Officially part of the 2010 Chicago World Music Festival schedule:

La Santa Cecilia

September 24, 2010
8pm doors | 11pm show
$10 in advance | $12 at the door
GREEN DOLPHIN 2200 NORTH ASHLAND

Tickets on sale now: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/112841

Biography
La Santa Cecilia exemplifies the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin Culture, Rock and World music. The six-member group creatively combines up-tempo Pan American rhythms like Cumbia, Bossa Nova, Rumba, nostalgic Boleros, passionate Tangos, Jazz, Rock and Klezmer music. They draw inspiration from all over the world and are proud to be from the City of Angels. Their all-encompassing sound has given them a unique identity as an up and coming Los Angeles breakthrough. The experience of their colorful sundry performance leaves fans and new listeners mesmerized.

The group consists of guitarist Gloria Estrada, accordionist and requintero Jose Carlos, bassist Alex Bendana, percussionist Miguel Ramirez, drummer Hugo Vargas and lead vocalist Marisoul, whose captivating voice sings about bittersweet love, loss and heartbreak. Six separate influences range from Miles Davis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Mercedes Sosa and Ramon Ayala. The group’s common love of music and openness to all genres led to the concept of La Santa Cecilia in 2007 – named after the patron Saint of Musicians.

La Santa Cecilia’s six-song EP was recorded at Lo-Fi Studios in San Bernardino and Westlake Legendary Recording Studios in Hollywood. The song “Chicle” has been featured in television and film, on the Emmy award-winning Showtime series Weeds, the Brian Krinsky independent feature Dish, and the documentary Re-Encounters about Oaxacan artist Alejandro Santiago. Their music can also be heard on KPFK’s radio programs 4 O’clock Tuesday with Gustavo Arellano and Travel Tips For Aztlan with Mark Torres.

The band has thrilled audiences at local and international venues, such as, SXSW Music Festival, Grand Performances at The California Plaza, Ford Amphitheater, Levitt Pavilion, the Getty Center, the Japanese American Museum, The California African American Museum, the Los Angeles Accordion Festival, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, the annual Dia De Los Muertos Festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and the Diego Rivera Museum in Mexico City.
The band’s CD artwork is hand-painted by friends, band members, and even some fans during painting parties that allow everyone to become part of the creative process. No two CD covers are the same. The combinations of colorful yarn, images and designs (now from recycled newspapers and magazines, making the product environmentally-friendly) are endless and have become a signature for the band. Not to mention the highly imaginative unicorns, donuts, cacti, sombreros and smiley-faced condoms shaped pins.

Through heartfelt music, homemade art and consistent live performances, La Santa Cecilia continues to connect with their fans; many of who feel the band represents exactly who they are, a new generation of cultural hybrids whose creativity has no boundaries.

8pm doors | 9pm show

$10 in advance | $15 at the door

GREEN DOLPHIN 2200 NORTH ASHLAND

Tickets on sale now: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/112830

Bomba Estéreo came together as a project organized by Simon Mejia in 2005, forming within the rich underground electronic scene that has become Bogota, Colombia. Recruiting fierce singer Liliana Saumet to join the group, Bomba Estéreo expanded its sound and captivating live show. The group plays an explosive dance-fusion of electronic dub and hip-hop, in a similar vein as M.I.A. and Santigold, mixed with Colombian rhythms like cumbia and champeta.

Bomba made their U.S. debut at SXSW 2009, an experience that helped establish the group and their latest release, “Blow Up.” In the last several months, the group has toured everywhere from New York and Brazil out to London and Dublin. In the summer of 2009, they rocked the European festival circuit, with ecstatic crowds like the 10,000 at Denmark’s prestigious Roskilde Festival.

“These recent experiences have been amazing,” Saumet says. “They’ve literally changed my life. Performing in front of 15,000 people, many who don’t understand what you’re singing yet they dance for the love of the music. It’s inspiring. It made me realize that our band needs to keep growing and building. Every day we need to get better and better while still keeping our musical essence.”

MTV Tr3s launched Bomba Estereo as their “Discover and Download” featured artist for the entire month of August 2009, adding the “Fuego” video into heavy rotation. This exciting news followed the group’s 7 electrifying shows in 5 days across New York City in July, which culminated with a set at Central Park SummerStage with Puerto Rican hip hop icons Calle 13. New album ‘Blow Up’ was also added to rotation at influential radio stations like KCRW (Los Angeles), KUT (Austin) and KEXP (Seattle).

The song “Fuego” was also recently spotlighted as iTunes’ “Song of the Week.” and will also be featured during the fall 2009 as part of a McDonalds advertising campaign. Saumet describes the inspiration behind the fiery track: “We wanted to make a colorful song. It is all about the sun and getting sucked into the world. It’s about being in another state-of-mind.”

The influence of Afro Colombian rhythms and the coastal sounds is especially important to Bomba Estereo’s music. Saumet grew up on the Colombian coast in a city called Santa Marta. “It’s a small city with a beautiful and mystical force,” she explains. “The indigenous people call it the ‘heart of the world.’ Ever since I was young, I had the opportunity to listen to such a wide variety of music, from local folk music to sounds arriving from Africa and the United States. I think that mix is reflected in our own music.”

Nortec Collective
Thursday, May 20 2010
930pm doors | 10pm show
$10 at the door
Green Dolphin 2200 N. Ashland

The Opening Night Fiesta….

“Hola Chicago!!! Featuring the screening of “It Happens in One Day”
Followed by an after-party concert performance of the Mexican Electronica Ultra-band Nortec Collective (FULL BAND).

This event is sponsored by

About Hola Mexico Film Festival

Following the success of the Hola Mexico Film Festival (HMFF) in the United States in 2009, the renowned international festival is back for the second year on US soil commencing in April 2010. The Hola Mexico Film Festival is the largest tribute to Mexican film in the world and will again showcase the creativity, ingenuity and charm of Mexican cinema in six of the nation’s most influential cities: Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

By screening the very best of Mexican cinema, the HMFF will take you on a journey through Mexico’s past, present and future. The festival reveals hidden gems in the Mexican film industry, showcasing the talent of highly coveted directors, producers and actors that work in Mexico. Each film reflects the maturity and complexity of authentic Mexican culture, bringing forth unique story lines and characters that the audience will never forget.

Mexican ex-patriot and Festival Director Samuel Douek invites viewers to immerse themselves in a culture different than their own, without leaving their seats. The international festival will screen contemporary films like the 2009 LA Film Festival award winner, Los Que Se Quedan (Those Who Remain) alongside classic films like Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas (Sex, Shame and Tears), paying tribute to Mexico’s biggest hits.

General admission tickets range from $8-$14 and VIP tickets are available for $40 USD.

2010 marks Mexico’s 200 years of independence and 100th anniversary of their Revolution. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show; and celebrate this monumental year in Mexican history at the Hola Mexico Film Festival!

Back by popular demand…
Jesus “Chuchito” Valdés – (Pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader)

Thursday May 6th
Doors open at 7pm
Showtime 8pm
Djs after the show.
Preferred seating in the main salon will have to eat dinner
Tickets $15 in advance

Tickets available now: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107115

About Chuchito:

Born in Havana Cuba, Chuchito Valdes comes from one of the most distinguished musical families in Cuba. He has recorded and performed piano with the world renown Cuban band, Irakere, which he led for 2 years. He has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the world: from Cuba and the Caribbean, across the United States and South America, and throughout Europe. Some of his worldwide appearances have included Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London and Green Dolphin Street in Chicago, The Jazz Festivals of Havana, Cancun and Merida, as well as a recent festival performance in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Music Festival. His ensemble was featured during December of 2000, at the 19th International Havana Jazz Festival, as well as at the Cancun International Jazz Festival in May of 2001 & 2002. The band completed a successful U.S Tour last year performing concerts from Chicago to San Francisco. On Nov. 9th 2001 his band performed at Orchestra Hall In Detroit. In 2002 he was featured with his band at the Chicago Jazz Festival, The Detroit Jazz Festival, AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival, and the Brownsville Latin-Jazz Festival in Texas.

In his youth he studied with many Cuban masters, such as the great Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdes (who also happens to be his father). Chuchito is recognized as a master at Cuban music including Mambo, Danzon, and Cuban Timba and Guaguanco. He has also extensively studied classical music including harmony and composition. When he is not travelling around the world performing, Chuchito lives in Cancun, Mexico where he leads his Afro-Cuban based Latin-Jazz ensemble. His original compositions and arrangements draw on classical harmonic and structural techniques. In his performances, Chuchito’s music draws on many styles including Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz, Bebop, Danzon, Cha-Cha- Cha, Son Montuno and much more.

Home: Los Angeles, CA

Press Quotes

”Raised in Havana, Jesus “Chuchito” Valdes has inherited more then his father’s famous name: on a recording made in Chicago last summer, he displays the hell-bent intensity and daredevil technique of the elder Valdes-qualities recognized worldwide as hallmarks of Cuban Jazz.

In terms of pure flamboyance, Chuchito Can just about match his dad: he can raise a mountain of rhythmic intensity with a driving montuno, create flutelike filigrees in his fluttering right hand figures, or stagger flashing cords at breakneck speed to build a kaleidoscopic improvisation.

But he seems just as happy to play out a lyrical danzon with unfeigned humility-to throttle back a notch, in other words, and let the music breathe… the relative spaciousness in his stle does set Chuchito apart from most of his countrymen.”

–Neil Tesser – “Author of the Playboy Guide to Jazz”

Article review for a concert at Columbia College:

In the Chicago Art & Culture guide. “The Reader”

“In a sense, Valdes and his band reinvigorated age old Cuban musical forms, the venerable cha-cha-cha and mambo standards revitalized by the muscular virtuosity of a mostly younger generation of players. This was jazz improvisation of the most sophisticated kind, with arcane chord changes and unexpected bursts of dissonance at almost every turn.”

–Howard Reich, – Chicago Tribune

”This is a burning Afro-Cuban jazz CD. The program gives us mostly originals by Chuchito and or/ Reese, (as well as) Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and “Tres Lindas Cubanas”.

The music here is simply wonderful, very articulate, strong and clean.”

Marshall Vente – Radio Host of “Jazz Tropical” – 90.9 FM

ALEX CUBA
June 10, 2010
9pm doors | 10pm show
$15 in advance | $20 at the door
Rumba 351 W. Hubbard

Tickets on sale now: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/106124

Singer-songwriter Alex*Cuba hails from Artemisa, Cuba (1 hour west of Havana) and resides in Smithers, B.C. (14 hours north of Vancouver). Musically, he lives everywhere in between. His trademark sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and rock chords subtly subvert commonly held notions of what Cuban music is. Alex is on the vanguard, crafting a cross-cultural sound that mirrors his geographical journey. Not tied to tradition, this Cuban-Canadian prefers his vintage Gibson over el sencerro (cowbell) anytime.

From his earliest years in Artemisa, he was immersed in music. Alex’s first stage appearance on national TV was at the tender age of four, playing claves (a percussion instrument) in a group directed by his music instructor father. Alex went on to study guitar, tres, percussion and bass, practicing eight hours a day during his teens.

After a stint with his twin brother Adonis to record Morumba Cubana, as The Puentes Brothers, Alex departed from Cuban music norms to follow his own path. His debut CD with the Alex Cuba Band, “Humo De Tabaco”, earned him a Juno award for World Music Album in 2006, with the single “Lo Mismo Que Yo”, featuring Ron Sexsmith charting in the Top 20 at BBC Radio 2. For “Humo”, Alex took UK producer Martin Terefe to Cuba to record the album’s funk infused horns and percussion, a sound that got under Terefe’s skin. By extension, that “Alex*Cuba sound” is now evident on Terefe’s productions for Craig David, Ron Sexsmith and Jason Mraz.

After a musical and spiritual evolution, Cuba returned to the studio, this time with co-producer Joby Baker of Victoria, to record “Agua Del Pozo” which was released in Canada in February 2007 under his own Caracol Records imprint. Acclaimed for its blend of tempo, instrumentation and songwriting, the album is a clear evolution from the debut, punctuated by the introduction of Alexis’ electric guitar, a vintage Gibson. “Agua” earned Alex his second Juno Award for Best World Music album 2008.

2008 was a huge year for Alex*Cuba. He delivered a rousing showcase at SXSW, garnered strong media coverage and had sell-out tours in the U.S. In addition to the Juno an “indie” Award for Favourite World Music Artist at Canadian Music Week 2008. In June 2008, Caracol Records (Cuba’s own label, now distributed by EMI Music Canada), re-released “Agua del Pozo” in Canada with brand new artwork.

Alex*Cuba has an explosive live presence and he has performed in the UK, Japan, Spain, the US and Canada. In the fall of 2008, Alex was invited to showcase at the prestigious WOMEX conference in Seville, Spain, he then played London and Barcelona and at the Canadian Music Trade Mission in Tokyo, Japan before dashing back to North America for the Transmission Conference and his second consecutive sell-out at New York’s Joe’s Pub.

In the digital space, he has had four iTunes Singles of the Week (Canada, U.S., Japan, Netherlands), has charted on various iTunes charts in Canada, the U.S. and Japan, has built an impressive online community and has had major content features on Myspace, Yahoo!, AOL and other portals.

Alex recently collaborated with Nelly Furtado for her Spanish language debut album “Mi Plan” (My Plan) being released worldwide (Universal Latino) in September. The creative chemistry between Alex, Nelly and James Bryan was magical and resulted in multiple co-writes including the first single – “Manos Al Aire” (Hands in the Air) and the title track.

In between tour dates, Alex has been recording his third album at Baker Studios in Victoria, B.C. The self-titled project is slated for a Fall Canadian release and a spring 2010 U.S. release. Featuring surprising new grooves, new electrioc guitar inflections and varyting tempos and structures, the album is an important step in Alex Cuba’s ongoing musical revolution. He recently released a pre-mix of “Caballo” (Horse), a sizzling Cuban-funk-rocker, to fans as a small taste of what’s to come.

With a heart as big as his retro ‘fro, Cuba takes it all in stride and focuses on what he does best: crafting songs that cut through linguistic and cultural barriers like a machete through sugarcane.

…Go with the ‘Fro!

Palenke Soultribe
Friday April 30th, 2010
Green Dolphin, Chicago
$10 suggested donation

Please click below to make your advanced donation to the 26th Annual Latino Film Festival Wrap Party. By doing so, you are insuring your entrance to the April 30 fund-raising night. Space is limited and entrance will be admitted on a first come first serve basis. Only names of advanced donation ticket buyers will be added to the guaranteed entrance list.

Support by: DJ Nando, DJ Dave Moreno
Visual by: Krinum Nurse

Palenke Soultribe was created in Los Angeles in 2005 by Colombian producers Juan D. Borda ( AKA Insectosound) and Andres Erazo ( AKA Popa) and later joined by drummer/percussionist A.Zuluaga. Under WC-Music Records and up to 2008, they have released a vinyl named “Folkloric Deconstruktion” (2005); followed by their first album called “Tropic an Heaven” (2007 )( album that was awarded with the Independent Music Awards 2008 in the Dance/Electronica category; and a compilation of remixes entitled “Tropico y Cielo”. Their upcoming album release, ORO, shows a development in the sound of the project and features known international artists like Miami’s Locos por Juana ( Grammy nominee 2009), Sr. Mendez ( Grammy Winner 2007), Cesar Pliego ( bass player from KINKY), Elastic Bond , Toddy Walters and many more. Official released date scheduled March 2009. PalenkeSoultribe deconstruct atmospheric and warm colombian sonic textures that ride over underground beats and exploratory synthesizer sounds. The foundation of PST’s work is the colorful sound of Colombia’s traditional music mixed together with electronic beat.

RatioNation  is pleased to announce they are joining forces with Latino Cultural Center and the Latino Film Festival to present the very first Latino Film Festival Wrap Party featuring a concert performance by the Colombian super-band Palenke Soultribe.

Pepe Vargas and the Latino Cultural Center have graciously afforded Ratio Nation with the honor of producing the very first Latino Film Festival Wrap Party. What’s a Wrap Party you might ask?…A Wrap is a phrase used by the director in the early days of the film industry to signal the end of filming. Nowadays, the call is more commonly “that’s a wrap!” Films have used this since the 1920’s when the filming was done and it just needed to go into post production. The Wrap Party was the event crated to celebrate the films completion.

In keeping with this tradition the Latino Cultural Center will create an event to celebrate the completion of another successful Latino Film Festival here inChicago. This event will be unique on many different levels.

First, the party will be headlined by a concert featuring one of the most popular bands to come out of Colombia…Palenke Soultribe. Palenke’s first album “Tropic and Heaven” won a 2008 Independent Music Award (IMA) for best electronic/dance album. Their second album “Oro” features collaborations with Locos Por Juana, Cesar Pliego and Sr. Mendez. Oro has been creating a buzz in the Latin and indie music scene. This year the band has been featured on ESMusica, MSN Mexico’s Detour, Fabrika.com, Remezcla.com and was song of the day on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. Palenke  co-headline the Festival Central in Bogota this January and was selected to perform at SXSW 2010.

Second, a special visiual-show-collaboration between Palenke Soultribe and Yannick Joubert of Rationation/Underworld. As a team they will be providing anexclusive visual experience using the latest in visual software engineering. Yannick is an artist in the true sense of the word, and he is not constrained byany means toone specific medium. Not afraid to try new things, Yannick is constantly pushing himself and challenging the ways in which he and other artists engage with the world. He is a painter, illustrator, designer, musician, film director and above all, a true collaborator who has been working with international artists such as Underworld, The Orb, and Lady Sovereign. You can learn more about his projects via rationation.com

And lastly, this event will be a fundraiser to let the Latino Cultural Center and its hardworking staff know how much the City of Chicago and its Latinos appreciate thesweat and dedication the Latino Cultural Center gives to produce year in and year out such an amazing film festival.

With the help of this events official media sponsor Amor Montes de Oca and her popular website Arte y Vida Chicago.com, Ratio Nation plans on reaching the masses of Chicago and inviting them to come out and show their support of this fundraising night. 100% of donations will be given to the Latino Cultural Center to further their pursuits. Although the donation is not mandatory…please come and give as much as you can. You know this money will come back to you ten fold.

The return of…
CULTURA PROFETICA
Direct from puerto Rico
Thursday May 6th, 2010
Green Dolphin, Chicago
8pm doors | 930pm show
$20 in advance | $30 at the door
Green Dolphin 2200 N. Ashland

In collaboration with Arteyvidachicago.com and Macondochicago.com

Tickets on sale now!!!
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/104058

UPDATE
Due to the delay of the release of Cultura Profetica’s new album ” LA DULZURA”…Cultura Profetica’s performance scheduled for next Friday has been postponed. The entire U.S. tour will begin in early May. All tickets purchased for the April 16 show will be honored for the rescheduled May 6th date. If you wish to obtain a refund…please contact BROWNPAPERTICKETS.com.

As for the Meet and Greet….we will extend the dates for participation. Cultura Profetica is extremely sorry and has promised to make it up to us with an extra-ordinary performance.

Cultura Profética was formed in 1996 by the need to express musically. Its first record production “Canción de alerta” sold over 60,000 units in Puerto Rico alone. The band is composed of 11 musicians that achieve an excellent and very sticky musical fusion, with a base headed by a rhythm of traditional roots reggae mixed with harmonies of salsa, jazz, electronica, trip hop, ska, and afro-caribbean beats, among others. Cultura Profética achieves a very peculiar sound that has been admired by many artists, musicians, engineers and the largest exponents in the international reggae scene. All the musicians have a very solid musical base that allow them as group to carry out very sophisticated works of art.

JIMMY BOSCH y su Sexteto de Otro Mundo
Saturday  May 29, 2010
LATIN RHYTHMS ACADEMY OF DANCE & PERFORMANCE
Tickets  $20 ADV (www.latinrhythmsdance.com) / 25 DOS
18+

produced by RATIOnation.com

Jimmy Bosch is in Chicago for one day direct from Venezuela and will play with Sexteto de Otro Mundo. where Jimmy sings, plays trombone and fires up the band to keep the room lit up like a Christmas Tree… So there you have it, Christmas in May in Chicago with Jimmy Bosch.

From the Ukraine, UK, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Japan, Costa Rica, NY, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela to Chicago, Jimmy promises to keep you smiling, dancing and screaming for more. He is committed to keeping it raw, real and fun… “The energy” he says “comes from a power greater than he” and always points up to the sky…. “My music is dancer centered always… Gotta keep the dancers dancing is my motto”

Join us for an exclusive night with Jimmy Bosch, RatioNation and the crew of Latin Rhythms… Let us all say presente to this powerful Global representative of this music that we love so much…

Que viva la Salsa Dura!!!!

RATIOnation.com and arteyvidachicago.com present:

CEU (VAGAROSA TOUR)
Direct from Brazil
Friday, April 23 2010
7pm doors | 8pm show
$20 in advance | $25 at the door
Green Dolphin 2200 N. Ashland

Opening Band : Bêabá do Samba
Together since 2007, Bêabá do Samba is a Chicago-based band specializing in the sounds of Brazil. Bêabá has brought its diverse repertoire of traditional samba, pagode and bossa nova to audiences at various Chicago-area venues including the Morse Theatre, the Chicago Botanic Gardens, Las Tablas, Coco Lounge and Uncommon Ground
http://www.bsamba.com

Giroscopio will be spinning the best in Brazilian sounds.

Tickets available NOW on BrownPaperTickets.com
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/editevent.html?e_id=97928
or by phone 24/7 1-800-838-3006

Café Magazine and LeadRock are hosting a Meet & Greet CéU.
Photos || Merchandise || Autographs || and an unforgettable experience
Win Backstage OR SoundCheck Access
RSVP CLOSES April 18, 2010 5PM

WIN a backstage or a SoundCheck Pass for 4 to CéU Vagarosa tour concert on April 23, 2010 at Green Dolphin.

Enter the promotion and be in the running to win backstage or soundcheck access, One winner will be selected randomly for each event.

Prizes include:
•4 x tickets to Ceu’s concert AND 4 x backstage access Meet and Greet CéU
•4 x tickets to Ceu’s concert AND 4 x soundcheck access

Enter your details below for a chance to win. If you already have tickets to CéU you can still enter the FREE drawing. Winner will be  notified via email on April 21, 2010.

This offer may not be combined with any other discounts or offers, is not applicable to previously purchased tickets, and allows no refunds or exchanges.  No monetary value. Non-Transferable

About CéU

CéU proved to be one of the more internationally appealing singers to break out of Brazil around the time of her 2005 debut, ultimately winning a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and garnering interest for herself in Europe and North America.

Her singing is what earned her acclaim, yet her music is novel as well, a fusion of samba, reggae, and electronica, with touches of jazz and soul.

She was born Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças in São Paulo; however, she bills herself as simply CéU. (In Portuguese, céu can mean either sky or heaven, depending on the context; more specifically, the word comes from the Latin word caelu and refers to the infinite space overhead, including the sky as well as the cosmos.) She grew up in a music family; her father is a composer, arranger, and musicologist. At an early age, she learned to appreciate renowned Brazilian composers such as Heitor Villa-Lobos, Ernesto Nazareth, and Orlando Silva, and as a teenager, she decided to become a singer. Rather than go to college, she studied music, including theory as well as the violão, a nylon-stringed guitar native to Brazil. CéU eventually moved to New York City for a while once she was old enough to leave home. There she encountered many new influences, including old-school jazz singers such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald as well as contemporary R&B singers such as Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Also while in New York City, she befriended Antonio Pinto, a fellow Brazilian musician; he is perhaps best known for composing the score to City of God (2002), among other films. In time, after moving back to Brazil and fronting a couple groups, CéU recorded her debut album, a self-titled release produced largely by Beto Villares, with the aid of Pinto. CéU was released in 2005 by Urban Jungle, a label based in São Paulo, in partnership with Ambulante Discos, Villares’ label. The album was later licensed by Six Degrees, a stylish label based in San Francisco that is known for its catalog of Brazilian releases, after CéU had already been met with success in parts of Europe, including France — and, by association, French-speaking Canada as well.

Thanks to the buzz surrounding her debut, CéU earned a Latin Grammy nomination in 2006 for Best New Artist. Her sophomore release, Vagarosa, arrived in early 2009. Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

www.myspace.com/ceumusic

RATIOnation.com & Sound Culture present:

CHUCHITO VALDES QUINTET

Thursday, February 25th 2010
9pm doors | 10pm show
$15 in advance | $20 at the door
Rumba 351 W. Hubbard

Tickets available NOW on BrownPaperTickets.com
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/97176
or by phone 24/7 1-800-838-3006

Born: October 10, 1966

Jesus “Chuchito” Valdés – (Pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader)

Born in Havana Cuba, Chuchito Valdes comes from one of the most distinguished musical families in Cuba. He has recorded and performed piano with the world renown Cuban band, Irakere, which he led for 2 years. He has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the world: from Cuba and the Caribbean, across the United States and South America, and throughout Europe. Some of his worldwide appearances have included Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London and Green Dolphin Street in Chicago, The Jazz Festivals of Havana, Cancun and Merida, as well as a recent festival performance in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Music Festival. His ensemble was featured during December of 2000, at the 19th International Havana Jazz Festival, as well as at the Cancun International Jazz Festival in May of 2001 & 2002. The band completed a successful U.S Tour last year performing concerts from Chicago to San Francisco. On Nov. 9th 2001 his band performed at Orchestra Hall In Detroit. In 2002 he was featured with his band at the Chicago Jazz Festival, The Detroit Jazz Festival, AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival, and the Brownsville Latin-Jazz Festival in Texas.

In his youth he studied with many Cuban masters, such as the great Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdes (who also happens to be his father). Chuchito is recognized as a master at Cuban music including Mambo, Danzon, and Cuban Timba and Guaguanco. He has also extensively studied classical music including harmony and composition. When he is not travelling around the world performing, Chuchito lives in Cancun, Mexico where he leads his Afro-Cuban based Latin-Jazz ensemble. His original compositions and arrangements draw on classical harmonic and structural techniques. In his performances, Chuchito’s music draws on many styles including Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz, Bebop, Danzon, Cha-Cha- Cha, Son Montuno and much more.

Home: Los Angeles, CA

Press Quotes

”Raised in Havana, Jesus “Chuchito” Valdes has inherited more then his father’s famous name: on a recording made in Chicago last summer, he displays the hell-bent intensity and daredevil technique of the elder Valdes-qualities recognized worldwide as hallmarks of Cuban Jazz.

In terms of pure flamboyance, Chuchito Can just about match his dad: he can raise a mountain of rhythmic intensity with a driving montuno, create flutelike filigrees in his fluttering right hand figures, or stagger flashing cords at breakneck speed to build a kaleidoscopic improvisation.

But he seems just as happy to play out a lyrical danzon with unfeigned humility-to throttle back a notch, in other words, and let the music breathe… the relative spaciousness in his stle does set Chuchito apart from most of his countrymen.”

–Neil Tesser – “Author of the Playboy Guide to Jazz”

Article review for a concert at Columbia College:

In the Chicago Art & Culture guide. “The Reader”

“In a sense, Valdes and his band reinvigorated age old Cuban musical forms, the venerable cha-cha-cha and mambo standards revitalized by the muscular virtuosity of a mostly younger generation of players. This was jazz improvisation of the most sophisticated kind, with arcane chord changes and unexpected bursts of dissonance at almost every turn.”

–Howard Reich, – Chicago Tribune

”This is a burning Afro-Cuban jazz CD. The program gives us mostly originals by Chuchito and or/ Reese, (as well as) Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and “Tres Lindas Cubanas”.

The music here is simply wonderful, very articulate, strong and clean.”

Marshall Vente – Radio Host of “Jazz Tropical” – 90.9 FM