Something is going on in Miami this weekend..!!! Transnational Cuban cultural productions (several performances)

 

Roberto Carcasses Entrevista en Miami por Generacion Asere

CMQ Big Band plays Benny More, featuring Alain Perez. This amazing cultural project needs support...!!!

Indigogo Campaign

English version below!

CMQ Big Band plays Benny More feat. Alain Perez

Luis Guerra y Alain Perez presentan "CMQ Big Band" un proyecto que reune 17 musicos cubanos y españoles para rendir tributo a la música de Beny More.

Fue en la Habana a principios de los 40' que, en un concurso de la radio-emisora CMQ se dio a conocer Beny More. Su nombre se hizo sinónimo de la música cubana y es sin duda hoy, uno de los artistas cubanos más populares de todos los tiempos. Se debe la genialidad de su obra no sólo a su inconfundible voz, musicalidad y carisma sino también al excelente trabajo de los músicos y arreglistas que formaron parte de su Banda Gigante. Personas como Generoso Jimenez, Eduardo Cabrera, Joaquín Mendível, Pedro Jústiz, Bebo Valdes y muchos otros, fueron los responsables de las novedosas ideas y sofisticadas armonías que definieron el sonido Beny More. Hoy día se hace prácticamente imposible encontrar música popular cubana escrita antes del 59' en notación musical, por ende este valioso legado no ha estado al alcance de las posteriores generaciones de músicos cubanos.

La "CMQ Big Band" trae de vuelta el sabor y la sabiduría de la época dorada de la música cubana. Para ello Luis Guerra ha transcrito a partir de las grabaciones originales nota por nota, parte por parte 17 arreglos de las canciones más conocidas del Beny. Con la ayuda de 17 talentosos músicos cubanos y españoles creamos la "CMQ Big Band", una banda con la misma instrumentación que la Banda Gigante de More. Para el difícil reto de interpretar las canciones, nadie mejor que Alain Perez, quien es sin duda una de las figuras más importantes de la música cubana de estos tiempos.

Que Necesitamos

Queremos filmar un concierto en vivo en formato DVD y así compartir con todos ustedes  y las futuras generaciones la belleza de la música de Beny More. Por más de 40 años no se han tocado en vivo las canciones del Beny con la instrumentación y arreglos originales con las que fueron grabadas en los años 50. Queremos hacer justicia a esta preciosa sonoridad y para ello necesitamos fondos para:

- Rentar un teatro

- Cubrir los gastos de grabación y edición del video.

- Cubrir los gastos de grabación, mezcla y masterización.

- Cubrir los gastos de diseño.

- Producir las copias del DVD y CD.

Que Te Ofrecemos

Visita nuestra sección de "PERKS" y verás los artículos que te ofrecemos por tu aporte, desde un download digital del CD hasta una copia física del DVD y CD firmada, camiseta de la CMQ, una copia de las partituras para Big Band, boletos para la noche de la grabación, acceso a los ensayos y mucho mas.

La producción de este DVD & CD será solo posible gracias a tu ayuda, así que si eres fan de la música cubana y te gusta como suena nuestra banda coméntaselo a tus amigos y ayúdanos a preservar el valioso legado que nos dejaron Beny More y los músicos de su Banda Gigante.

Gracias!!!

English Version

CMQ Big Band plays Beny More feat. Alain Perez

Luis Guerra and Alain Perez present "CMQ Big Band", a project that unites 17 musicians from Cuba and Spain to pay tribute to Beny More's music.

It was in the early 40' in a radio show organized by the CMQ Radio Station in Havana that Beny More got first known. He later became one of the most renowned cuban artist of all times. The genius of his work not only lies in his exepcional voice, musicality and charisma but also in the exelent work of the musicians and arrangers that formed his "Banda Gigante". People like Generoso Jimenez, Eduardo Cabrera, Joaquín Mendível, Bebo Valdes, Pedro Jústiz and many others were the ones behind the novel ideas and sophisticated harmonies that gave shape to Beny More's sound. Nowdays, it is almost impossible to find any popular cuban music composed prior to 1959 in the written format. Therefore this vital musical heritage has not been available to all of the later generations of cuban musicians.

The "CMQ Big Band" brings back the flavour and musical knowledge of the golden era of Cuban music. To achieve this Luis Guerra transcribed, note by note, part by part, 17 arragements of Beny More's "Banda Gigante". With the help of 17 Cuban and Spanish talented musicians with the comon goal of preserving this precious music we created the "CMQ Big Band", a band of the same instrumentation as More's band. For the challenging task of singing the songs there is no one better than composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer Alain Perez, who is without a doubt one of the most important figures of Cuban music today.

What We Need

We want to film a live show and share with you guys and the generations to come the beauty of Beny More's music. For more than 40 years More's songs haven't been performed live with its original instrumentation and arragements. We want to make justice to this music and for that we need funds to:

-Rent a Theater

-Cover the cost of Video Filming and Editing

-Cover the cost of Audio Recording, Mixing and Mastering

-Produce the physical copies of the DVD and CD

What You Get

 Please check out our "PERKS" section to see all the goodies you can get, from a Digital download of the CD to a physical copy of signed  DVD and CD, Shirts, a copy of the written scores for Big Band, Tickets for the night of the recording, access to rehearsals and many more.

The production of this DVD & CD will only be possible with your support. So, if you love cuban music and like how we sound please do spread de word and help us preserve this precious part of our Cuban heritage.

 

A Todo Color (preview) A film by Randy Valdes. Photography by Elvis Suarez. Life Performance by Tiempo Libre band. July 11th & 12th. Miami Dade County Auditorium

This documentary is the media version of my dissertation research...a great coincidence.



By FUNDarte

Miami on Stage and Knight New Works presents A Todo Color. A night that will include a work-in-progress screening of feature documentary A Todo Color - Borrando distancias con Rock n' Roll y Timba, Live Music by special guest Tiempo Libre and a photography exhibit by Elvis Suarez titled A Todo Color - A Still City.

"A Todo Color - Borrando distancias con Rock n' Roll y Timba" is a bold documentary, conceived and directed by rising local filmmaking talent Randy Valdes, that tells the story of how Cuban artists manage to disseminate their art and truths beyond the boundaries of Cuba. Through intimate interviews and recording of live performances, the film explores the artists’ personal and creative journeys, how their influence defines the artistic language of the Cuban cultural Diaspora, and how each incorporates the influences of their newly adopted cultural environments into the ever-evolving phenomenon of world Cuban music. An important document and testimonial, the film captures the enduring pulse of the Cuban musical phenomena that continues to circulate, inspire and find its voice regardless of national boundaries. A Todo Color was commissioned by FUNDarte as one of the 2014 Knight New Works, which supports new creative endeavors by local Miami artists.

Special Guest: Tiempo Libre, now a solid musical force, the band Tiempo Libre is celebrated for its sophisticated performances of timba music, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of funk, pop, jazz, and Afro-Cuban music. This three-time Grammy nominated band represents the stories and inspiration behind the film A Todo Color, and they will play live for 15 minutes each night during the film screening.

A Todo Color: A Still City is a collection of photographs by Elvis Suarez that reflects a nostalgia for an enchanting city never before seen by the photographer until recently. The textures, colors and architecture of a city left behind in the 1950’s are still beautiful and impressive today, but noticeably left to decay and crumble. “I wanted to capture what I was experiencing and intend to provoke these same feelings of nostalgia, not just in those who already lived it but in those who know little of a Havana so incredibly rich in life but ridden by poverty and oppression.”