Category Archives: Uncategorized

27.12.19 : Happy Año que viene and holidays from Che’s music blog !

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

The year of 2019 is coming to an end in less than a week, and for this occasion, I wish all those who love Cuba, its people, culture and especially music & social dances, a happy new 2020 and all holidays taking place these days!!!

Keep having a great time with the wonderful gifts that “La isla de la libertad” has been giving us for decades, and may it continue being as much of a source of joy in your lives as it is in mine…

For today’s song, we have a special “new year’s Timba” by non other than the amazingly talented Isaac Delgado, who’s voice and skill of improvisation have been captivating crowds for over 30 years, and counting.

And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

20.12.19 : Manolito y Su Trabuco – Si Te Menti live!

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

It has been a little over five year since the song we are going to enjoy today came out… another masterpiece by the great Manolito Simonet and his Timba band

The composition for today is a live recording of the wonderful “Si Te Menti”, from the 25 years celebration of the group in La Habana.

So without further ado, let us dive head on 🙂
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

13.12.19: NG La Banda – La Bruja

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

Do you know which day is it today?
It is Friday the 13th!
So, what’s more fitting for this day than a song about a witch… a Cuban witch… a special kind of Cuban witch, which mesmerizes you, makes you fall in love, only later on, when you are knee deep, go and suck out not your blood or life force, but your emotions!

Today we shall enjoy the Timba classic “La Bruja” (the witch) by the founding band of the genre, NG La Banda!

La Bruja tells us of a typical story from Cuba during the early 1990s, a time know as “el periodo especial”…
After the unfortunate passing of the USSR into the commonwealth of cooperating states in late 1991, the newly formed countries were facing plenty of economic hardships of their own, and trade relations with Cuba declined, and so did, with them, the economic situation in Cuba.

Shortages where everywhere, and a tourist currency appeared, quickly rising in value.
As Cuba opened up a little to increase revenue trough tourism, a huge inflow of Europeans (and other, mostly, non US westerners) started coming trough the islands airports.
With it, a new phenomenon quickly appeared – las jineteras y los jineteros, young (and mostly female) Cubans trying to form romantic relationships with foreigners in hope of economic gain.
These people were even sometimes married and had children, but more often were in a relationship with a Cuban, often having one with a tourist at the same time or leaving their Cuban partner for the foreigner.

La bruja tell us exactly such a story, of a guy abandoned by his girlfriend in favour of a rich foreigner, who took away his love… to him the former girlfriend is now a witch… an emotion stealing Bruja!

So, let us listen and dance to this Timba masterpiece…
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

29.11.19 : Orquesta Reve then and now, 30 years later…

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

A few days ago “Uea!”, the latest album of Orquesta Reve (or to be more precise of Elito Reve y su Charangon), came out, and can be listened to on services such as “spotify” and others.

The album has some nice compositions included, but it made me think… such bands have certain styles during different periods of their existence, which can differ a lot from one another, so much that the casual listener might not even recognize that it is the same band playing…

Orquesta Reve offers us exactly such a case study, having over 60 years of producing some of Cuba’s best and most iconic hits.

So, folks, which do you prefer, the hard hitting style Timba of Elio jr., or the Suave Son con Changui, Rumba y Afro of Elio sr. ?

Today we can make an enjoyable comparison, or at least recall some wonderful compositions from 30 years ago 🙂
“Suave Suave” came out in 1990 as an LP, and contains such memorable compositions as the title track, “Anda y Recojela”, “Aqui Todo Se Resuelve” and “Gente Chevere”…

So, let us recall the wonderful album of Elio Reve Matos, and keep a keen ear for a comparison of sorts with the new release by Elito Reve…
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

22.11.19 : Manolito y Su Trabuco – Mente Positiva

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

Today we shall be enjoying a relatively new composition (released 2018) by Manolito y su Trabuco.
I first heard it during FIC 2018 at Orange, France, and liked it quite a lot since then.

The composition has a simple yet powerful message – you decide your of fate, and much more than what one thinks is in their head… think positive, and life will smile at you in return 🙂

Today’s clip is from the lovely “congahead” studios.

So without further ado, let us relax our mentes positivas and have fun with this great composition!
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

15.11.19 : El Nino y la Verdad live at the 15th El Sol Salsa Festival!

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

Last week and earlier this week I visited the wonderful 15th El Sol Salsa Festival at Warsaw, Poland.
The festival was great with plenty of great teachers, dozens of hours of classes 4 amazing parties, two of which included live concert, and over 5000 participants in total.

One of these concerts was by the wonderful Timba band El Nino y la Verdad, who mostly performed their material from the recent 2-3 years, a lot of which is from their most recent album, “De Vuelta al Barrio”.
The concert was amazing, with great improvisation and dancing by artists and social dancers alike.

So, today we shall be enjoying a few excerpts of that concert…
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

01.11.19 : Dan Den – Por Una Aventura

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

Today we shall enjoy an estreno (newly released composition) by the wonderful Dan Den, that was released earlier this year.

This composition, like many others the group produced, is a romantic one, yet as Cuban and hard hitting as they get…

So, without further ado, let us enjoy the little adventure presented by Dan Den 🙂
And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

25.10.19: Los Van Van – Vamos a Pasarla Bien new clip!

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

A few days ago a beautiful new video clip for “Vamos a Pasarla Bien” by Los Van Van (from their latest album yet – Legado) was released, as a part of the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

It is quite a pleasure to the ears, eyes, feet and everything else which makes a social dancer, so let us listen, watch, move and… ¡pasarla muy bien! 🙂

And always remember… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!

18.10.19 : Havana De Primera – Amor Falso

Good day dear blog readers, listeners, followers ¡y todos los amantes de la musica Cubana!

After a vacation of a few weeks, the blog is back to action 🙂

For today, we have a new song by Habana de Primera that you should watch as well as listen – it is called Amor Falso, and was shot at beautiful Stockholm.

So, here it is!
And always remeber… ¡sigue disfrutando la musica Cubana!