Good day everybody!
A few weeks ago I’ve introduced the French trumpet player Alexander Batte and his band Kabiocile .
The clip I wish to show today is the official video clip of the album, and tells an interesting story, about how the tables can turn 180 degrees… all this with virtuous playing of wonderful Timba music!
Disfruten!
Buenos dias a los todos!
The band featured today is the Pedrito Martinez Group, which I will be seeing live tonight…
Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in la Habana on September 12th, 1973.
His musical career began at the age of 11, singing and playing percussion with Los Munqeuitos De Matanzas.
In 1998, Pedrito traveled to Canada while performing with the group “spirits of Havana”, and decided to stay in Canada.
Starting 2000, Pedrito traveled the world, performing with many Latin and non Latin musicians, such as Isaac Delgado, Bebo Valdez, Eddie Palieri, Elton John and Sting.
He was also a member of the group Yerba Buena.
Pedrito formed him own band, The Pedrito Martinez Group, in 2008, completely based on Rumba and Afro Cuban traditions; Like the great Conjuntos of the 1930’s and 1940’s, there are no metal percussive instruments except the bongo bell.
This allows all the nuances and great playing of each and every musician and instrument be clearly heard, whether it’s hard hitting percussion or complex vocal harmonies, among the great many other things which compose Timba music.
Each and every song is pure Timba, straight from the source, from fingertips to the bones, with guias, melodic cuerpos, hard hitting mambos, complex coros, great piano tumbaos and amazing vocals.
The band is a cuarteto, consisting of Percussionist \ Vocalist Pedrito Martinez (Cuba), Keyboard \ Vocalist Araicne Trujillo (Cuba), Bassist Alvaro Benavides (Venezuela) and Percussionist Jhair Salsa (Peru).
The composition “La Luna”, which I present you here, is a personal favorite of mine from this small but great band.
Disfruten!
Good day my friends!
A few weeks ago I introduced a fine, young Cuban band from Spain, Mixael Cabrera y su TimBarcelona .
Last week the band released a very interesting, new single, dedicated to the upcoming Festival Internacional De Guaguanco y Son, which will take place at Barcelona during late June this year.
What I like about this song is that it both fits the theme of the festival and represents the history of salsa – it starts with a Guaguanco part, goes into a Changui-Son section and then bursts into energetic Timba, sweeping listeners and dancers of their feet!
So, I hope you’ll like the song, and that at I’ll get to see some of you at the festival!
Disfruten…
Good evening my friends!
Today I present you with a very interesting, new Timba band operating in Paris, France – Alexander Batte y Kabiocile.
The meaning of “Kabiocile” in the Yoruba language (language of the Bantu ethnic group, from which many of the black Cubans originate) is “hail the king!” or “hail, your majesty!”, and is a part of a prayer to the Orisha Chango; It is also sometimes pronounced “Kawo Kabiosile!”.
In the Yoruba religion, Chango is the Orisha \ Santo \ Deity of fire, thunder & lightning, war and drums.
He is often referred to as “el rey del…”, “the king of…” one of the things mentioned above (for example “el rey de los tambores bata – king of the bata drums”) .
The group plays Timba, mixing & matching traditional and modern Cuban music, with a special emphasis on the African side of the Cuban tradition and culture.
Alexander, founder of the band, says that in the song which I present you tonight, “Ache Yemaya”, he thanks the Orisha Yemaya, the divine mother of the universe, for blessing him with the opportunity and gift to create music.
Disfruten!