Saturday February 20, 2010
8:00 PM
Koerner Hall
Genre: World Postlude Performance
This two-time Grammy-nominated timba band from Cuba delivers high-energy party music with rapid-fire lyrics, timba rhythms, and a full horn section - irresistibly danceable! "Their new CD, Bach in Havana, blends Bach melodies from pieces such as the Mass in B Minor and the Well-Tempered Clavier with infectious Cuban rhythms including the cha-cha-cha, the son and the danzon." (NPR Music)
Tiempo Libre Jorge Gomez, piano & musical director Joaquin (El Kid) Díaz, lead vocal Tebelio (Tony) Fonte, bass Luis Beltran Castillo, saxophone & flute Leandro González, congas Cristobal Ferrer Garcia, trumpet Armando (Pututi) Arce, drums
There will be a 20-minute intermission.
During tonight's performance, please feel free to dance in the designated areas; however, please be mindful of other patrons.
Tonight's concert is generously supported by Marilynand Charles Baillie.
Please click on Program Notes bloew for more information on Tiempo Libre.
Tiempo Libre
Since forming in 2001, Tiempo Libre has been on a mission to share the musical heritage of Cuba by reinvigorating traditional Cuban music with a youthful, modern sound, and forging a new style born from the meeting of their Cuban roots and their new American experience.
Tiempo Libre has released three timba CDs: Timbiando, the Grammy-nominated Arroz con Mango, and another Grammy-nominated disc, Lo Que Esperabas. The group recently collaborated with legendary flutist Sir James Galway on the album O'Reilly Street, which includes an Afro-Cuban treatment of music from the jazz suites of Claude Bolling, as well as original compositions by Tiempo Libre's musical director and pianist Jorge Gomez. Their first CD on the Sony label, Bach in Havana, was a fusion of music by Johann Sebastian Bach with Afro-Cuban rhythms, and featured tracks by jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera.
In 2007, Gomez collaborated with composer Ricardo Lorenz on Rumba Sinfónica, a piece fusing the urban rhythms of past and present Cuban music with the sophisticated sounds of the classical orchestra, which Tiempo Libre continues to perform with leading symphonies. Tiempo Libre also starred in Miami Libre, a musical based on the band's collective immigrant experience, which ran at The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami in the summer of 2008.
In addition to their performing and recording careers, the members of Tiempo Libre are particularly committed to sharing their rich musical traditions through outreach and educational activities. The group has become known for its inspiring classes on rumba, Latin jazz, and traditional Cuban music, designed to reach audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Tonight marks Tiempo Libre's first performance at The Royal Conservatory.
