It has taken nearly six years for U.S.-Cuba travel restrictions to ease up, but it appears that Uncle Sam has finally decided to cut some slack to Cuban musicians.
Juan De Marcos, the Sierra Maestra leader and a key figure in Cuban music today, announced earlier this week that the group will kick off a 35-city-plus U.S. concert tour in mid-February 2009, starting in Tacoma, Washington and wrapping it all up in April in Miami.
On the tour, De Marcos - also known for his work with Buena Vista Social Club - will team up with his Afro-Cuban All-Stars band and other special guests, including Ignacio Herrera (pianist and ex-musical director of Cubanísimo); Calixto Oviedo (drummer, performed with NG La Banda); Yaure Muniz; Igort Rivas and Miguel Valdés (trumpeters, members of the Buena Vista Social Club); and Alberto Martínez (trombonist, member of the original line up of Buena Vista Social Club).
De Marcos’ newest CD/DVD is titled “Absolutely Live,” and it includes footage of a concert at Tokyo's Zepp, and of a previously unreleased show recorded at Hague's North Sea Jazz Festival.
As a bandleader and producer, De Marcos is widely known for following the son tradition while blending the big band style with an upbeat, more modern sound. One of my favorite albums by De Marcos is "Distinto, Diferente" (Nonesuch, 1999), a well-crafted set filled with 'sabor.' Check it out.
In the late '90s, old-style Cuban music made a comeback thanks to the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon, and this album reflects the joyous spirit of the era. Plus it features a host of Buena Vista Social Club stars - Omara Portuondo, "Cachaíto" López and Barbarito Torres, as well as Rubén González and Ibrahim Ferrer, two of the leading lights of the fabled group. González and Ferrer passed away in 2003 and 2005, respectively. One of the set's highlights is "Tumba palo cucuyé," a danceable son that would send even non-dancers to the dance floor. Another one is "Warariansa," which takes on santería chants and is deeply rooted in the African music tradition.
Tighter U.S.-Cuba travel restrictions implemented after 9/11 broke the cultural link between the two nations. In the past five years, countless of Cuban musicians - and other international musicians as well - have been denied visas to tour North America, and this unfortunate situation continues until today.
But the green light given to De Marcos indicates that Uncle Sam has finally taken a step in the right direction.
U.S. tour dates:
02/17/2009, Tacoma, WA, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
02/18/2009, Olympia, WA, Washington Center for the Performing Arts
02/19/2009, Longview, WA Rose Theatre
02/20/2009, Eugene, OR, Hult Center for Performing Arts
02/22/2009, Arcata, CA, Arcata Theater
02/24/2009, Chico, CA, Cal State University/Chico
02/25/2009, Berkeley, CA, UC / Berkeley
02/26/2009, Berkeley, CA, UC / Berkeley
02/26/2009, Davis, CA, UC/Davis
02/27/2009, Cerritos, CA, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
02/28/2009, Santa Barbara, CA, UC / Santa Barbara
03/02/2009, Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona
03/03/2009, Mesa, AZ, Mesa Center for the Performing Arts
03/06/2009, Austin, TX, Paramount Theatre
03/07/2009, Dallas, TX, Titas
03/10/2009, Iowa City, IA, West High School
03/13/2009, Madison, WI, Overture Center for the Arts
03/14/2009, Grand Rapids, MN, Myles Reif Performing Arts Center
03/15/2009, Minneapolis, MN, Orchestra Hall
03/18/2009, Urbana, IL, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
03/20/2009, University, IL, Governers State University - Center
03/21/2009, Toledo, OH, Valentine Theatre
03/22/2009, Cincinnati, OH, Aronoff Center / Procter & Gamble
03/24/2009, Oxford, OH, Miami University - Hall Auditorium
03/26/2009, Trenton, NJ, War Memorial Patriots Theatre
03/27/2009, Greenvale, NY, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
03/28/2009, New York, NY, Town Hall Theatre
03/29/2009, New Bedford, MA, Zeiterion Theatre
03/31/2009, North Bethesda, MD, The Music Center at Strathmore
04/01/2009, Charlottesville, VA, Paramount Theatre
04/02/2009, Hampton, VA, American Theatre
04/03/2009, Greensboro, NC, Carolina Theatre
04/04/2009, Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse
04/07/2009, Ft. Pierce, FL, Sunrise Theatre
04/08/2009, Ft. Pierce, FL, Sunrise Theatre
04/08/2009, West Palm Beach, FL, Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Arts
04/09/2009, Tampa FL, Ferguson Hall
04/11/2009, Miami, FL, Knight Concert Hall
By: Ian Malinow
