Los Van Van

Cuban Radio Is Dying Because of Aging Hardliners and Miami's Changing Market

Fuego Cuban Music Festival Canceled a Week After Its Announcement

Fuego Entertainment's president and CEO Hugo Cancio.​Cuban music aficionados and lovers of el cubaneo in general had reason to rumba in front of their computer screens last Wednesday when Fuego Entertainment dropped the news that it'd be producing the first-ever Fuego Cuban Music World Festival. ... More >>

Update: Buena Vista Social Club Returns to U.S., Cue Versailles Restaurant Protests

The Buena Vista Social Club will play its first American shows in seven years this week, with appearances in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.​Like Silvio Rodriguez, the band's likely skipping South Florida for fear of protests from fringe exile groups. The legendary geezers are just the lates ... More >>

Cuban News: Fidel Castro Linked To Arrested Cancun Mayor, Mexican Drug Cartel Los Zetas

Every week, exiled Cubans are pissed about something. If it's not a Los Van Van concert, it's Hugo Chavez. Protesting outside Versailles is their idea of a Glee club, and their favorite pastime is tacking on new crimes, no matter how far-fetched, to Fidel Castro's long list of offenses. ​In this ... More >>

Anti-Castro Cubans Scare Silvio Rodriguez Away

​In the last year, a gaggle of Cuban musicians have performed in Miami for the first time in decades. There was Los Van Van, Omara Portuondo, and goateed troubadour Carlos Varela. But when singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez announced two weeks ago he would tour the United States for the first sinc ... More >>

Pupy Love

Silvio Rodriguez Plays First American Show in 30 Years

At least musically, the Obama administration is softening diplomatic relations with Cuba. On Wednesday famed singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez was granted a travel visa, and this Saturday folk singer Carlos Varela will be performing in Miami.​ Earlier this year, salsa band Los Van Van and legend ... More >>

Manicato at Transit Lounge Tonight

​If you're thinking this means Transit Lounge's little eats spot next door is now serving pasta, you're wrong. Or you could be right. Frankly, I've never really looked at the menu. It's my understanding the offer late-night pizza and chicken fingers to soak the booze in your belly, but that's not ... More >>

Timba Swing, Swinging Their Timba Thing at Casa Tula, Tonight

​I try not to be too biased when it comes to Latin music. But it's hard to stay impartial when you're Cuban. After all, we're talking about one tiny island responsible for so many ass-shaking styles of music, it's downright mind-boggling. Never mind the fact that every single exile you've ever met ... More >>

Cuban Singer Omara Portuondo Cancels Show; Old Exiles Rejoice

via jazzfestwienPortuondo​Ever since the Los Van Van concert last month went by without a hitch, cantankerous anti-Castro activists here have been itching for some kind of PR victory. They just got it today: bolero singer Omara Portuondo canceled her March 2 concert at The Fillmore in Miami Beach ... More >>

Riptide Rides Van Van Protest Bus

Los Van Van landed in Miami like a lit match dropped on an ancient anthill.Erik MazaRuckus at the concert​On Sunday, hundreds of grizzled Cubans came out of the woodwork -- Westchester, Little Havana, Hialeah -- to protest the popular band's concert at the James L. Knight Center.They came bearing ... More >>

News Roundup: AFC Beats NFC in Pro Bowl

Los Van Van, the Cuban dance band that performed at the Knight Center last night, drew around 400 anti-Castro protesters. [ABCNews]Inner-city neighborhoods such as Liberty City might be in position for an economic renaissance. [Herald]Miami-Dade interim director James Loftus is expected to be p ... More >>

Cuba's Los Van Van returns to Miami for the first time in ten years

Legendary Cuban Band Septeto Nacional Back After 76 Years

It's a measure of the new exile tolerance that a heralded band from Cuba is headed for Miami, and -- at least so far -- no one is talking about protests, pain or politics. ​The Septeto Nacional made its last U.S. appearance at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, where it won a Gold Medal by spreadin ... More >>

One Island, Many Sounds

Global Cuba Fest hits the Spiegelworld tent.

In the Son

Musician comes back to his roots

President Mish-Mash

Yerba Buena releases a stunning debut of cross-cultural rhythms

No More Batalla

Issac Delgado returns to a kinder, gentler Miami

Various Artists

The Story of Cuba
(Hemisphere)

All About the Benjamins

Cuba's musicians are anxious to cash in on the overseas market. But in the process they could sell out their sound.

Frank Talk About Free Speech

Attorney Victor Diaz chats up the ACLU's Howard Simon

Best Promoter Of Cultural Diversity

John de Leon

Best Protest Du Jour

Hunger strikes

Best Local Phantasmagoria

Kulchur

Los Van Van makes a grab for dot.com dough

Riptide

Talkin' trash

Riptide

What's a day in Miami without a bizarre twist?

Riptide

Reappearing acts

Looking Back on Premillennium Tension

Miami scenesters sound off

Return Engagement

The quiet intensity of pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Kulchur

Hell hath no fury like a drag queen scorned

Kulchur

Willy Chirino gets slippery

Kulchur

Libertad! Libertad!

Kulchur

Another round of Los Van Van insanity

Van Van Plays On

Shut up and dance!

Kulchur

How about a little music with your drama?

Hurricane Van Van

Promoter Debbie Ohanian stared down the City of Miami and won a victory in the area's latest absurdo

DeFede

Mail Call

Son Sung Blue

The sound of tomorrow's Cuba

Isla de la Musica

The biggest surprise at Havana's Cubadisco '98: A burgeoning retinue of Americans hoping to cash in

The Sweet Buy and Buy

The Beat Goes Off

There was Cuban music at Midem's inaugural Miami music conference, but not much -- and maybe never again

The Cuban Invasion

Bring on the Cubans!

The Castro government is marketing music, and the whole world is buying. Except Miami.

Music to Die For

Letters

Maybe Next Time in Miami

Los Van Van's first-ever U.S. tour took them everywhere but here

Exile Blues

As a lead singer for Los Van Van, Israel Kantor was a star in his native country. But Miami isn't Cuba.

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