Contrabando Concert Report

Contrabando celebrate the release of "Abriendo Caminos" with champagne

I have finally overcome my technical difficulties and can share with you all the experience of attending the Contrabando release concert for "Abriendo Caminos". It was really a very elaborate event with several different segments culminating in the concert itself. The band was not stingy. They played every song from the new album, with the exception of the bachata version of "Siempre tú". You can already listen to the song "Mentiras" in our Timba.com Radio. I have also included a little live video in the report as well as a post-concert video of the goings-on in the dressing room after the concert. Click here to check it out and get to know the band a little better. Non-Spanish speakers will be happy that I have gone hi-tech and started adding subtitles to the interviews. If you haven't already seen the interview with bandleader "El Paísa" I recommend you take a few minutes to watch it. You will get an idea of what Contraabndo is about. And check out the entire Contrabando section as well.

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

Elito Revé in Stockholm by Karim Ryde Elito Revé y Su Charangón have finished their new album, "De qué estamos hablando" and are promoting the first single. It is a number written and sung by Dagoberto Vazquez called "Mi amiga Chichi" and features Kola Loca as well.

Amazingly the new CD is rumored to surpass their last album "Fresquecito", winner of Best Dance Music CD for 2008 at CubaDisco and Best CD of 2007 at FiestaCubana.net, and I tell you it also won my heart as best CD of the year. So hold on to your hats or whatever you have to hold on to and get ready que La Revé está en la calle otra vez!

And yes, they are still planning a tour of the US at the end of April so stay tuned for the details as they become available.

Elito Revé courtesy of Karim Ryde

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

I assume that everyone follows Mirco's TimbaPorSiempre blog, but if you are new to timba, maybe you haven't discovered it yet. Mirco has great contacts for getting the latest music. Of course he has a couple of clips to give you an idea of what the new Revé CD "De Qué Estamos Hablando" will be like. He also posted the complete track listing for the new CD. So click here if you haven't had a chance to sample the new Revé songs. And let me tell you right now, if you drive a Chevrolet, you don't stand much of a chance with Chichi.

Thursday, 25 July 2024, 12:04 AM

Hermanos Arango rehearsal
Los Hermanos Arango rehearse in Guanabacoa photo by Patrick Bonnard

Although they were billed at a number of sites, including here, as performing at the Beantown Jazz Festival in Boston this month, Feliciano Arango informs us that due to a great enthusiasm for Los Hermanos Arango in Boston, their trip has been delayed in order to arrange a larger event. With any luck Los Hermanos Arango will be in the US for a full-fledged tour. If you happen to know any promoters in your area, drop them a line and tell them you want to see Los Hermanos Arango live in your city!

Photographer Patrick Bonnard visited the Arangos this spring and told us about how the collaboration between Los Hermanos Arango and Berklee came about. "Professor and saxophonist Neil Leonard brought his students to Cuba last December and visited the homes of Chucho Valdés and Los Hermanos Arango. They returned in May and gave a concert, this time together with Los Hermanos Arango in La Casa de Las Americas." The Vice-President of Berklee College was in attendance and invited Los Hermanos Arango to Boston, which culminated in the current discussions about bringing the band to El Yuma. Here is an article written by Frank-John Hadley in Downbeat magazine about the visit to Cuba.

Although it would have been great to see them this month in Boston, we can console ourselves with hopes of a larger tour to come. Feliciano also informs us that Los Hermanos Arango will soon release a new DVD featuring a collaboration with the stars of Cuban folkloric music. For this recording they invited five founders of Conjunto Folklorico Nacional who range from 80 - 90 years old. This is the beginning of what they are calling the Guanabacoa Social Rumba, where they will be performing all of the Cuban folkloric genres with the greatest exponents of each genre. This sounds like an amazing and brilliant project and I can hardly wait to see the first fruits!

For a taste of their music check out the Los Hermanos Arango channel at YouTube. Here is a little teaser: a song for Oyá including a bass solo by Feliciano Arango winner of the Timba.com Best Timba Bassist Award. And if you are inspired to delve more deeply into the bass style of Feliciano Arango, check out the book "CUBAN TIMBA: A Contemporary Bass Technique" by Feliciano Arango and Cherina Mastrantones. It is available in both Spanish and English.