Some pics from my Sth America & Cuba trip.

[ABAKUA]

El Misterioso paid a visit to my Abuelita...


Got BBQ?



BEEEER!!!


Street in Argentina, reminded me of Cuba..


Bit cold in Chile @ night, behind me, Valparaiso & Viña del Mar.


The reason our flight to La Habana was so massively delayed.... No flights to leave till Mr B. Obama had left the buiding.... Not impressed bro!
My flight was delayed by 6 hours!!!


Greeted & picked up at La Habana airport by our friends Peruchin (ex NG/Cubanismo pianist) & Rolando 'El Niño Mentira' (ex conguero Juan De Marcos, Afro Cuban All Stars)


Night 1, Adalberto Alvarez y Su Son, performing at Casa de La Musica - Galeano, Centro Habana. Little did we know then, that we would become so tight with these guys and play with them several times a week fpr the duration of our stay.


My bro Tonio (same Tonio from my vids) in the back with Yunier (conguero for Adalberto) & Dayan (Pianist for Adalberto)



5am street corner vocal rumba with Dayan, Yunier & Ochoa (producer, cultural promoter & director of Aguiri Yo folkloric group)


Fidel clapping clave...


Misteriosos in Cuba!


Yet another drunken sunrise @ El Malecon.. man, we really didnt sleep! Here with the guys from Adalberto again.







RUMBA!






With my new band director! Jose Luis Cortes, NG La Banda. We became very close, and performed with NG at least 2-3 times a week for the duration of our time there!


With Jilly (Ex bamboleo,Tirso Duarte, current NG singer) we became very close friends.


With new NG corista, Giselle, wonderful girl, great voice and smokin hot. Oh yeah


Hotel Nacional bitches!

[ABAKUA]

Hangin out with Manolito Simonet (TRABUCO)




Casa de La Musica (Galeano, Centro Habana) on a Monday night. Manolito Y Su Trabuco performing.


The Bucanero girls


Day one of serious things to finish in Cuba...





Rumba in barrio Jesus Maria,







Salon Rojo - Hotel Capri, performing were Los 4 with live outfit.





hanging out again, with Manolito Y Su Trabuco singers, Amaray & Miami.





Great friends, Alexander Abreu & Havana D'Primera


Los Van Van @ La Tropical



Chillin @ Casa de La Musica - Miramar with El Sinsonte (Orquesta Reve singer)

[ABAKUA]

Hanging out at Padrinos house..


Chillin with Alexander Abreu (Havana D'Primera lead vocalist, director & trumpet extraoirdinaire)



Ah! Finally Pedrito Calvo!


Pedrito's band, La Nueva Justicia, also played with these guys!


I had a 9.5" requinto made while I was there, here it is, along with the bata set Tonio got. Its a screamer!!!




Cuba Libre anyone? mmmm can you taste it?

[ABAKUA]

With Enrique Alvarez (director of Timba band Charanga Latina & brother of Adalberto) got to play with these guys to, real cool.


Drink anyone?


Bamboleo!

[ABAKUA]

Some toys I got while there...








Just a little happy to be in Cuba..


One of two guerreros which travelled in my pocket the whole time..


Just what the doctor prescribed, after a day of intense activities...


Hanging out with Jose Antonio (singer from Manolito y Su Trabuco), Dayan (piano for Adalberto) and Yunier (conguero for Adalberto)


With Lazaro Valdes (pianist & director of Bamboleo)

[ABAKUA]

Yoel (orginal Van Van conguero, current NG conguero & percussionist showman) myself, and the man himself Adonis Panter Calderon


NG


Me & Jilly (NG singer)


With composer, drummer & band director Giraldo Piloto (Klimax, former NG etc)


Havana Vieja street comparsa


Random 5am hang with NG la banda musicians and us.




Havana D'Primera @ La Tropical!!








NG again!

[ABAKUA]

with Trabuco singer Miami


Pupy Y Los Que Son Son








With Los Papines, up front. Love this pic.


Manolito y Su Trabuco

[bongosnotbombs]

AWESOME! THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME. GOOD ONE MARCELO!

[ABAKUA]

1958 baby!!


Havana D'Primera percussion section of death! These guys were awesome, didnt miss a single concert during my 2 month stay.









with great friend & old school rumbero master 'FARIÑAS'









Not leeeeeeeeeeeaviiiiiing!!!

[ABAKUA]

[ABAKUA]

With Tania Pantoja (Bamboleo singer) after jamming with her & Adalbertos' guys at Casa de La Musica Miramar












With Yunier (conguero Aldalberto Alv.) Tonio, and Klimax' singer on the Malecon, our last night...


Over 78 gig of video footage, 12.8 gig of photos, this was only a hand full of some of my fave's...
Will try to get some vids up soon, some already up on my facebook page.

Hope u enjoyed so far.. I sure as hell did! Now planning the return trip back to Havana.

[ABAKUA]

some more toys...

[pavloconga]

Looks like an awesome trip and great photos Marcelo. Congratulations, trips like that are always life changing and do incredible things for your playing. Brings back memories of my time there (dos meses tambien) and good to see some familiar faces in Ochoa and Fariñas. Good to see they are doing well.

Did you happen to meet conguero Sandalio 'Macho' Calderon? (he'd be around 70 now).
When I studied with him he was playing in Aguiri Yo with Ochoa and was also a good friend of Fariñas.
ciao
Pavlo

[ABAKUA]

Looks like an awesome trip and great photos Marcelo. Congratulations, trips like that are always life changing and do incredible things for your playing. Brings back memories of my time there (dos meses tambien) and good to see some familiar faces in Ochoa and Fariñas. Good to see they are doing well.

Did you happen to meet conguero Sandalio 'Macho' Calderon? (he'd be around 70 now).
When I studied with him he was playing in Aguiri Yo with Ochoa and was also a good friend of Fariñas.
ciao
Pavlo

Pavlo, it has been life changing in so many ways. I am no longer the same person.
Thank you re the pics, I find myself going over and over them time and time again, reliving every moment. Leaving our people there and leaving Cuba was one of the most difficult and painful moments of my life, I have never cried so hard. We left friendships and bonds which will last a life time. Some of the biggest names cried at our side when it was time to leave, letting go was very hard and emotional. I am obsessed with returning for longer duration.

Sadly Macho has been diagnosed with cancer. I cant recall what type of cancer. At the time of the news, which Adonis informed me of, he was hospitalised. Serious, but stable condition.
I ran into Barbarito his son on a few occasions at rumba activities.
Wow, Ochoa and I (along with Tonio) became very close. We spent alot of time together in Havana.

[Dicemanb]

Marcelo,

Awesome set of photos Bruvva.
I feel very deprived, but even more determined to go there.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, especially the Havana Club adverts

Keep them coming
Dice