Mezcla, one of Cuba's most important fusion bands, begins a tour of the United States this week beginning with the World Music Festival in Millennium Park in Chicago  on Friday,  September 12.  As this is being written, the finishing touches are being put on a new recording, Pure Mezcla, which will be released November 1, 2014. (Those of you in radio and the press can write yours truly, Bill Tilford, for more details about the recording.)    This is is raw footage from Mezcla's 2013 concert at Yoshi's in Oakland.:

This tour will be using the same personnel as this concert. This edition of the group relies more heavily on Pablo's guitar than most previous versions  of the group, and he delivers.  For the complete tour itinerary and more, visit Mezcla's website.  And stay tuned for Pure Mezcla, coming in November. 

La Timba, along with other new Cuban music,  is frequently an orphan in many radio stations that play other Caribbean music, so I'm pleased to tell you Frank Camacho and I now are playing a fair share of it (along with other music) on a brand new radio show, Domingos Felices, every Sunday afternoon from 2-4pm Chicago time.  In metro Chicago, you can hear it on WCEV 1450am.  The rest of the planet can listen to it via Internet here.  Hablamos español, pero la música es pa' todo el mundo. Tenemos entrevistas y otras cosas buenas también.  Tenemos una nueva página en Facebook:  Domingos Felices Radio1450

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ENGLISH:   Mezcla performed at the World Music Festival in Millennium Park in Chicago on Friday, September 12 - you can see a photo gallery here.   Their tour of the United States continues for the next few weeks, and their new album, Pure Mezcla, is scheduled for release in November. 
You can hear segments of an extended interview (in Spanish) with Pablo Menéndez on the radio show Domingos Felices during the next few Sundays along with some music from the group. 
On Saturday, September 20, Chuchito Valdés returns to Chicago, and the percussionist for this session, Joaquin Pozo "El Pulpo", will give a percussion clinic on Sunday, September 21.  For full details, see the Report From Chicago Events & Reviews page. 

ESPAÑOL:  Mezcla actuó en el Festival de Música Mundial en el Parque del Milenio en Chicago el viernes 12 de Septiembre - se puede ver una galería de fotos aquí. Su gira por los Estados Unidos continúa durante las próximas semanas, y su nuevo álbum, Pure Mezcla, tiene previsto su lanzamiento en noviembre. 
Se puede escuchar segmentos de una entrevista extendida (en español) con Pablo Menéndez en el programa de radio Domingos Felices durante los próximos domingos junto con un poco de la música del grupo. 
El sábado,  20 de septiembre, Chuchito Valdés vuelve a Chicago de septiembre, y el percusionista para esta sesión, Joaquín Pozo "El Pulpo", dará una clínica de percusión el domingo, 21 de septiembre. Para más detalles, véase el informe en la página  Report From Chicago Events & Reviews.

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Serious students of the music and musicians with a sense of history already know why this is important. For those who aren't familiar with Arsenio, he was merely one of the most transformative figures in the history of Cuban popular music in the 20th Century.  You can read more about him and his many musical innovations in Kevin Moore's Roots of Timba article here. Arsenio did not die wealthy, and for decades his legacy was often neglected except by the many musicians who used his ideas and his music.  This honor is both appropriate and long overdue. 

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This truly was an excellent year for recordings by Cubans around the world, and the results of Cubadisco 2013 reflected this fact in both the nominations and the list of winners.   You can read our complete article in English here.



Esto realmente fue un año excelente para grabaciónes por cubanos en todo el mundo, y los resultados de Cubadisco 2013 reflejan este hecho, tanto en los nominaciones y la lista de ganadores.  Se puede leer nuestro articulo completo en español aquí.

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