Music

Havana Masters Volume III - Musica Floridita

Led by Raymundo Aragon, Charanga Floriditia is made up of a wide variety of musical talent. This CD is a contemporary take on the dynamic and varied sound that is the foundation of Cuban rhythm. A beautifully gentle CD of Boleros and Son that includes the tracks Tu and Floridita.

Item code: CD-FLOR3   Availability: In stock

Ahmed Dickinson plays Nico Rojas

Highly-acclaimed Cuban guitarist pays homage to one of the greats of the Filin' era.

"You are left with the sensation of being touched to the core by exquisitely played pieces" Jan fairley - Songlines

Ahmed Dickinson's love affair with the music of Nico Rojas began when they both played at the International Guitar Festival in Havana, Cuba in 2000. After approaching the composer at the festival to express how much he enjoyed his music and would love to play some of it, Ahmed was invited to Nico's house. It came as a surprise to Ahmed once there to learn that the great majority of ico's work remained unpublished and unrecorded. A surprise not least because Nico can count Beny Mor, Bebo Valdez, Chucho Valdez, Tito Puente, Frank Emilio Flyn, Leo Brouwer, Csar Portillo de la Luz, Adolfo Guzman, and Wynton Marsalis amongst his many fans, past and present.

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Item code: CD-AHMED   Availability: In stock

The Best of Cubadisco

This is a compilation of some of the winners and nominees from this year's Cubadisco, Cuba's most prestigious music awards, with dance floor hits from Havana's hottest dance spots.

Item code: CD-CMA   Availability: In stock

Presagios - Buena Fe

The fourth album form Buena fe Cuba's latin pop sensations shows them yet again fusing the traditional and the new, mixing their trademark trova style with a wide variety of influences from reggae to bossa nova and of course pop rock. The one constant is the exceptional songwriting with das mas and nalgas both world class pop tracks. For more information visit www.buenafecuba.com

Item code: CD-PRESAGIOS   Availability: In stock

Havana Masters Volume I - Musica Floridita

An exclusive compilation CD produced by Steve Brown at Cuba's famous Egrem studios showcasing a host of talented Cuban musicians.

Item code: CD-FLOR1   Availability: In stock

Havana Masters Volume II - Musica Floridita

This great double album is the most exciting and comprehensive yet from the Havana Masters stable. 28 great tracks from some of Cuba's best known performers, as well as some of its best emerging talents from Omara and Eliades to Traingulo Oscuro and Buena Fe. It is a breathtaking look at the very best of all of Cuba's different rhythms.

Item code: CD-FLOR2   Availability: In stock

Canto a mi Cuba - Benny More

Known as 'El Barbaro del Ritmo, Benny More was undoubtly the greatest interpreter of songs Cuba has produced. not only a master of rythm, his phrasing and flexibility enabled him to interpret a wide range of styles including son, guaracha and bolero.

Item code: CD-BM1   Availability: In stock

Canciones Ineditas - Chucho Valdes

With Canciones Ineditas (Unpublished Songs), triple Grammy Award-winning pianist Chucho Valdes showcases a new facet of his much-celebrated work as a songwriter and performer. Long regarded as one of the world's greatest jazz pianists, Valdes creates here a more personal and intimate music that conveys a sincerity and spirituality that is rarely captured in a studio. Awarded a Latin Grammy, Canciones Ineditas is a truly magical album.

Item code: CD-VALDES1   Availability: In stock

De Cuba Son - Grandes de la Musica Cubana

Includes names such Omara, Ibrahim, Eliades, Compay. This 16 song collection provides a wondrous journey through the illustrious history of that most Cuban of musical styles, Son. Although recorded at different times, the songs included here are all authentic examples of the genre; with each one displaying the rich lyrical content and elegant grace for which it is famous. De Cuba Son features an all-star line-up of Cuban musicians past and present, including Pio Leyva and Manuel Puntillita Licea, as well as Buena Vista Social Club cohorts Omara Portuondo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez and Eliades Ochoa.

Item code: CD-DECUBASON   Availability: In stock

Guantanamera - Grandes de la Musica Cubana

Through 16 songs, this CD forms a retrospective of the music that has touched successive generations of Cubans; encapsulating the essence of the overall musical environment that has been the product of the nations radios, televisions, bars, dance-clubs, and home-listening. Music and musical culture form a vital component of Cuba's collective soul, and is not something that is merely exclusive to Saturday nights. Accordingly, this collection presents classic Cuban musicians performing classic Cuban songs, with contributions coming from the likes of Miguelito Valdes, Celeste Mendoza, Pio Leyva and Benny More. A feature is the much-covered title song 'Guajira Guantanamera', which is, fittingly, performed here by the song's author Joseito Fernandez.

Item code: CD-GUANTANAMERA   Availability: In stock

Habana de Noche- Various artists

This collection brings together 12 vibrant examples of the music that is presently fuelling the dance floors of Cuba. Rich in 'tumbaos', with dynamic structures and voluptuous rhythms, these songs are the offspring of son, guaracha and rumba in all its variants. Music that truly defines what it is to be Cuban!

Item code: CD-HABANA   Availability: In stock

Brain Storm - Habana Sax

Habana Sax is one of Cuba's most exciting contemporary jazz outfits, comprising four impressively talented saxophonists and a drummer. Here they offer up nine intriguing pieces of music that take the Jazz ethos and apply it to a variety of musical genres and influences; including Mambo, Joropo, Disco and Hip-Hop. The band combines traditional musicianship and technical rigour, with a naturalness and improvisational-skill that gives their music a feeling of genuine uniqueness.

Item code: CD-BSTORM   Availability: In stock

Grandes Exitos - Juan Fornell y los Van Van

Since its inception in 1969, Juan Formell's Los Van Van has blazed a trail as one of Latin America's premier dance orchestras. Prolific in its production of music, the group is renowned for embracing new techniques and adapting with the ever-changing musical climate, whilst always remaining committed to its musical roots. This is a compilation of 14 of the very best recordings plucked from the extensive Los Van Van discography, built up over 30 years. Guest appearances come from legendary Cuban musicians Silvio Rodriguez, Omara Portuondo and Elena Burke.

Item code: CD-GRANDES   Availability: In stock

Pop Caliente - Jovenes Musicos Cubanos

Showcasing the broad spectrum of styles and fusions currently enjoying popularity in contemporary Cuban music, Pop Caliente is a unique collection that demonstrates the incredible richness of Cuba's pop sound. Each of the 12 artists featured here has its own distinct way of combining the unmistakable influences of Cuba's musical past with the prevalent styles and genres characterised by the global pop-culture of today. Thus, Triangulo Oscuro, winners of several Havana Rap Festival awards, treat us to their melting pot of Latin rhythms, Hip-Hop and Reggaeton; whilst Buena Fe Cuba's highest selling pop act deliver ballad-driven, pop-rock.

Item code: CD-POP-CALIENTE   Availability: In stock

Que cosas tiene la vida - Pupy y los que son son

One of Cuba's current shining stars, Pupy has driven Los Que Son Son to become one of the nation's top dance bands. Renowned for their musical arrangements, the quality of their singers, their explosive rhythms and the originality of their 'tumbaos' Los Que Son Son deliver a modern, 10 track recording that was Egrem's best selling album of 2003 and won that year's Best Dance Music Album award.

Item code: CD-COSAS   Availability: In stock

Tierra Caliente - Vocalite

A quartet of four truly gifted young singers with a fascinating approach to making music, Vocalite recreate the sound of trumpets, bass guitars, and a whole range of percussion instruments with their voices alone. Performing a cappella over 14 tracks, they offer a sincere and innovative tribute to the culture and beauty of each Cuban province.

Item code: CD-TIERRA   Availability: In stock

Tres Generaciones

A selection of traditional Cuban songs played by a quartet of well-travelled musicians from three different generations.

Item code: CD-TRES   Availability: In stock

Havana Masters - Musica Floridita, Music from Santiago de Cuba

The music on this album is performed by musicians who understand the tradition of son and who are now developing the forms and traditions for the next generation. Santiago de Cuba the capital of eastern Cuba is where son was born and son is also the music of Floridita. The groups on this album have all played at Floridita and have thrilled our audiences with their skill and musicianship. It is they who have inspired this album the music on the CD represents a typical evening at Floridita beginning with instrumentals and boleros before stepping up the tempo to bring you the dance and party atmosphere for which Cuba is famous.

Item code: CD-FLOR6   Availability: In stock

Taicuba Live

A life recording of the extraordinary trio Taicuba, founded in 1947 that has been resident of the world famous El Floridita Bar in Cuba since their inception.

Item code: CD-TAICUBA   Availability: In stock

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