Paulo FG keeps the Timba light burning!

The famed Yoshi's Jazz club in Oakland was taken over by timba fever this past weekend. The occasion was the presentation of Timba/Cuban salsa idol Paulo FG and his orchestra La Elite. Paulo FG made the Yoshi's audience wait for 40 minutes until he finally stepped on the stage. However, the wait was worth it. Paulo lived up to his reputation as a consummate showman who led his tight band with an abundance of energy, style and power. Starting with one of his signature songs "De La Havana", he immediately seduced the crowd with his strong vocals and coordinated dance moves with his stylish co-ed coro section. The dynamic energy from Paulo and his singers was contagious as the audience enthusiastically responded with hands in the air, call and responses and dancing to all of his repertoire. His mighty orchestra responded by slamming down their sophisticated timba and cuban salsa wall of sound. By the time that his set ended past Midnight, the crowd left Yoshi's sweaty, smiling and satisfied into the night.

Filosofia Caribena

The Bay Area's renaissance man John Santos presents his sextet and special guests in the debut of their commissioned work "Filosofia Caribena" that promises to be a highlight of the current SF Jazz Spring Season on Saturday, April 2, 8 pm at the Herbst Theater, Van Ness & MacAllister Sts, SF. Over a year and a half in the making, this work inspired by Caribbean culture, history and reality, will combine a combination of various elements such as Afro-Cuban and Puerto-Rican folklore, Caribbean rhythms, Latin Jazz, Dance and Spoken word. Special invited guests include trumpeter-vocalist Jerry Medina of Batacumbele fame, renowned Cuban dancer Ramon Ramos Alayo and spoken word artist Rico Pabon. Santos just completed a community based fund raising campaign that was successful in raising the money required to secure a $10,000 matching grant. The first volume of the project will be released on cd in May, the second volume will be released sometime next year. Santos was a recent guest on my program "Con Sabor" and sneak previewed one of the tracks from Filosofia Caribena, the explosive "La Rumba Me Lleva". Keep your plans open for this world premiere on April 2nd!

Quick Tips/New Latin DJ Music

As music director of a major market radio station, I receive a tremendous amount of new cds, mp3 and demos every week. Latin music has always had its share of hybrids and sub genres due to inventive DJ's and producers who have experimented and help create the new buzz in music. Check out the new music being created by DJ/Producers such as Dub Sonata, DJ Afro (of Los Amigos Invisibles) and Tremor of the ZZK Collective. These DJ's are expanding the boundaries and reinventing dubstep, electronica and latin alternative in the process.

Old Salseros Don't Die

On the advice of a colleague in the business, I visited the web site of veteran salsero/artist Henry Fiol. Henry who gained prominence in the 70's as part of Saoco and later with his series of highly regarded albums on the SAR label, has made available two of his recent recordings on his web site. His newest effort "Salsa Subterreanea" (Underground Salsa) showcases all new material which is split into his classic sound of Cuban based son montuno, salsa dura and contemporary songs designed to update his sound and appeal to a wider audience. The good news is that Henry Fiol still is in fine voice and sounds like he was having fun making this recording. The music is expertly played with passion and guts. I liked the son montunos and salsa dura material more than the contemporary material but I did like the song "Dias Mejores Vendran". Check it out on his web site: www.henryfiol.com. Old salseros don't die but you do have to make an effort to find them these days!

Prince Hangover

I've had a hangover for over a week. A musical hangover from attending the Prince concert last Thursday at the Oakland Oracle Arena. Performing from a huge stage shaped as his symbol that took the temporary place of his name in the 90's, Prince loudly exploded on the colored fogged out stage with his sheer guitar virtuosity. He generously performed close to 3 hours of his greatest hits and crowd favorites. A master of his craft, Prince flanked by a stunning band and 3 dynamic female vocalists turned the arena into party central which also included a spectacle of anthems and slow jams. Guest star Sheila E. was elevated from underneath the stage with her timbale set and led the crowd with a rousing rendition of her 1984 hit "The Glamourous Life". She later joined Prince on "Erotic City" and "A Love Bizarre" and performed with Prince for the rest of the concert. Funk Bass legend Larry Graham was featured on a segment which included tasty versions of Sly & The Family Stone hits along with his furious bass slapping. Prince went deep into his repertoire and played such gems such as "Delirious", "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette" among others. Prince that was the wizard of this great show singing unforgettable songs, playing impeccably and taking all who attended to a higher plane through his music.