8 Cuban Musicians Look Up To a Latin Grammy

Alain Perez, Alex Cuba, Rey Ruiz, Ivan "Melon" Lewis, Jalil War, Paquito D'Rivera and Sonlokos Septet Santiaguero, groups and Cuban musicians, will be hoping to Cuba in the sixteenth edition of the Latin Grammy Awards 2015, which He held on November 19 in Las Vegas (USA).

"We are very happy (...) the mere fact of being nominated is already the prize for us," the director of the Septet Santiaguero, Fernando Dewar, who aspires to Lauro Best Traditional Tropical Album for her album "I do not want tears told Efe. Tribute to Los Compadres "next to Jose Alberto" El Canario ".

To the members of the group founded in Santiago de Cuba (eastern Cuba), this volume is "a point of excellence" in a 20-year career in the genre of traditional Cuban music, which in the late 1990s He popularized worldwide through the "Buena Vista Social Club".

On the album, along with "El Canario", involved several international figures, including several nominees and winners in previous editions, such as Oscar D'Leon, Eliades Ochoa, Andy Montanez and Aymee Nuviola.

Septet for this nomination means a double celebration because the album itself is "very special", as "a tribute to the great masters who were Los Compadres" and have been released for the 500th anniversary of the city of Santiago.

In the same category coincides Alain Pérez, a member of the group of the late Spanish flamenco master Paco de Lucia, who returns to his roots with tropical praised "the soul of the Son.

Tribute to Matamoros "in tribute to the legendary Trio Matamoros. One of the revelations in these awards was Ivan "Melon" Lewis, considered one of the best pianists of the new generation of musicians on the island, who competes to be the Best New Artist and also aspires to win the award in the category of Best Latin Jazz Album with his album "Yesterday and Today".

Alex Cuba also won two nominations at this year's Latin Grammy, being chosen production "Healer" among the candidates for Best Singer-Songwriter Album, and his song "Ya began - in collaboration with Luis Enrique and Fernando Osorio placed in the race get the trophy in Best Tropical Song.

Which aims to take another two of the coveted golden gramophones is the composer and guitarist Jalil Guerra, who says he is "happy to receive this news in my country," he told the official Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde.

"I'm happy (...) to be able to celebrate with the ensemble Soloists of Havana, and its director Ivan Valiente, this blessing and success for all Cubans," said Guerra, who received two nominations for Best Classical Album and Best Classical Composition Contemporary for "Portrait of the pigeon".

State media in the obvious island in their reports about Latin Grammy nominations Cuban Rey Ruiz, Paquito D'Rivera and Sonlokos group, founded in Miami in 2012 by the Cuban timbales Raymer Olalde.

Ruiz, who emigrated abroad in 1980, competes in the category of Best Salsa Album "Seasons" while D'Rivera, live jazz legend, who won two Latin Grammy in 2014 and strong critic Cuban revolution, repeated nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album with his album "Jazz Meets The Classics".

To Sonlokos it is the first opportunity in the prestigious awards of the Latin Recording Academy, based in the United States, who aspire in the category of Best Traditional Tropical Album with "Wicked son".

The 16th edition of the awards will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from 20-00 ET US (00-00 GMT).

Taken and translated from here

The Tampa-Cuban Connection

Sometimes they make the Tampa Bay Area a protagonist in various events. Whether tourist or business activities, it is important to develop in the tampeño market, the consequences are often echoed at the regional level. 

That kind of vision is needed when it comes to bring the Cuban consulate to Tampa area and there has been one since 1961. The city of Miami, for obvious reasons, was out of the competition. 

Tampa Bay is more than worthy of the position since approximately 90,000 people of Cuban origin residing here and there are direct flights available to Cuba from Tampa International Airport. 

The Cuban consulate accelerate trade and benefits would be created to accentuate the international profile of the Tampa Bay Area: the city deserves it. 

While we could continue discussing the area in which the Rays should be placed, in the case of the Cuban consulate we should agree to accept that it belongs to our city. The links between Cuba and Tampa are without a doubt and family history; the soul of this city's Ybor City whose roots come from Havana, the history of cigar manufacturing and readers. For some there was a ferry between Tampa and Havana. The links are many.

Tampa is the city that José Martí visited at least 20 times. There are more than a dozen monuments in honor of the revolutionary hero, who spoke from the steps of the Martinez-Ybor factory. There is a small path that is the real sovereign state of Cuba. 

But the proactive effort of the Tampa team unfortunately weakens thanks to Bob Buckhorn that does not participate in the action. The mayor of Tampa will not go where his counterpart from St. Petersburg, Rick Kriseman, has recently gone. To be fair to the mayor, we know respects to those who lost everything in the military revolution and those who traveled with him on missions Hermanos al Rescate (Brothers to the Rescue). We also know that cares about the poor democracy that still exists on the island. 

But the fundamental principle is this: the US foreign policy, from an economic and humanitarian perspective, can not be subject to personal agendas. Those for which Cuba Vietnam, Japan or Germany at any rate not allow more scope for the United States in terms of political priorities. The same goes for Buckhorn Mayor and Governor Rick Scott. What is best for Tampa should not depend on personal agendas and political leaders.

Taken and translated from here