MisterBryans

Hoder and Yoani: Tough Week For Bloggers

This is the first anniversary of the incarceration of Canada's most famous blogger Hossein Derakhshan's, (aka Hoder) who has been in an Iranian jail for reasons that no one is clear about. Jesse Brown at TVO's Search Engine has the latest info.

Last Friday, Cuban authorities detained and beat up Yoani Sanchez of Generçion Y. Here's her post on what happened.

From Celeste In Ottawa (Click to Enlarge)

Nice tune from El Tosco

That comic, Antolin, was in Toronto last week. Couldn't understand a word......

There was a live/pre-release mix of this tune from NG la Banda kicking around a while ago, dunno if the song ever got recorded properly. It's a good one.

One Year

(Photo of me and Sarita blowing out the candles - courtesy of AJHW)

Looking back, I'm not entirely sure that anyone (myself included) was really convinced that a weekly club night dedicated to Cuban music would actually work. A year later it seems obvious that it was something whose time had come.

The three dance schools sure make a difference. Sarita Leyva, Vladimir Aranda and Albena de Assis (Afro-Latino Dance Company) now have many students who are familiar with the music of Manolito, Van Van, Pupy Pedroso etc etc and who have found a home on Sundays at Babaluu

No doubt the 'embargo' (or bloqueo if you prefer) of Cuban salsa music still exists within the Salsa establishment, but it is far less unanimous than when I started playing Cuban music 7 or 8 years ago. The dance teachers listed above are part of the reason why things have changed...but also many of the salsa schools now teach casino rueda, (badly or not is another question) and many of the salsa teachers are familiar with afro-cuban dance. As well, most of the local salsa musicians are from Cuba and many of the bigger live salsa shows have been Cuban artists.

Also, very importantly, the website/blogs have created a different climate. This site, CubainToronto.com,(Cuban events updates) and Muchoswing.com (with it's clips of the latest Cuban dance and music from Havana) have all provided places for the audience to go for more info.

Another reason why the Sundays at Babaluu have worked is because Cuban people are more and more intergrated into the Canadian system, and there are enough Cubancanadians - usually younger - who will go out on a Sunday night.

Musically speaking, as a working DJ, it's been a great opportunity to play a weekly 4-5 hour set digging deep into the catalogue of Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo, NG La Banda, Pupy etc etc, to mix it up with the latest Cuban reggaeton, ....and if something doesn't work, well no probs, we just move along to the next song. We have 'broken' songs in that room (Havana de Primera's 'Cuando el Rio Suena', Charanga Habanera's 'Gozando en La Habana') which is something that every DJ aspires to do.

So thanks to all who have made the evening successful.

Cuba Bla Bla

Here's a new blog for all you Cubophiles. it's called El Yuma and is written by Ted Henken, a university professor from NYNY. Another aplatanado. So far he has written mostly about bloguera Yoani Sanchez, who is a friend it seems, but it sounds like Henken knows a lot more about Cuba than just the dissident bloggers. Lets see what he writes about.

Speaking of Yoani Sanchez, I dont know if you caught this a few weeks ago, when Yoani, denied permission to travel yet again, unloaded on the poor sleepy bureaucrat who had the misfortune to be the one who had to give her the bad news.

Beware the wrath of a highly intelligent, highly pissed off Cuban woman. With a hidden camera.

Meanwhile, the U.S.- Cuba thaw continues sort of, as the Latin Grammys have announced that Omara Portuando will be one of the presenters for this years gala on November 5th....However, a Miami friend, who is very familiar with the changing U.S. immigration policies vis a vis Cuban artists, cautions that we shouldn't expect of flood of Cuban musos coming to the U.S. next year for summer tours. More like a trickle, especially of older, more established artists, who present less of a threat of defecting while in the U.S. (I think the phrase is 'flight risk.')

Myself, I'm going back to Cuba for the first time in a couple of years. Leaving for Havana on the 17th. Yessss! I desperately need sun, and I need to be in a room with Manolito, or Havana D' Primera or Van Van, surrounded by Cuban dancers. It's been waaay too long. I hope to do some meetings, and I will also attend a wedding of two friends who are getting married. Two friends (Christian Muñoz, well known timba photographer and Jensy Menendez) whom I introduced - come to think of it.

I'm Baaaaack!

Apologies to for total lack of updates but sometimes real life takes over from blogging...

One of the most time consuming projects that I have ever embarked upon is almost over. Namely, digitizing my music library in order to use the Serato Scratch Live DJ software. Going back to the original (and mostly unsorted) CD's, dumping the music over to my external hardrive, and then selecting the songs that i need for my DJ'ing - it's amazing how much time it takes. But the work is more or less all done now, so i can now enjoy DJ'ing without lugging around a trillion CD's that i continually misfile or misplace.

The main difference in using the Serrato software comes in the retrieval of the music. For 10 years, I had developed a system whereby i could dig through my box of CD's and find what i needed, knowing that a particular song was (for instance) track 4 on this or that CD. I didnt really even have to remember the title of the song, and because Spanish is not my main language, i sometimes didn't really even know the proper title of that song, I just knew where it was and how to find it. Now, most of the time anyways, the songs are in alphabetical order which means......that I'd better learn Spanish asap.

Salsamundo Thursdays at Babaluu

The good folks at Babaluu (Nubia and Pilar) have asked me to take over their Thursday nights. So starting October 22nd, I will be DJ'ing a night that I am calling Salsamundo.

It's a format that I started to develop at Lula on a Saturday night, where I'd string together a mix of music in every genre  from Colombian, Cuban, Vintage, Romantica through to African....

On one hand, I don't want to play the same format as I do Sundays, (about 80/20% cuban/non-cuban), on the other hand I couldn't possibly play an evening of salsa without Issac,Adalberto, Van Van, Manolito etc etc,. So there is a blend somewhere that I want to develop into something unique to the dancers and party people of Babaluu's.

My good friend Erica (Colombiana by background, VanVanera by inclination) was very influential in opening my mind to these possibilities.

In 2003, I found myself bombing along the Malecon in my buddy Luis' crapped out Lada, grooving to Puerto Rican Power at ear-splitting volume. I was in my 100% Timba phase at the time and didn't get it at first, listening to Puerto Rican salsa in Cuba.

I understand a lot better now.

Canada, the U.S. and Cuban Music

There's a growing flood of mini-developments in the 'deshielo' (thaw) between U.S. and Cuba, but this link from Cuba Colada is the most significant for Canadian music audiences and Canadian producers.

The flow of artists and musicians between Cuba and the U.S., choked off since 2003, has begun to trickle again. The most famous voice to hit stateside from the island is Omara Portuondo, the lone female artist from the Buena Vista Social Club, who has received a visa to perform in the U.S. in October. Omara, who just got a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for her album Gracias, will perform during the San Francisco Jazz Festival on Oct. 20 and at UCLA on Oct. 23. The Latin Grammys will be held on Nov. 5 in Las Vegas; no word yet on whether Omara will attend.

Which makes it all but official that come the 2010 summer touring season, Cuban music artists will be touring the U.S. on a regular basis.

The question for Canadian promoters of Cuban music - and it wont really be answered until agents start making phone calls toward the end of this year - is, will there will be more Cuban groups available for the Canadian market, and will they be more expensive than before, or hopefully, less expensive, because Canadian promoters wont have to bear the costs of flying the musicians from Havana to Toronto or Montreal.

The real cost of Cuban salsa bands was never really in the fees the bands charged, the costs were in the price of flying 15-18 people from Cuban to Canada.

Theoretically, you strip away those flight costs (because the bands could start a tour in Miami) and the bands become much cheaper to present...Therefore more money can be spent on promotion, etc etc.

Theoretically.

Adonis Puentes News

Cool news from one of my oldest friends in the business, Adonis Puentes. He's the lead vocalist on master percussionist Orestes Vilató’s album “It’s About Time,” recently nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in the category of "Best Traditional Tropical Album"

Apparently Adonis was originally asked to sing a couple of songs for this album, and the producers liked his voice so much they got him to sing the whole album. Which is not surprising to me. He has a great voice.

Meanwhile, I just got some new music from Alexis (Alex Cuba) which I'll post up soon.

(Still recovering from Havana Cultura)

Ogguere with Cucu Diamante at Paz Sin Fronteras

Decadencia - Eskuatron Patriota

One of the most widespread of the so-called 'dissident' Cuban hip-hop videos in circulation

The Pacemaker DJ

From the Telegraph U.K.

The next giant leap forward in dj-ing is a miniaturized device that’s not much bigger than an iPhone.

The Pacemaker does for the DJ set-up what the Walkman did for the home stereo by making it mobile. It also makes DJing accessible for even the complete novice. It takes an hour or so to get to grips with and all the MP3 mixes are saved to the gadget’s hard drive. These can be played through headphones or through a home or club audio system. “We’re aiming to put the focus back on to the music,” says Ola Sars, the man behind the Pacemaker which comes in 60gb (£299) and 120gb (£399) hard drive options.

Demo sessions have seen pro DJs mixing tracks while they’re out in the crowd on the dancefloor. Does this now mean Djs will need a new device to help improve their dancing?

Honest to God  i have waved my iPhone at the speaker system at the club and told my friends "soon, this is how we will DJ".

And here's what it looks like....

Maybe i should just skip the Serrato Final Scratch

Fun with Francis

It was on a break at the Ogguere rehearsal, where Francis and Roberto were brought in to beef up the backing band which included Glenda del E and Jalidan Ruiz. The drum set was just sitting there, waiting for someone to hit it, and Yasmina had the camera.

Descansa En Paz Lazarito

The Toronto Cuban community lost one of it's most prominent members last Sunday upon the news that Lazarito (aka Chico Valentino) died in an automobile accident while back home in Cuba.

I did not know Chico that well personally, when I was entering the Cuban music scene as a live music promoter (in 2001-2002) he was one of the first Cuban dance teachers in Toronto, running the Thursday night parties at El Convento Rico. The last time we talked was at the Salsa on St. Claire festival this past July. And from the first to the last time, what I remember most was his irrepressible smile, his handsome Cuban-guy good looks and the way he danced with an infectious energy that always made the room feel better.

Two of my best Cuban friends posted these messages on Lazarito's facebook page

from Sarita Leyva

Lazarito, es extremadamente triste y dificil saber que ya no estaras mas entre nosotros, todos los que te conocimos y queremos estamos consternados con la noticia, nunca te voy a olvidar, descanza en paz querido amigo, hermanito mio, se que donde quiera que estes tu sonrrisa y alegria contagiara a todos, gracias por los buenos momentos, recuerdos y memorias, mis condolencias para tu familia, que la paz y la luz del señor esten contigo. Te quiero mucho R.I.P

from Alberto Alberto

Hermano mio, que Olofin y todo el Panteón Yoruba ilumine tu camino a la eternidad. Que aunque se que de este mundo nadie se marcha, y que tan solo cambiemos de posición, siento una gran tristeza al saber que ya no estas entre nosotros. Pena por tu familia y amigos. Hoy brindare por ti y recodare los buenos momentos en que compartimos. Que en paz estes mi hermano.

Interactivo Last Night

How To Dance Properly

From the instructional Cuban dance DVD Son Cubano featuring Jose Carrion

3rd in a series of instructional Cuban dance DVDs to be produced by the Academy of Cuban Folklore and Dance. This DVD features detailed instruction on Cuban Son including the basic step with clave, turn combinations & tornillos. The DVD also includes a lecture, "Raices del Son", as well as demos & performances by Cutumba.

For more info visit http://www.cubanfolkloricdance.com/products.php

Schedule For Havana Cultura - Saturday Night at Queen And Dovercourt

8:00 pm Glenda del E's Mixology

8:45 pm The Elmer Ferrer Band

9:30 pm Ogguere

10:15 pm Interactivo with Telmary, Francis del Rio and Roberto Carcassés

11:30 pm Finale

Show is over by midnight when we will all head over to Lula Lounge for Roberto Linares Brown.

Here's the HavanaCultura website

Havana Cultura Toronto - The Music

Havana Cultura 2009 Toronto UPDATED
http://www.havana-cultura.com/canada/

Friday September 25
ROBERTO CARCASSES in Concert
8:00 - 10 PM
The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West
416-531-5042
Free Admission

Havana Cultura presents pianist/composer Roberto Carcassés performing with renowned Canadian bassist Roberto Occhipinti in a special concert in The Lounge of The Drake Hotel.

An instrumentalist of exceptional range and diversity, pianist/composer Roberto Carcassés is the leader of the jazz fusion
collective, Interactivo, and is considered one of the key figures in the new generation of Cuban music that has emerged on the island since 2001.

For this concert at The Drake, Carcassés will be joined by one of Canada's most recognized latin/jazz musicians, bassist Roberto Occhipinti, as well as percussionist Frank Durand, playing the traditional Afro-Cuban percussion instrument, the cajón.

JOAQUIN HIDALGO'S Cuban Caribbean Jazz Quartet
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas Stret West
Admission $10.00
8-10PM

Cuban percussionist and bandleader Joaquin Hidalgo presents his Cuban Caribbean Jazz Quartet featuring Roberto Riveron, Michael Chan and Gareth Burgess.

Saturday September 26
INTERACTIVO featuring Telmary, Francis del Rio and Roberto Carcassés

THE ELMER FERRER BAND and GLENDA del E's "MIXOLOGY"

ALSO ADDED Cuba's hottest hip-hop artissts OGGUERRE

NEW START TIME *PM

8PM - 12 AM
Outdoors at 1093 Queen St West
Admission Free

Three principal members of one of Cuba's most legendary groups re-unite for their first ever concert in Toronto.

Interactivo are a collective of some of the most prominent musicians from the new wave of musicians who have transformed Cuban music in the last decade

This Interactivo concert features pianist/composer music director Roberto Carcassés, singer/sonero Francis del Rio and jazz-poet rapera Telmary backed up by the creme of the Toronto's Cuban music scene. This will be a concert to remember

The evening also features sets from the Elmer Ferrer Band (the pioneer of the Cuban electric guitar featured on the last two Los Van Van albums) and Glenda del E's Mixology (Glenda being the rising star of Cuban jazz and classical piano)

The concert takes place ion a beautiful outdoor stage created specially for the evening - located in a parking lot at 1093 Queen St West, just west of Dovercourt on the south side.

Also featured are afro-cuban dance performances choreographed by Consuello Herrera.

Saturday September 26
THE ROBERTO LINARES BROWN ORCHESTRA
Lula lounge
1585 Dundas St West
10 PM $15.00

As part of the Havana Cultura Festival, bandleader/arranger/pianist/composer extraordinaire Roberto Linares Brown presents an all-star line-up of the finest Cuban musicians in the country.

Linares Brown was a catalyst for the creation of Lula Lounge's popular Havana Norte series which has featured a who's who of Toronto-based Cuban musicans. Linares Brown has been contributing to the series since 2006 performing original compositions that became the basis of his brilliant 2008 solo release, "Que No Se Pierda La Essencia". After an extended tour of Europe, Roberto Linares Bbrown (aka El Seña') has returned to his home in Canada - boasting new compositions and with a renewed desire to take Toronto's alsa scene to the next level.

Sunday, September 27
THE TELMARY BAND, featuring Alberto Alberto and Francis del Rio
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St West
416 531 4635
Doors Open 8pm
Showtime 9pm
Free Concert

Jazz poet and rapera, Telmary will perform a free concert at The Gladstone Hotel on Sunday September 27 for the final party of the Havana Cultura festival.

Her 10 piece band will feature Toronto's own Alberto Alberto, as well guest vocalist from Havana, Interactivo's Francis del Rio. Included in the line-up as well will be Roberto Carcassés, pianist and producer of Telmary's award winning album 'A Diario'

The evening also includes dance performances as well as DJ Alexis spinning Cuban hip-hop and DJ Billy Bryans spinning the latest Cuban salsa and reggaeton.



--

Is This The Beginning of the End...

of the embargo?

Cuban Artists to Perform in US and Puerto Rico for first time since 2003

Visas provided by State Department to Zenaida Romeu, Pablo Milanés viewed as "major breakthrough"

With a peace concert in Havana by Miami-based singer Juanes days away, Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés and composer-conductor Zenaida Romeu have been granted visas by the State Department to enter United States territory for performance purposes. This is the first time since late 2003 that Cuban performing artists have been allowed into the United States.

"The entry of high-profile performing artists such as Zenaida and Pablo is a major breakthrough following years of wrong-headed U.S. policy towards Cuban artists, scholars and professionals," said arts immigration attorney Bill Martínez, who worked with the arts presenters involved to secure the visas and who is a co-founder of US-Cuba Cultural Exchange.

"It is especially important right now," added Martínez, "as Congress prepares to consider legislation that would eliminate travel restrictions on Americans who desire to travel to Cuba," a reference to the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act pending in the U.S. House and Senate.

Romeu, director of the legendary women's ensemble Camerata Romeu, one of Cuba's finest chamber orchestras, is headed to Fargo, North Dakota in mid-November where she will guest conduct the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra.

Fargo-Moorhead Director Bernard Rubenstein, who has traveled on numerous occasions to Cuba to conduct orchestras there, says that he is "thrilled" by the turn of events.

"The FMSO hopes that this will be just a beginning to increased cultural exchange between our two countries, and that all cultural and travel barriers will soon be eliminated," he said.

Renowned singer-songwriter Milanés is meanwhile headed to Puerto Rico in October, and possibly to the United States as well.

The issuance of visas to such high-profile performing artists comes on the heels of visa approvals during the past two months by the State Department for a handful of visual artists and scholars, as well as a theater group that collaborated with the University of Alabama to develop a production of a Shakespeare play.

Over 1300 US citizens in the arts and culture have signed a letter to President Obama initiated by US-Cuba Cultural Exchange that calls on the Administration and Congress to allow for full cultural relations with Cuba, eliminate travel restrictions on Americans, and to normalize relations with our island neighbor.

This is from a press release written by a group called US-Cuba Cultural Exchange, it's not a confirmed story from a wire service or news agency, so lets give it a coupla' days to get verified, but it 'sounds' like the start of normalization of music touring for Cuban bands in the U.S.

Pupy Pedroso w Candido Fabre in Toronto 23/10/09

FRIDAY OCT 23 2009

Cubaintoronto.com presents
PUPY Y LOS QUE SON SON with CANDIDO FABRE
The Phoenix Concert Theatre
410 Sherbourne Street Toronto
also including dance performances and
music by Miami's DJ Melao,
$30.00 advance tickets $40 at the door
Doors 8.30pm
Dance performance 9.45pm .
Showtime 10.45 (first of two sets)
Infoline 416 836 2600

Two Giants of Cuban Music Collaborate for Unique Toronto Concert

One of Cuba's most famous bandleaders PUPY PEDROSO returns to Toronto on October 23 - this time bringing a true legend of Cuban vocals CANDIDO FABRE - for an unprecedented evening of Cuban son, salsa and timba music direct from Havana.

One of the true giants of modern Cuban music with both LOS VAN VAN and his own group LOS QUE SON SON, PUPY PEDROSO will lead his crack 16 piece band through the songs that have made him famous in Cuba and throughout
Latin America and Europe.

Adding to the evenings festivities will be Pupy's collaboration with singer CANDIDO FABRE, famous for his unique improvisational skills and original songs that have been performed by artists such as Celia Cruz, Issac Delgado, and Oscar D'leon.

The opening event of the first annual Cuban Dance Festival, Pupy Pedroso's concert will be augmented with dance performances from internationally acclaimed choreographer/teachers Angel Aristides Santos and Yaimara Rodriguez
Nicot (direct from Havana) and Duane Wrenn from Energetic Soul Studios in the U.S.A.

The October 23rd concert will also present North America's best known timba DJ, direct from Miami - DJ Melao.

Advance tickets are available at Soundscapes, Bolis Books and other locations to be announced.

Advance tickets also available online at www.torontohispano.com

For more information please call Sophie at Cubaintoronto 416 836 2600 - cubaintoronto@yahoo.com

For more info on the Cuban Dance Festival Weekend please contact Albena at Afrolatino Dance Company 416 671 7140

For hi-res photographs and other media info please call Billy Bryans Productions  416 887 8439

Chendy and Maninho

Two of Toronto's finest percussionists at Brazil Day September 7, 2009

New Manolito Tunes

Mirco's got some samples over at Timba Por Siempre. Sounding real good.

The Phenomenon that is Gozando

In seven years of DJ'ing Cuban salsa/timba music in Toronto, I have never quite seen the reaction that Gozando in Miami/Havana (either version) is getting from the Cuban audience. It looks like this response is happening all over.

En las terrazas y locales de La Habana, “Gozando” consigue animar la fiesta como ningún otro éxito musical del verano (boreal): todos se levantan, bailan y cantan; después muchos se vuelven a sentar. Resulta incluso raro encontrar a jóvenes que no se sepan de memoria la letra de la canción, que se emite también en las cadenas de radio y televisión de la isla, todas controladas por el Estado

I have no idea why this is happening. It was obvious that Gozando was the hit from the new Charanga Habanera album, it has an 'anthemic' chorus and nice salsa-con-reggaeton' rhythm and all, but still......

Bandleader, David Calzado explains the theme

“Mucha gente que se va llega a esos países y consigue cambiar su estatus de vida. Y de repente quieren tratar de olvidar de dónde son, quiénes son, dónde están sus raíces. Quieren aparentar que todo marcha bien, pero dentro del corazón está esta cosa que es la nostalgia, la añoranza, el deseo de vivir con los suyos”, afirma.

According to the same article, some have accused Calzado of writing a political diatribe - but i don't buy that at all. The whole history of Charanga Habanera is about David Calzado's single minded determination to keep his band number one with the young Cuban audience. Period.

A young Cuban friend has another interpretation of the song

.....that Cubans in Miami are not all doing well there, all are doing their best trying to save money (to send) to their family here in HAvana. and those families who have that support live well here, they can afford going to Casas de la Musica, Cafe cantante, Salon Rojo del Capri etc. and see shows including Charanga without the need of working hard, just receiving every month money from Miami. Also they can dress well, with expensive articles, eat well etc...also being part of LA FARANDULA. And all these plus the fact that they are in Cuba, in their home, "Gozando el Comunismo" where everything is BLa Bla BLA etc, not like in Miami where for you to have something you have to work a lot a lot...

So who knows? The essence of a good song is the ability of it's audience to give it it's own meaning.

Franz from Planet Timba was good enough to write up the lyrics of both versions of the song

Gozando In Havana



ladies & gentleman, now from cuba
que lo que hay con cuba pa' que lo vamo hacer en ingles
mejor sueltalo en el españole HELLO !

cuentame , como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame , como te va, yo por aki my bien
y tu por alla que bola ! Charanga Habanera !

dicen que se siente bien que Miami es la locura,
pero le falta la Habana, el chisme y la sabrosura
dicen que tiene dinero, el carro que ella soño
pero no encuentra en Miami , lo que en la Habana dejo !

Ahora te voy a contar algo que me sucedio
yo que la queria tanto, pero se fue y me dejo
Lachy ! queria hacerse famosa queria ganarse un Grammy
y salio a provarse su suerte avion destino Miami


--> (David ) oye chacal ..... te oi <--

dicen que se siente bien que Miami es la locura,
pero le falta la Habana, el chisme y la sabrosura
dicen que tiene dinero, el carro que ella soño
pero no encuentra en Miami , lo que en la Habana dejo !

mentira mentira
(rap chacal ............)
pa que tu lloras
si te fueste sufre mami que le van hacer
De q te sirve micky mouse si te gusta elpidio valdes.
audi pa mi ,.....
pa ke vivir de cuento que cuento , sigo comiendo picadillo pero contento
(rap chacal ............)

(Dantes) y ahora me llama llorando,dice que no encuentra el modo
que no se siente feliz, que de Cuba extraña todo
extraña a los van van , hectico y pmm
extraña a la charanga , y el papi que ella mas quiere

(Randy mc)yo sigo charangueando como me da la gana

tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana

se siente triste porque, alla no hay Capri ni Tropicana
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la Habana
extrana mi habana tu y al Bucanero que ella tomaba
tu llorando en Miami, yo gozando en la habana

hasta donde mami?, hasta cuando?
si te comportas como Yuma, tu tienes que ir tumbando
hasta donde mami?, hasta cuando?
si te comportas como yuma tu tienes que ir bajando

tumbando , tumbando tumbando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando
tumbando , tumbando tumbando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando

ella esta hablando ingles conmigo y yo no se lo que esta hablando
si te comportas como yuma, tu tienes que ir bajando
y preparado , vamo a gozalo !
mano pa' arriba to' el mundo
vamo to' el mundo a cantarlo!

cuentame , como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame , como te va, yo por aqui my bien
y tu por alla que bola !
cuentame , como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame , como te va, yo por aki my bien
y tu por alla que bola !

(El Chacal )oye chula, yo sigo con lo mio y no lo cambio por nada
por eso me mantengo por eso sigo siendo lo que me da la gana, la reverenda gana !
desde el cuartel pavel, frank dos metra , repeta,
camina pa que aprenda,
esto es pa que goces y no pa que ud me reprenda
ok ok pa que tu quieres pan si yo tengo confi cake
copiaste !

this version is Gozando en Miami

Ladies and Gentlemen
Now From cuba que es lo que hay con cuba?
para que lo vamos a decir en ingles
mejor q ...sueltalo en el español, hello!!

cuentame(ok) como te hs ido (jaja)si has conocido
la felicidad, ah ah, cuentame como te va
yo por aqui muy bien, y tu por alla que bola?
Charanga habaneraaa, dice que se siente bien (agua)
que miami es la locura(ok), pero le falta la habana
el chisme y la sabrosura(tu sabes), dice que tiene dinero(david)

y el carro que ella soño pi pi, pero no encuentra
en miami, el papi que ella dejo,(aned) ahora te voy
a contar algo que me sucedio yo que la queria tanto
pero se fue y me dejo, (lachy) queria hacerse famosa
queria ganarse un grammy, y salio a pronar su suerte
avion destino miami

dice que se siente bien que miami es la locura
oye chacal, te oi,pero le falta la habana el chisme
y la sabrosura, si si, dicen que tiene dinero, (ta bien)
(david ta bien) y el carro que ella soño pero no encuentra
en miami el papi que ella dejo


oh caridad como tu goza la papeleta porque
tienes una nueva choza yo te imagino en miami
comiendote un piti la fruta mas sabrosa pero
extrañandome a mi cuando tomes un martini
mami acuerdate de mi para sentir todo lo que
rico que te esta pasando alli, de la habana para
miami tengo un correo pa ti, forever i love u tu pimpin mami

ella me sige llamando dice que lo tiene todo y que
se siente feliz, y que de cuba extraña un poco
extraña los van van hectico y p.m.m extraña la
charanga y el papi que ella mas quiere
yo sigo charangiando ay como me da mi gana

tu gozando en miami y yo gozando en la habana
tu gozando en miami y yo gozando en la habana


ya tiene lo que soño willy chirino con tropigala
tu gozando en miami y yo gozando en la habana
tu gozando en miami y yo gozando en la habana
y tiene tremendo ache como se hace la americana
tu gozando en miami y yo gozando en la habana
hasta donde mami, hasta cuando, quedate gozando
alla por la yuma que yo me quedo aqui en la habana
charangueando

hasta donde mami hasta cuando
tu gozando alla en la yuma
yo en la habana charangueando
tumbando, tumbando, tumbando ( por eso)
tumbando mama tumbando
y olle, en la habana charangueando
tumbando tumbando mama tumbando
tu gozando alla en la yuma
yo en la habana charangueando (ay dale mambo)

mami un ratico ap ies y otro caminando
ella hablando en ingles conmigo
y yo no se lo que esta parlando
tu gozando alla en la yuma
yo en la habana charangiando
y preparadooo vamos a gozarlo
manos para arriba todo el mundo
vamos to el mundo a cantarlo

cuentame como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame como te va yo por aqui muy bien y tu
por alla que bola? cuentame, como te ha ido si
has conocido la felicidad, cuentame como te va
yo por aqui muy bien y tu por alla que bola?
cuentame como te ha ido si has conocido la felicidad
cuentame como te va yo por aqui muy bien y tu
por alla q bola!

desde el cuartel pavel fran los metra respeta
hello, copiastes! cuentame!!

Over To You Cuba

The U.S. treasury department announced new rules for U.S. telecommunications firms dealing with Cuba

The Treasury rules allow U.S. telecommunications companies to set up fiber-optic cable and satellite links and enter into cell-phone roaming service agreements with Cuba. They allow U.S. residents to pay for satellite radio and television services provided to Cuban individuals by third-country firms.

There are now no more excuses left for restricting internet access to the citizens of Cuba.

I'm On TeeVee!!!

Evidently, I was part of something interesting 20 years ago.

Interesting enough to be asked to show up at a CBC studio on a damp Sunday morning where my friend (and producer, writer) Nick Jennings peppered me with insightful questions about the weird and memorable things that happened around me in the 80's. And the cameras were rolling!!

What i remember most about that morning was....1) I talked a lot about the group Rough Trade, and  2) I had the same make-up woman as Don Cherry for Hockey Night In Canada.

The results, skillfully edited to make me sound coherent (ie 95% dumped) and mixed in with tons of other interviews, videos and archival footage will be shown starting September 10th on a history of Canadian music called, oddly enough, "Rise Up".

here are the details

The Rise Up documentary http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2009/riseup/index.html

and another show call The Music of the 70's http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2009/beatgoeson/index.html

poster design by Joe Sherman

Formell on Gorki

From an interview in La Jiribilla about the line-up for Paz Sin Fronteras

Hay gente un poco confundida cuestionando que si tocaba Silvio por qué no tocaba Gorki. Gorki no tiene nada que hacer ahí, estando Juanes o no, no por sus posiciones políticas, sino porque artísticamente no hace nada de valor.

Punk rock. Performance art or music?

More Details on the Juanes Concert in Havana

The final line-up for the Paz Sin fronteras concert in Havana has been announced. It includes international artists Víctor Manuel, Jovanotti, Yerbabuena, Calle 13, Olga Tañón y Julieta Venegas. On the Cuban side, they've added Carlos Varela and X Alfonso to the previously announced cartel of Los Van Van, Silvio Rodrigues and Amaury Perez.

All the artists are performing gratis, and the concert is costing $300,000.00 in technical expenses because the stage, sound and lights are being flown in from Brazil(??) Unlike the previous Paz Sin Fronteras that took place on the borders of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, there are no sponsors for the Havana event and "the group of artists headed by Juanes will finance the concert themselves", whatever that exactly means.

Via Penultimos Dias comes an interview with singer Amaury Perez, one of the organizers (on the Cuban side) with a lot to say  about how this concert came about.

Perez states, amongst other things, that  it was Juanes himself who agreed to the participation of Los Van Van and Silvio Rogriguez, and that Juanes asked for several conditions to be met.

Sus (Juanes') requerimientos son: primero, que no se politizara el concierto, de ambas partes, ni de los artistas que vienen ni de los organizadores. Se le dijo que no sería politizado por la parte cubana. Segundo, aceptó que se hiciera en la Plaza de la Revolución. Tercero, pidió que se ponchara la televisión a dos manos (cubana-colombiana); se le dijo que sí. Pidió que la señal fuera libre y abierta, se le dijo que sí. Cualquier país en el mundo puede tomar la imagen sin que medie dinero. Puede engancharse a la señal cubana y transmitirla sin permiso de ningún tipo.
“Otro requerimiento fue no lucrar con el concierto. Que no se hiciera un DVD, que no se hiciera un disco, que no tuviera ninguna comercialización. Que la política de mercado no estuviera dando vuelta aquí. Finalmente pidió que no se reservaran espacios especiales para nadie, sea artista, funcionario o simple espectador. A todo se le dijo que sí y se está cumpliendo al pie de la letra.”

According to Perez, in the initial meetings where the idea of this concert came about, Juanes wanted to be assured that the Cuban government had no problem with him asking the musicians of Miami (presumably Willy Chirino and Gloria Estefan) if they would come to Havana

“Juanes desde el inicio preguntó si podría invitar a músicos de Miami; él ha sido muy transparente. Nunca se le han puesto límites, nunca se le impusieron condiciones, nada. Él tiene una lista de los invitados al concierto, y nosotros la respetaremos.”

After these meetings Juanes then talked to various Florida politicos and music figures, including Emilio Estefen, who all declined to be involved. (Although both Willy Chirino and Gloria Estefan have issued statements supporting Juanes.)

Perez says they expect at least 500,000 thousand people in the Plaza De La Revolucion. Maybe more.

I have no doubt there's tons more to this story. I wish Ann Louise Bardach were covering it. Her new book, btw, called After Fidel, is released on October 10th.

You've all read Cuba Confidential right?

Havana Cultura Canada 09

Is my excuse for not blogging more this month. (Although if there's any month to take a break from blogging, it's August no?) I'm the music producer for four of the concerts taking place here and in Montreal.

Here's the link to the Havana Cultura Website that just went up today

The main music concerts, which I am in charge of are as follows...they are all free concerts.

Saturday September 19th
Havana Cultura Montreal: presents Interactivo featuring
Roberto Carcasses, Francis del Rio and Telmary
Salsa Etc
936 avenue Du Mont-Royal Est, Montreal
10pm

Friday September 25
Havana Cultura presents
Roberto Carcasses with special guest Roberto Occhipinti
Drake Hotel
1150 Queen Street West, Toronto
8pm

Saturday September 26
Havana Cultura presents
Ogguere and Interativo featuring
Roberto Carcasses, Francis del Rio and Telmary
Outdoor Concert at the corner of Queen and Dovercourt
Toronto Ontario
9pm

Sunday September 27
Havana Cultura presents
The Telmary Band
with special guests Alberto Alberto and Francis del Rio
Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West
9pm

Also they have folded in Roberto Linares Brown Orchestra up at Lula Lounge on the Saturday the 26th. So it's a good weekend for Cuban music all over the city. (With a single concert this year in Montreal in hopes that it grows there next year)

There are lots of interesting details to fill in around each of these shows, which i will try to do as we go along.

Needless to say Telmary is very happy because she gets to re-unite here in Canada with two of her band-mates from Interactivo, Roberto and Francis, who had so much to do with her becoming the artist that she is today.

I love Cuban salsa and timba, there's no question, but I like the opportunity to present other kinds of Cuban music as well. It gives a better picture of what is actually going on there....

Now if i can get a little time off from the Havana Cultura project, I can finish the post on CH's 'Gozando en La Habana'.

Monday August 31 at Lula Lounge

The Cuban music community of Toronto is coming together Monday August 31 to support one of it's own, Aris Montenegro, who lost his sister several weeks ago back home in Cuba.

The line-up of musicians  and singers is pretty awesome. All they need now is Lula Lounge packed with all those people who have gotten so much pleasure from this music.

Special thanks to Lula who donated the club and yet another dazzling flyer design from Jose Ortega

Francis del Rio - Sali de Mi Casa un Dia

Francis del Rio - Sali de mi Casa un Dia
Uploaded by Tumbao3 - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Ogguere con Roberton: De Popular a Clásico

Check this out

Whatever language, whatever genre, this is my idea of a hit song. Roberton on the golf course....is all bonus.

Alex Cuba and Nelly Furtado

Alex Cuba has spent the summer writing songs with the Canadian pop superstar for a Spanish language release which is due out on September 15.

In the worlds of the Canadian and international Latin music business - this is big news, something that will vault Alex Cuba up to the next level of international success.

Alexis is one of my best Cuban/Canadian friends since early 2000 when I was hired to publicize the Puentes Brothers, the son band that Alexis fronted with his brother Adonis. He is originally from Artemisa, just outside of Havana.

I talked a lot with him when he decided to pursue his solo career, to break free of what he considered were the stereotypical confines of what a Cuban musician was supposed to sound like. I promoted a couple of his early shows at Lula Lounge. Alexis wanted to rock out on his Les Paul (R.I.P) guitar****, sing his own compositions in Spanish, while maintaining his family life in the most remote town in Canada any working musician could imagine (Smithers B.C)

A gifted singer/songwriter and instrumentalist (Alexis could have a made a good living solely on his skills as a bass player), a natural performer,  he had a vision for himself as a musician that he has stuck with, and now the whole world is seeing the results. (We in Canada all noticed his talent when Alex Cuba released his second album, the brilliant 'Agua del Pozo', which connected with everybody)

So this news about his collaboration with Nelly Furtado makes me very happy for Alexis...as a friend but also as a fellow traveler in this business of making a living on your own terms.

*****Wrong!!!. Alex*Cuba plays a Gibson ES 365, same model as BB King.

Jaunes in Havana

What a kerfuffle over a simple concert. A concert that would give the Cuban people an opportunity to enjoy artists that they don't normally get to see. A concert that is inspired by the concept that people need to change their minds about Cuba.

As per usual, Phil Peters has a nice summary of the issues here - including a link to Yoani Sanchez's guarded approval of the concert set for September 20th

Like Juanes, I believe in the power of music to transform people's lives. And I think it is encouraging that a musician of his wealth and power is trying his best to make a difference in whatever sincere and/or naive way that he can.

Update: Here is an excerpt from a letter that singer Olga Tanon released 

It is sad that a handful of people have judged us, who happen to have a momentary power over the ink, the microphone and the cameras, when in my own case I had not even made a public expression about this matter.

As a professional, a woman, and a mother, I assure you that I have the capacity to tolerate accusations and stands different than mine. What is categorically unforgivable is to accept those comments based on lies and those full of rancor and hate, just because we don’t share the same vision. I won’t, likewise, accept them in regards to the honest intention of Juanes, who intended to realize a loving and compassionate gesture through what we know how to do from the heart, MUSIC.

Pachito

One of Pachito's best new songs.....

The Atomic Unit of Consumption

Via Michael Geist, a new copyright blog called Moral Panics and The Copyright Wars which quotes Marissa Mayer's discussion on May 6th to a Senate subcommittee on how technology has changed consumption. The best two paragraph summary that I've read on why the newspaper business is headed the way of the record business.

The atomic unit of consumption for existing media is almost always disrupted by emerging media. For example, digital music caused consumers to think about their purchases as individual songs rather than as full albums. Digital and on-demand video has caused people to view variable-length clips when it is convenient for them, rather than fixed-length programs on a fixed broadcast schedule. Similarly, the structure of the Web has caused the atomic unit of consumption for news to migrate from the full newspaper to the individual article. As with music and video, many people still consume physical newspapers in their original full-length format. But with online news, a reader is much more likely to arrive at a single article. While these individual articles could be accessed from a newspaper's homepage, readers often click directly to a particular article via a search engine or another Website.

Changing the basic unit of content consumption is a challenge, but also an opportunity. Treating the article as the atomic unit of consumption online has several powerful consequences. When producing an article for online news, the publisher must assume that a reader may be viewing this article on its own, independent of the rest of the publication. To make an article effective in a standalone setting requires providing sufficient context for first-time readers, while clearly calling out the latest information for those following a story over time. It also requires a different approach to monetization: each individual article should be self-sustaining.

These types of changes will require innovation and experimentation in how news is delivered online, and how advertising can support it.

Airport Blogging

 

The porter Airlines terminus on the Toronto Iisland. It's quite chic. Free wifi. Twitter is down apparently. 

It's been a while since I've flown anywhere and i forget the business about the liquids and gels......

Juanes' 'Peace Without Borders' Concert in Havana

from the Associated Press: Sigal Ratner-Arias reported from New York, and Will Weissert from Havana.

HAVANA — Colombian rocker Juanes wants to hold his second "Peace Without Borders" concert in Havana's storied Revolution Plaza next month with a host of regional stars — and says he has met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in hopes that American musicians can join the extravaganza.

In what could be the latest sign the art world is well into a thaw of nearly a half century of icy U.S.-Cuba relations, Juanes' manager, Fernan Martinez, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the concert will be Sept. 20.

He said organizers are waiting for Cuban government permission to use the sprawling concrete plaza, which is flanked by a huge homage to fallen Argentine revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and houses offices for Fidel and Raul Castro. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans gather there each May 1 for International Workers' Day celebrations.

A similarly huge crowd could come to rock, making the event one of the top Cuban concerts in recent memory. The first installment of Juanes' "Peace Without Borders" concert in March drew 100,000 fans to the border between Venezuela and Colombia.

The Cuba concert coincides with U.N. International Peace Day and could feature up to 12 artists from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba and, Martinez said, the United States. He refused to divulge all the names.

Washington's 47-year-old trade embargo prohibits Americans from doing business with Cuba, but performers can get permission to come from the Treasury Department.

For now, Martinez said, the show will feature at least Juanes and Spanish singer Miguel Bose.

"Following the lead of the first concert ... the event will use music as a tool to transcend politics and demonstrate unity of peoples beyond borders," Martinez said.

He said Juanes, who has started a foundation to help land-mine victims, met with Clinton "to present the concept for the concert" and that "the requests for U.S. artists are currently in process with the Treasury Department."

Martinez said the singer also met recently with Treasury officials and Congress, as well as leaders of key Cuban exile groups in Miami to help ensure U.S. stars come for the show.

Apparently Silvio Rodriguez and Los Van Van will be the Cuban component of this show.

I suppose the request to have U.S. artists appear in Havana for a peace concert will be another test of the "thaw of nearly a half century of icy U.S.-Cuba relations".

Thaw? what thaw? So far, all applications for Cuban based artists to perform in the U.S. have been denied.

Six months into the Obama administration, there has been no meaningful change in the U.S. policy towards Cuba that I can see.

Brahma Folia August 7 at Lula Lounge

The craziest of all the Brazilian parties at Lula......Gustavo sent me the schedule for the evening

Dj Petri Glad

9 pm - Group Brazil Dance World Presentation  9:45 pm  - Samba group with Carlinhos Pernambuco, Betty Santos, Andre Cabral and Giovanni 10:30 pm  - Salviano Pessoa and Band (Direct from Salvador - Brazil)
12:15 am - Group Simpatia (Presenting Full Band with special guest Cibelle Iglesias and Carlinhos Pernambuco)plus carnival dance performaces by Jeanette Simoes and Patricia Gibellato
and gifts from Brahma beer
 
Tickets are $10 advance at Brasil Remittance (1458 Dundas St. West - Toronto) $ 15 at the door - (19+ ID Required)

Info and schedules of the shows at http://www.foliaevents.com

Summer 2009 Toronto

It's over now, but the month long strike of Toronto city workers sure hurt the summer season.

Wow. I Like This!!

It's Yulien Oviedo's remake (with Blad MC) of Van Van's classic Sandunguera. (h/t Gabriel)

New Video for "La Crisis"

Yoani Sanchez to visit the U.S?

Interesting news

Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has won Columbia University's Cabot Prize for her postings from the island she calls home.

The Cabot Prize, which recognizes reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean, gave Sanchez the gold medal for her work on her blog, Generación Y.

She was the only digital reporter of the four journalists recognized by this year's prize.

"Generación Y does not repeat the battle of words which Cuba and the U.S. have hurled back and forth for five decades. Instead, it is a pitch-perfect mix of personal observation and tough analysis, which conveys better than anybody else what daily life — with all its frustrations and hopes — is like for Cubans living their lives on the island today," says the press release, which you can see here.

Of course, the immediate question becomes, will she be able to travel to the U.S. to accept the award. Yoani is quoted as saying...

“The organizers have acted very quickly and I understand that they have already begun my visa process, but the question is whether the Cuban government will give me permission to leave or not,” she said.

“I believe they have learned something during this time and it’s that every time they don’t let me go somewhere, all they’re doing is making my blog more attractive and increasing the number of visitors to Generacion Y,” she said.

Lets hope the Cuban government issues Yoani the visa to go accept her award.

Then maybe-just-maybe, the U.S. can allow other Cubans, say like Silvio Rodriguez or Los Van Van, into their country as well

(Sorry, got carried away there for a sec, thinking too logically...)

Mental Health Break

So I was checking out this new HBO sex comedy called 'Hung' (pretty funny) and at the end of the second episode, as the credits rolled, they played a song with a lyric that included the line 'PS We got dicks like Jesus'. Curious, I twitter-searched the lyric and came up with the song 'My Dick".

I sorta-but-not-really apologize for offending anyone's religious or moral convictions.

Buena Fe, Frank Delgado in Toronto

On September 12 the highly popular Cuban group Buena Fe will perform a concert with nueva trova artist Frank Delgado at Le Treport Wedding and Convention Centre in Mississauga.  It's being presented by the Havana Arte people in association with TorontoHispano.com.

You can get more info at www.Torontohispano.com. Or call 647 403 7308

Here's the offical Buena Fe website. It's nicely done. Here's the Frank Delgado Wikipedia entry.

Gozando en La Habana

The edition of this song released in Cuba.....

Animales De La Música Cubana

Jen Paz has a new DVD coming out next month about the clash of the Cuban salsa and reggaeton scenes. You'll remember Jen's earlier film about Charanga Habanera, well, here's what she's come up with this year. Looks interesting.......

The web-site Havana Buzz has more info on how you can pre-order a copy of the DVD

Around the Cuban music blogosphere

Here's a new site from Italy called Timba Social Club

Bad news. The Salsa Mayor tour in Europe fue cancellado.(scroll down) Michelle has the bands explanation.....(Nothing is worse for a band than to have a big tour cancelled at the last minute. It's not only the lost income  - crucial for Cuban musicians - it's also the frustration of having had other opportunities that were turned down and can't be recovered). European fans of the band will have to console themselves with this fine new Maykel Blanco song that Mirco has up on has on his blog (scroll down)

Over at Yemayas verse, Gabriel has added another chapter to her invaluable Timba Geeks Guide with a post on the new bus routes of Havana!

OK, now I get it. There are two versions of Charanga Habanera's Gozando En Miami/Gozando en Havana. One for Cuba (Habana) and one for the rest of the world (Miami). Thus explains Señor Calzado himself in a video that Franz posted up on the Planet Timba blog. 'Gozando en Miami' is totally ruling my dance floor these days, am looking forward to hearing the Cuban version.

Meanwhile at cubaintoronto.com it's a little quiet now since Anacaona left town, but Richard 'muchoswing' Curson has updated the dance section with a pretty thorough overview of the teachers, classes and practices for casino rueda and cuban salsa in our town.

A few months ago I received advances of the new Pachito Alonso album (I think from Nona Yobiz) which I have been playing consistently and now the song 'La Cara Bonita' has shown up on a post from SomosdeBarrio."..... mas pegados del vedado"...."una salsita rica...."

The famous blogger Yoani Sanchez didnt have such a great time at the Pedro Luis Ferrar concert in Vedado a few weeks ago. I wonder why.

Someone Buy Antonio a Beer

or two. A Brahma beer.

Antonio Scisci is one of the organizers of Brazilfest, an important annual gathering of the local Brazilian cultural communities.

Last year, Brazilfest was scheduled for a Sunday on the Island  - and was totally flooded out by the biggest rainfall of the year. It was rescheduled for September. (I performed there with Maracatu)

This year the city workers strike has nuked Brazilfest 09 which was to take place on July 26

Fron his Facebook note, Antonio explains

As everyone knows the city workers are on strike and because of this all permits that have been issued from Parks & Rec are cancelled or suspended - which includes us.

We have been in talks with Councillor Cesar Palacio office of Ward 17, trying to see if there was any way of working around this but unfortunately, there is not - The City has the final say in these matters and it looks like its going to be awhile before anything gets resolved.

This is not a cancellation.....but, there could be a rescheduling of the date...Ward 17 has offered us Labor day weekend - September 5-6-7 to choose from.

We have expressed our interest for the 5th or 6th ; which is the Saturday or Sunday.

We'll keep you posted, and as soon as we get confirmation of scheduled date we will let all of you know a.s.a.p

Meanwhile, this year I had the opportunity to programme a whole day of music and dance at Nathan Phillips Square for Irie Fest (Aug 1st).....

Ooooops. i have no idea what will happen now.

Beaches Jazz

Have some good friends playing this year.......

Lady Son y Articulo Veinte The Woodbine part Stage at 5:00PM Sunday July 18

Roberto Linares Brown Orchestra OLG Stage at Kew garden at 2:00pm Saturday July 25th

also

Joaquin Hidalgo will be conducting a Rumba percussion workshop on Monday July 20th at the Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto 1774 Queen Street East. (Participants are asked to bring their drums and dancing shows)

Here's a Toronto Star article by Asante Infantry about someone who I dont know, but has always sounded like an interesting musician Kellylee Evans. She's playing the Kew Gardens mainstage at 12:30 on July 25th.

Para Bailar Casino

AfroLatino Dance Company have a guest Casino Rueda teacher this coming Saturday July 18.

Orlando Alfonso is a professional dancer from Havana, Cuba, currently residing and teaching in Montreal where he has his own dance school CubaBaila. His professional career in Cuba included being a member of the group Guaracheros de Regla, a dancer with the Ballet of the Cuban Television under the direction of Rosendo Glez and Caridad Rodriguez, and a participant of the competition Para Bailar Casino.

He will be teaching the Cuban Salsa Advanced class at 5pm, as well as the Casino Rueda lesson at 6pm.

All the AfroLatino Dance Company info can be found here.. Or you can call Albena at 416 671 7140

Update: Sophie sys that Orlando will also be teaching the salsa class at Lula on FRI July 17th and performing both days with Anacaona