Good day dear readers, listeners and blog followers!

Today I present you an interesting all girl orchestra of talents from the golden age of Timba!

Orquesta Las Chicas del Sol was founded at La Habana, on September 15th 1993 by bassist, composer and arranger Griffith Lopez, more or less at the time that Timba was starting to gain ground at the capital, and soon driving the music and dance scene of Cuba almost mad with excitement and bliss – a new age of Cuban music was steamrolling through the island, claiming some “victims” outside it as well (the NG La Banda tour of Japan is an example of how far it went).

The band was formed from various young & talented graduates of La Habana’s various conservatories and music schools, including such (future) stars as Yousy Barbara Ruiz (Maravillas de Florida, Ritmo Oriental) and Ailyn Dallera (Azucar Negra) to name a few…

A “first class female group”, as officially recognized by the Cuban national institute of music and the Adolfo Guzman center of music, the band has formed it’s own unique style over the years, recognizable by powerful vocals, hard hitting percussion, great bass groove, catchy piano riffs and plenty of improvisation, combining the great traditions of Cuban music with other Afro-Caribbean genres and socially oriented lyrics about current themes.

The group participated in an international music festival for the first time in 1995 and recorded its first CD, called “La Habana”, in 1999, and since then performed with some of the greatest stars of the Timba genre, such as Klimax, Irakere, NG La Banda, Pachito Alonso Y Su Kini Kini, Los Van Van, Isaac Delgado, Adalberto Alvarez, Paulito FG, Yumuri Y Sus Hermanos, Manolito y Su Trabuco, Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo and many others.
The group also toured the Caribbean, South America, Africa and Europe.

Except the great “La Habana” (the CD to which today’s composition belongs) the band also took part at a wonderful compilation of traditional Cuban music called “100 lindas Cubanas”, performed only by All female groups, together with Anacaona, Son Damas and other bands.

As typical of Timba bands, the band even has it’s own “catch phrase”:

Camina woman… y goza man!

Personally I think that this might be an influence of Charanga Habanera’s “Hey you, Loca!” (the album and the song) that came out a year before the band was formed, becoming an instant hit.
Also, Charanga Habanera songs are often quoted by the band – can you spot the references here?

Well, here is the composition for today.

¡Disfrutenla!