Los Boleros; Tito y Su Son de Cuba

Description

Not just one, but two of the Bay Area’s top traditional Cuban dance bands provide the music tonight. From festivals to parties and weddings, Los Boleros play and sing classic Cuban son montuno, traditional salsa, merengue, cumbia, bolero, vals, and danson. “Imagine going back in time to Ricky Ricardo’s Tropicana Havana, then take a ride to the Buena Vista Social Club,” the band says. It started when Rudy Furlan (author of “The Cuban Tres Chord and Scale Book”) met Ivan Chancay (lead vocals and Ecuador’s Ambassador of Culture) and began performing as a duo at small coffee houses. The current Los Boleros also features lead singers Zareen and Felix Samuel, with saxophonist David Somers, various bass players (Eugene Warren, Daniel Fabricant, or Ayla Davila), violinist Jeannie McKennzie, and percussionists Dominic Cabrera and Jake Lawlor. http://www.LosBoleros.net

Tito leads his band dedicated to playing authentic Cuban traditional dance music: rumba, guaracha, and son montuno, pioneered by such greats as Arsenio Rodriguez and later revived by Buena Vista Social Club. Before moving to America, Tito played and sang in several of the great Cuban bands – including a Rodriguez tribute group assembled by Arsenio’s daughter. Heriberto “Tito” Gonzalez explains, “Since I was a child I’ve been in music and I’ve always loved it. The music, and especially El Son, is part of my being.” Tito, who now lives in Richmond, sings and plays the Cuban tres guitar that drives the sound of the son, leading a band that includes percussion and horns in shows at clubs and festivals around the Bay. Music is a mix of son classics and tunes from the band’s 2005 debut CD. http://www.titoysusondecuba.com