itself had its US road debut in Chicago, so it is fitting that Bohemia's road debuts are on Tuesday, August 1 in Minneapolis (Dakota) and Wednesday, August 2 in Chicago (City Winery). Those of you in those cities will be the first to hear this outside of Miami. Both of these are among the best venues in their cities for presenting this type of music (I can vouch from experience that the City WInery also has excellent food and drink).

Jorge Gómez tells us about the new project in English here

Basically, there will be two Tiempo Libre groups now -the Tiempo Libre that we've known for years, and the Bohemia project. You can get a taste of the Bohemia project on their Facebook page here.

For more information (and tickets) for the Dakota performance, click here....

For more information (and tickets) for the City Winery performance, click here....

Both Tiempo Libre's Bohemia project and the full Tiempo Libre ensemble will be on tour in the weeks to come. You can see their schedule here.......

Septeto Santiaguero is on the road in the US with engagements in multiple cities in support of their latest album Raiz (you can read a review here), which was nominated in the Raíces Soneras y Campesinas category in Cubadisco 2017. (Septeto Santiaguero already has some recent Cubadisco and Latin GRAMMY® awards under its belt.)
As a Chicagoan, I wish to let my fellow Chicagoans know that Septeto Santiaguero will be performing here on Saturday, August 5 at Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois: This is being presented by HotHouse, and you can see more information here. I have seen them live in both Santiago and la Habana, and they pack a wallop - musically speaking, I actually prefer them live by themselves, as they will be here, to their many collaborations with more "famous" artists.
You can see an earlier version of the tour schedule here, but there have been some date changes, so be sure to verify before you go.

thursday, 25 july 2024, 12:04 am

Omar Sosa and Cuarteto Afrocubano are at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago every night until Sunday, April 25. Unlike the album, which includes guest musicians that add some elements of Flamenco and other influences, this is the core quartet and is more down-to-the-bone Cuban in its execution. BIll Tilford was there for the first set opening night - you can read more and see photos here.

In 2012, Santa Habana by Melvis Santa was nominated for a Cubadisco award in the Fusion category. Melvis has her own projects now but has also been a member of Interactivo (which appears here) and Sexto Sentido. You can read a review of this recording in English here y en español aquí.

Best of all for Chicagoans, she will be in town May 9 to perform. See Report From Chicago from April 19 for details.

In the next month or two, you will be reading and hearing a lot about Ruy López-Nussa, who in no particular order is Ernán López-Nussa's brother, a phenomenal drummer, and the leader of the group La Academia, a group that has some killer recordings that are about to find their way to public notice. If you were a fan of Grupo Afrocuba, watch this like a hawk. This is not a reencarnation, but it is every bit as good, in some ways even better. While we wait, here's a review of a Fusion project (Cuban music and Reggae) that they did with Everton Paul, Remembrance. You can read it in English here o en español aquí.