for more Havana D'Primera photos, video and concert reports from her stay in Havana. The interview is in searchn Www l Simpson searchisearchp Goodlookingstrippedsingers o Goodlookingstrippedsingers searchy Goodlookingstrippedsingers n Simpson s;searchssearcha Goodlookingstrippedsingers nsearchisearch Simpson i Simpson p Goodlookingstrippedsingers o Simpson Www s Goodlookingstrippedsingers acsearchl.

Click here for HDP Interview in English - Oprima aquí para la entrevista de HDP en Español

Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera at Casa de la Música Miramar
Photo courtesy of Gabriel Wilder

]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:08:19 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers Maykel Blanco & Salsa Mayor in Peru

Today Maykel Blanco & Salsa Mayor finish their short tour of Peru with a concert at Havana Latin Disco. The band has had a successful stay in Lima and fans are enjoying the powerful show, although the front line seems to only include Yasser and Yordi. Maykel & the band have a full schedule returning to Havana tomorrow where they have a Valentine's Day concert at Casa de la Música Galiano. The European Winter Tour 2011 begins on March 16 so stay tuned, because we will be posting the concert dates as soon as they are all confirmed. 

Update: Chico Timba Peru has uploaded some video from the concert on Friday. It always warms my heart to see the excitement and joy when fans get to see a band for the first time. The Peruanos love la nueva máquina de Cuba!

In the meantime Gabriel from Yemayá's Verse is recently returned from Havana and has provided us with this picture of the new singers, including Michel Pérez and Liuban who seem not to have gone to Lima.Check her blog for all kinds of photos, video and updates from Havana.

Salsa Mayor Singers 2011 - photo courtesy of Gabriel Wilder

]]> Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:40:50 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers The 2011 Salsa Rueda Festival Is 1 Week Away! a>
REGISTER

This year the festival includes:
*   50 Intermediate and Advanced Workshops in Rueda, Casino, Son, Afro-Cuban Folkloric and more
*   4 nights of parties with 3 Live Timba Bands, 3 DJ's, Dance Performances, and social dancing.
*   A Beginners Track in a full ballroom with two hour classes with the same teacher.
*    Instructors Track. A seperate class for the teachers and the T.A.s in the Casino community. 
*   4-5 classes to choose from every hour. Beginners Track, 2 Int level ballrooms, 1 Advanced level
*   After-Party Space with DJ. Party till 5 in the morning!!
*   Private Lesson Area. Book with your favorite instructor

Say hello to Nick & Serena from Salsa Vale Todo and thank them for their support of Cuban music.

]]> Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:21:06 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers Pupy Pedroso Book Preview Volume 10 of Beyond Salsa Piano is almost done! It'll be the first on Pupy Pedroso and pick up his career with Van Van in 1979, when he began to write his first songs. 

We'll go chronologically through Van Van history, covering all the songs Pupy wrote, plus a selection of other classics with interesting piano tumbaos.

When we hit a song, like Hoy se cumplen seis semanas, that was re-recorded later, we cover both versions.

One difference this time is that bass tumbaos are included, so instead of having the audio file pan the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left, the entire piano is panned hard right while the bass is hard left, so you can practice along with the bass by turning your balance control all the way to the right.

There's also a full cuerpo arrangement, and a transcribed solo. 

Melón Clinics: Don't forget that Melón will be in Los Angeles starting Feb. 28th to give at least one clinic and will also be available for private lessons. Click here for more on the Melón books.

           photo by Tom Ehrlich

]]> Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:02:28 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers More Classic Van Van Photos

Tom Ehrlich has posted another great gallery from Los Van Van's recent engagement at Yoshi's SF. Van Van in performance and backstage with Bay Area luminaries Carlos Aldama, Walfredo de los Reyes, John Calloway and Rebeca Mauleón.

]]> Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:08:26 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers Tom Ehrlich's Afro-Caribbean Percussionists Calendar At the request of some of his family members, our Timba.com photographer Tom Ehrlich developed a unique Afro-Caribbean Percussionists calendar that features some of his best shots. He only has a few left but if you are interested in this collectors item please email him at tjejazz [at] sbcglobal [dot] net. Featured are Bobby Allende, Anthony Carrillo, Pancho Quinto, Don Pancho Terry, Francisco Aguabella, Giovanni Hidalgo, Pedro Martínez, Sammy Figueroa, John Santos, Tito Puente and Yosvany Terry.

Afro-Caribbean Percussionists Percusionistas Afro-Caribeños

]]> Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:41:10 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers Time Magazine - "The Beat That Could Save Cuba" Video In 2008 musician and journalist Nathan Thornburgh returned to Havana where he had lived and played music with El Septeto Típico de la Habana some 9 years earlier. He published an article about his experiences, "The Sound of Change: Can Music Save Cuba? " in the November 26, 2008 issue of Time Magazine. He has now also published video from his trip at Time Video. It's a brief glimpse at what life is like for the majority of musicians in Cuba. Check it out and read his article for a more in-depth look at a musician's life in Cuba.

 

]]> Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:13:50 -0500 Www Goodlookingstrippedsingers Simpson Hu 1 Good Looking Stripped Singers Ultra Rare Van Van! CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO

Check this track out! This is apparently from a 45 from the very early 1970s. The earliest recording I'd ever heard of this was on the 1989 LP Crónicas, and of course LVV still uses it to close every set, but this may in fact be the missing link in the many conflicting stories about Van Van's name originally coming from a political slogan. If you have any information or insights about this track, please add them to the comments section and/or email me at kevin [at] timba [dot] com.

Pupy Pedroso Books

Meanwhile, I've been working around the clock on the Pupy Pedroso volumes of Beyond Salsa Piano. I'm going through the songs chronologically and finding myself amazed at how many classic tracks LVV pumped out in the 80s. They did an album a year for the entire decade. The CD compilations tend to have the same hits over and over: Sandunguera, La Titimanía, Qué palo,