Timba en la Capital

Welcome to Timba en la Capital, an on-going report on Cuban music in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virgina areas.

If you have an upcoming event please email me at almacubana [at] yahoo [dot] com

*in the pic: me (Rosy Estrada) and flautist & director Orlando "Maraca" Valle during his October 2008 Washinton, D.C. visit.

Timba Street is Back at The Salsa Room

March 18, 2012 - 

This Sunday's the place to be is The Salsa Room with its Cuban Party and timba tribute with performances from local artistsTimba Street, Alafia dancers, DC Casineros and Saoco.  This is the first of four tributes to be held throughout the year to Cuban Timba.  Timba Street will also be recording their first CD live at this event.

The dress theme of the night will be Jeans (blue jeans that is) and white (something white on top, doesn't have to be the whole shirt, just something must be white).  As you may know, that's the standard Cuban outfit for good dance get-togethers in Cuba.  There will be plenty of dancing, mojitos, afro-cuban and casino dance classes, live music and performances. Don't miss out on this one!

Details of the night's activities are below, plus you can use the link at the bottom to go to the ticket website to purchase tickets in advance:

Cover:

     $15.00 in advance at www.tsrtickets.com, codigo TSR 2012 
     $20.00 At the doors 

Performances by:

    “Timba Street” Live Cuban Band

     Oscar y su Afro-Cuban group “Alafia”

     DC Casineros, Saoco Dance Group, DJ Reina, and more!!! 

Schedule:

6pm Doors Open-DJ 
6:45-7:30 pm Rueda Classes by Jenn Gonzalez for Beginners, Adrian Valdivia for Intermediates, Yadiel Suares for Advanced 
7:30-7:45 pm DJ 
7:45-8:30 pm Timba Street Live Cuban Band
8:30-8:45 pm Afro Cuban & Rumba Class Oscar/Aramis 
8:45-9:00 pm DJ 
9:00-9:30 pm DC Casinero, Saoco, Barbara Dance Group, Alafia Performance, DJ 
9:30 pm Timba Street Live Cuban Band, DJ 

• TSR Productions www.eventbrite.com TSR Productions is using Eventbrite to organize 2 upcoming events. .  

Chucho Valdes and the Afro-Cuban Messengers to Play at George Mason University

February 3, 2012 - 

Grammy winner Chucho Valdes will be playing at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (Washington D.C. metro area) on Friday, February 3, 2012.  Performing with the Afro-Cuban Messengers, Chucho will be promoting his latest CD, Chucho's Steps

Shango Celebration at The Salsa Room

December 11, 2011 - 

Please join the DC Cuban community at the Cuban Party/Shango Celebration, by Tumbao Productions (Aramis Pazos), at The Salsa Room on Sunday, December 11, 2011 with doors opening at 6:30pm.  Get there early to take advantage of classes and dance performances!!!  This evening brings some of the hottest local Cuban performers in DC under one roof including Timba Street, Alafia, DC Casineros, Saoco and DJ Reina.  So, if you missed Timba Street at the Kennedy Center, dont miss (no te pierdas!) Timba Street at The Salsa Room.  The DC Official Cubans Meetup group will be in da house.

Bring your dancing shoes, wear something red and white if you have it, and preparate pa' una noche tremenda!

CUBAN PARTY / SHANGO CELEBRATION - IN RED & WHITE

Sunday December 11, 2011 - Doors Open At 6pm

Presented By TUMBAO PRODUCTIONS

Performances

6:30pm-7:15pm Rueda Classes

Live 13-piece Cuban Salsa/Timba band By TIMBA STREET

Live Cuban Drumming and Afro-Cuban Dancing by  OSCAR and his group ALAFIA

Dance Performances By DC CASINEROS DANCE GROUP

DJ REINA l DJ DOLA

Tickets $20

Tickets On Sale At www.trsrtickes.com

TSR members use code: tsr2011
for $12 tickets www.tsrtickets.com

www.thesalsaroom.net

2619 Columbia Pike Arlington, VA 22204  

UPDATE!

November 22, 2011 - Timba Street brought the house done last night at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage.  They played Timba and Cuban classics.  Check out pictures from the night's event here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/115550588427837081531/TimbaStreetAtKennedyCenter?authkey=Gv1sRgCI3P85ejxuuv6AE

Check out the video now!

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=80516&source_type=B

Timba Street  - DC's Hottest New Timba Band set to perform in Washington, DC.

November 21, 2011 - The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area Cuban community will be out in force to watch Timba Street's first performance ever at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage on Monday, November 21st at 6:00pm.  If you get there by 5:00pm, you will catch a rueda class by DC. Casineros.

DC's newest and hottest Cuban salsa band, Timba Street, not only takes it's name after they style of music they play, but is also derived from a gift received by musical director and vocalist, Aramis Pazos-Barrera.  Formerly the founder and vocalist for Orquesta Ashé, Pazos, after taking a much needed year-long break from performing, needed a sign, literally, to give him renewed inspiration and creative energy. After receiving his sign, a gift from a friend with a sign that read, Timba Street, and with much support and enthusiasm from his friend and drummer Paul de Castro, the new band Timba Street was formed.  

The newly assemmbled band features a whole new lineup of professional musicians who have been working hard since March of this year to bring us a little Bamboleo, Maraca and Pupy right here in Washington, D.C.  This is the only 13-piece big band sound you will hear anywhere in the D.C. area.  

Last week I had an opportunity to sit down with Aramis Pazos and his band members to talk about Timba Street while they practiced late into Sunday night at Joe's Emporium.  With all of his members holding full-time jobs, Aramis explains how much of a sacrifice it is for them, and understandbly, to give up so much of their personal time to practice and perform with the group.  He beamed as he emphasized how committed they all were to to the band and most importantly to perfecting the Timba sound.

Not surprisingly, many of his band members have never played Timba before.  Pazos explains, "most salsa musicians are scared of timba.... but not these guys," referring to his band members who spent their childhoods and adult lives honing jazz standards under intensive professional music training. 

Josh Carr, the band's tenor sax player and full-time music instructor for the DC public schools Fillmore Arts Center, explains, "there are intricacies and nuances that I'm still learning. You have to be aggressive, and you have to be on time."  Carr warms up with fellow band members by spontaneously breaking out into a jazz standard, improvising and jamming with Daniel Hones, bass player, Paul de Castro, drummer and timbalero, and Michael Montaniez, on congas.  

If you miss today's Kennedy Center performance, you will have another opportunity to watch Timba Street perform at The Salsa Room, in Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday, December 11.  Click on the DC Offical Cuban Meetup link below for more information or stay tuned for the next Timba en la Capital report!

http://www.meetup.com/DC-Cubans/events/41721132/

Timba Street Band members

Orlando "Maraca" Valle

Electrifies Washington D.C. - July 25, 2011

Maraca ended the first leg of his U.S. tour to promote his unreleased CD/DVD set with an enthusiastic performance at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage on July 25, 2011 in Washington, D.C.  They opened the performance with a faster-paced version of Castigala, and got the audience dancing in their seats with a longer reggaeton section and a bit of "Dale Don Dale".  

Maraca's 2011 return to DC was marked by a whole new lineup of musicians that excited DC audiences as much as his 2008 Maraca and the New Collective.  The Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage welcomed and hosted  Maraca's Salsa & Latin jazz Band members:   Andy Rubal (23-year old pianist), Yosmel Montejo (bass), Ivan Yanes (drums). Rafael Valiente (congas), El Nene (Vocalist), Andres perez (baritone saxaphone), Ariel Perez ( trombon), Josiel Perez Y Eduardo Martinez (trumpet).  

Most timba songs were followed by some beautiful jazz standards.  Maraca also treated his audience to a sneak preview of Danzón Siglo XXI, a danzón from his yet unreleased CD/DVD Reeuncuentros.  Recorded live in El Gran Teatro de la Habana, it was selected by Downbeat Magazine as song of the month (for August). His mastery of the flute brought out the beauty of the danzón with amazing respect for this cuban genre of music.

It's really amazing how american audiences can easily recognize forms of Cuban music other than salsa cubana and timba. As I whispered under my breath, "you really dont hear any professional musicians play danzones anymore," an older African-American lady turned around in agreement and said, "you know that's right!"  I smiled and knew that this audience was just loving Maraca!  

Dancing in the aisles at the Kennedey Center is somewhat frowned upon, but Capital timberos rushed the stage with Preguntale a Mi Mujer and entertained Maraca as much as he entertained his audience! Maraca closed the show with enough energy that the audience threw down with guaguanco, an impromptu conga line, and lots of meneo.  The best part about the show was that it started promptly at 6:00pm and it was free.  Although many of us in the audience would have gladly paid to see him even for the one hour that he played.  For those of us who live in Washington, D.C., we are always anxiously awaiting the next timba musician arrival.  Maraca's one hour performance left us hungry and wanting for more.  

The Official DC Cubans Meetup Group was on hand to greet Maraca after the show and talk to a few of his musicians. Watch the official Kennedy Center recording of the show by clicking here. Maraca is currently in L.A. working on a final lineup of concerts around the U.S.