From as far as Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Spain, the members of the Afro-Cuban All Stars orchestra are now in Minnesota rehearsing daily.  Thousands will enjoy their music beginning next week during the tour that will take the orchestra around the U.S. for close to two months.

Directed by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, the Cuban maestro and key figure in the formation of the recognized Cuban bands Sierra Maestra and the Buena Vista Social Club, the Afro-Cuban All Stars orchestra is formed by the crème-of-the-crème of the Cuban diaspora around the world.   Gonzalez is excited to bring this group of musicians together.  "Cuban music is collective," he says. "These musicians are incredible, and we are rehearsing hard so that the concert will be full of energy."  They will be performing Grammy nominated songs like Puntillita's “El Amor Verdadero,” and Gonzalez' “Reconciliacion,” as well as new material written by Ignacio
Herrera and Gonzalez himself.  The new songs are planned to be released in a CD next year.

Gonzalez is no stranger to bringing music to the United States.  Over a decade ago, he was the connection between several Cuban musicians and Ry Cooder, relationship that developed into the musical phenomenon that became the Buena Vista Social Club.  “Juan de Marcos took all those musicians out of the forgotten place they were at,” says Luis Eric Gonzalez, a Cuban musician now residing in Los Angeles and friend of Gonzalez (no family relation), “and helped the movement of our music tremendously.”  Until 2003, when politics closed the door on artists from Cuba, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez toured the U.S.' mainland repeatedly.  Today, hopeful that the new administration will soon relax the restrictions set on Cuban musicians, Gonzalez comes out of a six year hiatus to gather, literally from all over the world, sixteen names, each carrying a bounty of musical talent and experience:  Gliceria Abreu, Calixto Oviedo, Emilio Suarez, Ignacio Herrera, Igort Rivas, Jose Espinoza, Miguelito Valdez de La Hoz, Yaure Muniz, Alberto Martinez, Alberto Pantaleon, Alex Carrasco, Evelio Galan, Miguel Valdez Aballi, Jose Reiner Ardiles, Jose Gil Pinera, and William Bach.

The only concert scheduled in Southern California is at The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on February 27th.  Ticket prices range from $26-$50.  A second concert relatively close to the L.A. area will be held at UC Santa Barbara on the 28th.

All tour dates and concert locations, photos and music samples can be found at http://www.afrocubanallstarsustour.com  Tickets can be purchased at http://www.cerritoscenter.com

-- Dena Burroughs