CuCu Diamantes’ solo debut CUCULAND is at once a breath of fresh air and a nostalgic whiff of a more glamorous time. It shimmers with the glitz and glamour of an era when catching a show meant dinner jackets and hair tonic, evening gowns and diamonds. But it also bares…
No, this post has nothing to do with the film (which, by the way, is an excellent movie). Instead, it refers to a burning question I intended to begin with. Do any Mexicans read this blog? I have no idea, to be perfectly frank. But I feel like the answer,…
Maybe it’s the result of years of Catholic school affecting me during this time of the year. More likely, I’m just campaigning for a free tab at Transit Lounge (c’mon guys…how many posts do I have to write before I qualify??). Whatever the case, I find myself compelled for the…
CuCu DiamantesThursday, March 5, 2009The Viceroy, Icon BrickellBetter than: The $7 million chandelier in the lobby. So, impresarios and Miami royalty Gloria and Emilio Estefan, actress Selma Blair, Food Network star Ingrid Hoffman and Emmy-winning Mad Men star Jon Hamm walk into a posh hotel. No, it’s not the setup…
Franco De Vita is the Latin Billy Joel. That’s not an exaggeration. Anyone who knows Latin music can back it up. And unfortunately I can’t take credit for the comparison, I’m actually quoting, unofficially and without her knowledge or consent, an old boss and mentor from my very first days…
Less than Jake has been around for 16 years, no small feat for any band, particularly for one in the subgenre of ska-punk. But neither age nor shifting popularity of genres has stopped the quintet from Gainesville that’s responsible for memorable tracks such as “Happy Days” and “Johnny Quest Thinks…
This Saturday is the Second Annual Lourdes P. Aguila Memorial Walk-a-Thon honoring La Reina de la Salsa herself, Celia Cruz. The event is being hosted by La Liga Contra el Cancer and will take place at Tropical Park, where community leaders and celebrity residents of our fair city will turn out…
Any band that can crank out seven songs in the span of just 16 minutes and not give up a thing is all right by me. And that’s exactly what Tokyo Police Club did with their 2006 debut EP titled A Lesson In Crime. Their single off that EP, “Nature…
Raise your hands if you love street festivals. Okay. I can’t see you…but then again, how could I? Not sure what I was hoping would happen there. Anywho, that most phenomenal of all street festivals is coming up and you know what that means. Calle Ocho. About three quarters of…
Perhaps you’re not up to speed on the goings on in the world of crunkchata. And that’s understandable, because it’s a name that Toby Love made up to describe a blend of hip-hop and R&B with the staccato guitars and island rhythms of bachata. Now, if you don’t know who…
Hopeless Records and nonprofit organization Sub City have joined forces with music chain F.Y.E. to put on the eighth annual Take Action Tour. To date, the tour has raised more than $550,000 for DoSomething.org, a nonprofit focused not on one particular charity, but rather on providing tools, resources, and motivation…
Conjunto Progresso ain’t your mama’s Cuban jam band. Well…maybe they are. The fact is, the orchestra, specializing in son and Latin jazz, is about as traditional as it gets. Don’t let LEBO’s artwork emblazoned on their album covers and flyers fool you, they aren’t Spam Allstars. And they aren’t trying…
Less Than Jake has been around for 16 years, no small feat for any band, and even less for one in their particular subgenre of rock. The vast majority of the ska greats that were so prevalent throughout the 90’s have all but disappeared and what was punk has for…
Ricardo Montaner is a living legend in Latin pop music.Argentina, but moved to Venezuela at the age of 6, has been at it since 1982, when he released his first album, Cada Dia. He’s released 16 more studio albums since then, garnering countless nominations and awards, including numerous Latin Grammy…
Two of the biggest names in the genre are sharing the stage at the James L. Knight Center this Saturday, when Gilberto Santa Rosa and Victor Manuelle make a stop in Miami on their La Historia Continua tour. The two first made history when they united for the Dos Soneros,…
Hopeless Records and nonprofit organization Sub City have joined forces with music chain F.Y.E. to put on the eighth annual Take Action Tour. To date, this tour has raised over $550,000 for DoSomething.org, a nonprofit focused not on one particular charity, but rather on providing tools, resources and motivation to…
Cosmic. Karmic. Ghettotech house. These are a few of the words used by local duo Afrobeta to describe their sound. An ambient blend of disco, funk and house with underpinnings of various other electro styles ranging from breaks to trance and even bit of gabba, Tony “Smurphio” Laurencio and Cristina…
Ximena Sariñana is nothing if not precocious. The Mexican actress/singer-songwriter claims her love affair with music began at the age of 2, when she attended an Ella Fitzgerald concert and at 7 she was enrolled in singing lessons with famed vocal coach, Ricardo Sanchez at the urging of her neighbor,…
Ana Gabriel is a living legend in Mexican music, having repeatedly conquered pop, rock and regional charts in her native country, the U.S. and Latin America over the span of her illustrious 42-year career–a career that has borne 38 albums to date. The singer-songwriter, born María Guadalupe Araújo Yong to…
Tomorrow night the Gipsy Kings will perform at the American Airlines Arena’s Waterfront Theater. Known for a style called Rumba Catalana, the Kings have been wowing audiences for 17 years, ever since the release of their debut album, Allegria. Rumba Catalana is essentially a spin on traditional flamenco made more…
If you’re onto Corporate America’s scheme to fleece consumers out of their hard-earned dollars with the whole Valentine’s Day scheme, good for you! Restaurants consistently have the worst service of the year on February 14, and the fact that it falls on a Saturday this year will only add to…
Kat DeLuna will be visiting Miami this week. The Dominican songstress, who enjoyed rampant radio success at the tail end of 2007 and into 2008 with her hit single, “Whine Up” featuring Elephant Man, just turned 21 in November, and it’s lucky for her. She’s recently kicked off an 8-city…
