The album ‘La Maravilla', recorded entirely in London is presented by seven piece band, Son Yambu and honours the very best of original and classic Cuban son. It will be released on 10th September by Apollo Sound, and the band will perform at the album launch on 14th September at London's long running Cuban event El Rumbon Cubano*.
Son Yambu was formed by British percussionist Toby Herschmann who was impressed by the creative talent cooking in London's Cuban music scene. Commenting on the album launch he says; "We can't wait to prove that extraordinary Cuban musicians are not limited to the island and that the potential for a continuation of the Buena Vista legacy can be found on London's very own doorstep". That phenomenon burst onto the world scene fourteen years ago, its stars born of the pre-revolutionary era. Today a new generation has migrated across the Atlantic to make London a fast growing Mecca for Latin American music.
The album has the passion of seven distinguished Cuban musicians, all members of the UK's burgeoning Latin American community. When London based record label, Apollo Sound, first heard these musicians and proposed making an album, they embraced the opportunity with unbridled enthusiasm.
Lead Vocalist, Yuri Moreno, who Apollo Sound compares to a young Celia Cruz says; "This album takes me back home and shows that the torch carried by the likes of Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, can be kept burning bright". Bass player Oscar Vazquez Romero from Santiago de Cuba, the ‘cradle' of Cuban son adds; "This music is in our DNA. It's the kind of project expat musicians dream about but this time it's for real".
Lubi Jovanovic, DJ and Latin music don says; "Son Yambu resist the urge to add the piano and other instrumentation of modern salsa bands, maintaining the pure tradition of son's Cuban roots with an irresistible acoustic sound."
The Repertoire‘Baila Con Mi Tumbao', ‘Mujer Majadera', ‘Le Sumba El Mango' and ‘Virgen Milagrosa' are original compositions written by musicians in Santiago de Cuba and have never been released before. It is also fitting that the Godfather of ‘Son Conjunto', the legendary blind musician and composer, Arsenio Rodriguez, is represented on the CD by three of his classic compositions; ‘Cangrejo', ‘No Me Llores' and ‘Dundunbanza'. Other tracks such as ‘Ay Papacito' will have a familiar ring to anyone with a love of Cuban and world music.
Who are, and what is Son Yambu?A UK based band that plays ‘son Cubano'. Often described as ‘the soul of Cuba', son evolved around the end of the 19th century in Oriente province in Eastern Cuba, specifically the town of Santiago de Cuba, and is a fusion of the Spanish colonialists European musical heritage with that of their African slaves. It forms the basis for salsa which is today danced by millions of people around the globe. Son Yambu are representative of the burgeoning Cuban music scene in the UK that has grown in strength ever since Cuban musicians began settling here in the early 1990s.
About Apollo SoundThe album is released on 10th September through Apollo Sound, an independent record label founded in 1964 by Heinz Herschmann. The label produced two of the first Latin jazz LPs to be recorded in UK and this is their first Latin release for 40 years. It is the first record label to release a home-grown Cuban son album in the UK.
*Son Yambu will perform at the official album launch on 14th September, at El Rumbon Cubano – a long-running Cuban music night taking place at The Latin Groove Lounge Club, 1 Archway Close, London N19 3TD.
Record Label: Apollo Sound | Catalogue Number: APSCD238Distributor: Kudos | Enquiries: mail@kudosrecords.co.ukWebsite links: Apollo Sound: http://www.apollosound.com | Son Yambu: http://sonyambu.com/
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