Brought to international fame by Wim Wenders' award-winning film, the Buena Vista Social Club™ is the living embodiment of a golden era of Cuban big band compositions, the furious rhythms of mambo, cha cha cha and enchanting boleros. This year's show will feature some of the evergreen originals including: Guajiro Mirabal Trumpet, Cachaíto López Percussion, Manuel Galbán Guitar, and Aguage Ramos Trombone together with a simply extraordinary band of great Cuban musicians. The Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club ® is not to be missed.
As both pianist and composer, Ludovico Einaudi is among the best-known personalities on the contemporary European music scene.
Having studied classical and avant-garde music, Einaudi developed his compositional style through a series of collaborative ventures in theatre and dance. Le onde (1996) released by BMG Ricordi (and re-recorded for Ponderosa Music & Art in 2004), marked an important milestone in Einaudi’s career, being the first time he had come before the public as a solo artist in his own right. And now we come to Divenire (Decca), the latest entry in Einaudi’s discography.
The enduring success of Incognito is one of the great stories of UK music during the last 20 years. Look at the recent history of soulful UK artists and you will find any number of short-lived acts that have achieved pop success. Narrow the list to those that have created a uniquely British sound and that have endured as a global phenomenon on their own terms and the list becomes short. Dues, then, to Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick and Incognito, formed in 1980 and celebrating 25 years of positive vibes and undiluted jazz funk in 2005.
“I love and respect traditional music,” Rokia explains. “There are many musicians who play with a lot of talent but it’s more interesting for me to listen to them rather than trying to do the same without their training. Yes, I'm using traditional instruments. But I'm giving them a new expression and writing modern songs that have an entirely contemporary appeal." As for fusion, she’s not even entirely sure what the word means in today’s global village. “If I'd been born 100 years ago, I wouldn’t have known American or European music,” she reasons. “But the world we live in today means you pick up on all these other sounds and they're now part of me. I make music as someone who has listened to jazz, classical, rock and pop -everyone from Louis Armstrong to Serge Gainsbourg, as well as to the African griots.”
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"Ray has one of those million dollar voices" (Into The Hill)
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"Tarantino should be commended for his catchy and creative introductions, and his rich vocals are surprisingly appealing. Recusant is an excellent debut album, one that should, by all rights, fly off the shelves." (The Celebrity Café)
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"Ray Tarantino put on a show that was worthy of a record deal, the sound was studio ready and the band played like one finely tuned unit" (Buffalo.com)
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"Ray shows his ability to whisper as loudly as he growls" (Cadence Revolution)
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"Solid songwriting, gleaming production, and intuitive ear for melody that separates a flake with a guitar from a true artist"(Fairfield County Weekly)
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"...Incorporating enigmatic, elegiac lyrics to solid beats, Tarantino controls his words with the poise of a confident poet" (Spectrum on-line)
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"Recusant is an album that makes sense: elegant, showcasing fine songwriting, the natural outcome of a talent that has no weaknesses"(Rock Bus
Originated from Guinea though born in Mallorca (Spain), Concha Buika started singing in local clubs and casinos then moved to Madrid. Soul, flamenco, hip hop, jazz, copla, Buika can sing any rhythm. Music has come naturally to her mixing her African roots with the sounds that surrounded her growing up in a Gipsy borough in Spain. For her second album “Mi Niña Lola” she tackles a daring repertory in which she performs such well-known copla classics as "Mi niña Lola ", " Ojos Verdes " Mi Carmen" with a bold twist. Buika’s album is a very personal one. Its brilliant sound along with an exquisite production bring as a result 11 themes in which the delicate lyrics and the voluptuous voice prove to be irresistible to anyone. The album has recently been recognized with a Spanish Music Award to Best Album 2007.
Nobody plays the Saxophone quite like Jan Garbarek. His sound has become an unmistakable trademark and this sound for some time now has acquired another dimension than what is generally understood as Jazz. Innumerable record releases, concerts in the most significant concert-halls throughout the world, the many years he collaborated with Keith Jarrett or his unprecedented work with the Hilliard Ensemble have made this unique Saxophonist popular across all musical genres and borders.
It has never been of any interest to him that critics need to find convenient labels to sort people out into musical categories. Garbarek eludes this attempt. You find his work in Jazz, Classic and Pop-charts. Since the early days of the Munich cult label ECM he has been one of its most successful representatives.
Luca Gemma is a talented Italian songwriter. His career started in the 80’s with ROSSOMALTESE, band that generates a personal style in the indie Italian scene, also as opening live act for Tito Puente, Billy Bragg and Caetano Veloso.
He writes for lots of Soundtracks of directors like Davide Ferrario, Guido Chiesa, Peter Del Monte and Roberta Torre ), Tv productions and theather Productions. To be mentioned also the collaboration with Steve Piccolo (Lounge Lizard) and Gak Sato. Latest studio Album “Tecniche Di Illumazione” received great media response in Italy.