Magical Beat
Salsa has placed a spotlight on Cuban music around the world, and many people believe that over here, that infectious, lively musical genre is all that can be heard.
For this reason, I’d like to introduce you to a group that, in a short period of time, has recreated a psychedelic 70’s rock sound, taking a cue from The Beatles.
Orlando "Maraca" Valle
This young musician is truly making waves both in Cuba and around the world. The Chicago Tribune has called him a "visionary", and his is one of the best-known names in Afro-Cuban music.
The list of awards he's won is long- among them are prizes won at the Festival CUBADISCO and the Cuban Recording Institute.
David Calzado & Charanga Habanera
The director of Charanga Habanera always had clear goals for the group since its creation in 1998: success, providing joy to dancers everywhere, and finding popularity all over the world.
The group is more than an orchestra: it is a spectacle, and its power lies in the strength of its orchestrations, its repertory, the energy of its musicians (especially the singers), in the relevance of its lyrics, and in the explosive image of the musicians.
Chucho Valdés at the 25th Jazz Plaza Festival, Havana, Cuba.
February is upon us, which means in Havana it is time for the International Jazz Plaza Festival. Cuban jazz has a long tradition, with musicians such as Chano Pozo and Mario Bauzá leading the charge for what would later be called in the U.S. Afro-Cuban jazz, though the genre really took off in the 1980’s. I think this is due in part to the Jazz Festival, which began in 1963 in the Teatro Payret, and in 1979 the organization of the festival changed hands to the Casa de la Cultura.
