Tumbao Tivoli is a sensational London based Cuban sextet with the big authentic sound from Santiago de Cuba - know as the cradle of “son” - they play a mix of Leo Duany’s own dynamic Cuban beats and Cuban classics.
The strong percussive sound (both Leo Duany and Armando Iglesias started as percussionists) led to the name “Tumbao Tivoli”, “Tumbao” meaning beat and “Tivoli” the Santiago neighbourhood that gave them their unique groove.
Their set consists mostly of Leo Duany’s modern punchy compositions drawn on his son, son montuno, changui, guaracha, afrocuban and Modern Cuban all played on Cuban traditional instruments, tres, baby bass, percussion and flute, played with gusto, swing and spice. This is what makes Tumbao Tivoli so unique.
The band has performed at various venues that include Cuba50 festival at the Barbican, the National Theatre, the Vortex Jazz Club, RichMix and Ronnie’s Bar(Ronnie Scotts upstairs). Tumbao Tivoli are guaranteed to fire up the hearts and feet with their compulsive beats and latin steps.
We aim to promote, expand, bring alive and celebrate the best of Cuban Arts and Culture worldwide
The CUBAN School of Arts (CSArts) was founded in London by Damarys Farres with the aim to promote and give full expression to Cuban Arts and Culture. Damarys is a Cuban Salsa champion and a qualified teacher.
We want to unify the most talented, independent Cuban artists in London and in the UK, strengthening their links between Cuban artists worldwide.
Our objectives
To create a solid basis for nurturing future generations interested in specialising in the legacy of Cuban-Arts;
To educate and inform about Cuba’s rich multicultural heritage;
To preserve Cuban and Afro-Cuban traditional dance forms;
To enhance and celebrate the best of Cuban arts, culture, education and entertainment traditions worldwide;
To provide quality, structured Cuban dance courses and high-calibre performances;
To promote Cuban Arts and Culture through performances, workshops, dance, music, language classes, seminars and a wide range of services.
Vision statement
Our ultimate goal is to spread and share our Cuban and Afro-Cuban rich culture and legacy within the UK, the Cuban community and the world. We hope to make a valuable contribution to Dance, Music and Cuban Arts in the UK, inspiring others irrespectively of their gender, age, political views, race, religion, or economic status. We wish to celebrate life, cultural awareness and social integration through culture, education and arts.
Work hard, live intensely! DANCE and CELEBRATE ARTS and CULTURE!
Phone: 020 7148 5591 | Email: Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo. | Website: www.casacuba.co.uk
Casa’ means ‘Home’ in Spanish and this is what Casa Cuba is — a place where you can come to work or socialise with your friends and family; a home away from home.
Someone famous Miguel & Sandra, The Owners
‘Casa’ means ‘Home’ in Spanish and this is what Casa Cuba is — a place where you can come to work or socialise with your friends and family; a home away from home.
What Casa Cuba has to offer? For eat-in or take-away… Authentic Cuban food, Homemade soups and cakes, in-store prepared juices, salads and sandwiches; delicious coffees brewed with 100% Arabica beans from Cuba’s Sierra Maestra Mountains where the Cuban Revolution was born… and a friendly smile.
Like most venues in Havana, we transform at night into a cocktail bar with the vivacious atmosphere of Havana nights. We’ll have live music on Saturdays so come ready to dance the night away with us.
As well as mixing up Cuba’s world famous cocktails, we also offer wine, fine Cuban cigars, and a good selection of tapas.
Now with a full restaurant service, we are bringing authentic Cuban food to Crystal Palace. We hope you enjoy one of the very few places in London where you can get a taste of the delicious mix of cultures and culinary traditions that give flavour to our meals.
The London Lucumi Choir was formed in November 2006 by Martha Galarraga and Daniela Rosselson with the help of percussionist Dave Pattman. It is a Non Audition Community Choir and is run by a committee of members directed by Daniela. It is reliant on the voluntary participation of it’s members and they do not have to audition to join. Ages range from 16 to over sixty and come from all walks of life.
WORKSHOPS: The choir is also available for holding workshops in Singing for the Orisha, and other Afro Cuban Genres and Afro Cuban Percussion and Dance. Daniela and her team are all competent teachers and have had years of teaching experience teaching all ages.
Contact info: www.reycrespo.com Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.
The music on Salsa Conga Loca was recorded in Cuba. The songs are passionate and, for the most part, wonderful. Rey Crespo was the musical director on this project and also played the bass. He also is credited with the arrangements. Bertha Pourtuondo and Ismael Perez supplied the vocals with Eduardo Veitia providing the vocals on "Rap de la Conga." The other musicians are David Galindo on piano, Ariel Aja on bells, OPslen Marrero on trumpets, Adrian Elizarde on trombone, Rodolfo (Cuco) Rodriguez on sax, Gabriel Delgado and Amilkar Vazquez on congas and Eduardo Veitia on bombo.
The opening notes of "Fantastica Locura" are a bit rough, but the passion shines through as the song progresses. The choruses of "Conga sin Freno" are more chanted than sung. The chanting blends in more in "Sentiras mi Feugo."
The byplay between solo and group vocals in "Rap de la Conga" brings out the full flavour of the song. From the rough drive of this song you go to the elegance and the gentle melodies of "Querer Olvidarte." The horns shout out in "Que Rica que Beuna" with the piano, percussion and cello providing the underlying melody.
Sarahy Martinez (b 1970) studied at the prestigious Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in Havana.
Of the work included in the present exhibition she has said:
Memory plays tricks on us. Sometimes we think we have forgotten, that the past has died, that ancient dreams have been passed over and then one fine day in front of a sheet of white paper thinking my mind is completely empty, objects I saw some day, songs which my grandparents sang, sorrows, hopes, materialise through the ink of the drawing …all that which is there in memory…
In my work texts taken from songs, poems and famous phrases which are part of Cuban culture acquire new significance. The hummingbird, flowers, corn, and coffee are symbols which I use to say who I am and where I am coming from.
Of these corn recurs most frequently. For me it is the beginning and the end, reality and dream, man and divinity. “All the glory of the world fits inside one grain of corn”.
Solo Exhibitions
"Confesiones" (paintings, engravings and drawings). Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. 1998. Galería de 10 de Octubre.
"Lugares Comunes" (paintings). Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. 2000. Galería de 10 de Octubre.
“De mis recuerdos” (paintings). Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. 2006. Hotel Palco.
"Cuando la Luna salga" (drawings and installations). 2010. Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. Galería 10 de Octubre.
“Toda la gloria del mundo” (drawings and installations). 2011. Ciudad de la Habana. Cuba. Galería-Taller Amelia Peláez.
“Femenino Plural” (drawings and instalations) 2012. Ciudad de la Habana. Cuba. Exposición colateral dentro de la 11na Bienal Internacional de la Habana.
Group Exhibitions
Engravings. Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales. Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. 1991.
Colateral por la Bienal de La Habana. San Alejandro. Ciudad de la Habana. Cuba. 1992
"Pintores cubanos" (Cuban Painters). Palacio de las Convenciones. 2001
“Pintores retratistas” (Portrait Painters) Feria comercial de Sullivan, México. 2000
The Morgan Gallery. Gran Caimán. 2008
"Mixtura" (Mixture) (Proyecto Arte 4). 2009. Ciudad Habana. Galería de 10 de Octubre.
"Maneras" (Ways) (Colectivo plástico 10 de Octubre). 2010. Galería de 10 de Octubre.
Besides pursuing her own work she is Curator at the Galería de Arte 10 de Octubre in Havana.
www.gortazar.net www.13thegallery.com Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.
Recently arrived from Havana and now based in London, Alejandro Gortazar has been a professional photographer for the last ten years. He has a very rich experience in a wide variety of fields including: photographic directing, editing and publishing in a magazine; working in the fashion industry doing catwalk, studio and location photography; preparing and setting up exhibitions; as official photographer for events of different kinds, e.g. political, business/commercial, entertainment, personal; and photographing nature, both landscapes and wildlife. Alejandro Gortazar, in addition, has gained through his practice high proficiency in restoration and retouching of photographs with advanced software.
Prominent Photographic Series
“Isla de la Juventud Paraíso de los Sueños II” (Isle of Youth, Paradise of Dreams II),
“Matanzas Ciudad de los Puentes” (Matanzas, City of Bridges)
“Las Parrandas de Remedios” (Remedios Town Festivities)
“El malecón de mi Habana” (The Malecón of my Habana)
“Entre campos y ciudades” (Between Countryside’s and Cities)
“Paisajes de mi Cuba” (Lanscapes of my Cuba)
“Faros Guardianes de las Aguas” (Lighthouses, Guardians of the Waters)
"Mi pueblo" (My People)
I was born in Havana, Cuba, in January 1973, in the heart of a humble professional family in the conflictive area of Los Sitios, Centro Habana. My grandfather, Francisco Gortazar, a lawyer with a passion for painting, died when I was one year of age but his legacy touched me much later when as an adolescent the beauty and light of his paintings inspired me to incur into the world of the arts. However, it was not until my early twenties that I held a camera in my hands. It was a Canon Prima BF, which led me to spend an absurd amount of money in film developing because I could not stop my enthusiasm for photography. To give my passion free range, I bought a digital camera, an Olympus Stylus Camedia 850 kb (before the introduction of the mega pixel!), but due to technological limitations in digital printing in Cuba at the time, I continued with film.
I am DJ Javier la Maquina de Cuba . I am from Havana, Cuba. I have been professional DJ for over 10 years and am international known. Music is not only my profession but also my passion, my hobby; my dream and it always been. So when I am playing it for me is like a dream come true away and I feel especially privileged to be able to keep on preforming away from my home land. I have a wide and expensive collection of music and am ready for any type of party with all genre of music. From Latin based music such as Cuban Timba, Latin Salsa, Cuban Reggaeton, Latin, new york style, Puerto Rico ranging through to Hip Hop, Pop, house and garage music. I am always ready and willing to jump on the mix and give the crowd what they want. I aspire to work in a record company, producing my own compilations and mix albums. I will continue to do my best to please my audience and dancing crowds in any part or corner of the world you happen to find me in, always happy to make you move and enjoy good music.
Eva Tarr: founder, director of The London Latin American Film Festival.
Eva was born in Havana, Cuba. She is a graduate of History of Art and English. She worked for the Women’s Film, Television and Video Network (WFTVN) sponsored by the Greater London Council and Channel Four TV. She was also head of development of Icarus Films, co-owner and director of Metro Tartan and director of Metro Pictures and Metro Cinemas in London. She founded the London Latin American Film Festival in 1990.
The London Latin American Film Festival is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the distribution and appreciation of Latin American films in the UK. This London based festival showcases the best of new Latin American cinema each year.
The film screenings and associated events we organise also raise awareness of Latin American culture and provide a positive image of one of the minority communities in the UK.
Recognising that there was a wealth of Latin American cinema that never got distribution in the UK, Eva Tarr Kirkhope, together with her late husband Tony Kirkhope, founded the London Latin American Film Festival in 1990. Since then, the festival has grown from strength to strength, becoming one of the biggest festivals of its kind outside Spanish speaking countries and bringing together the best of contemporary Latin American cinema.
Eralys studied piano at Guillermo Tomas Music Conservatoire and later at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, with Olga Valiente, who graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow. She studied Piano Performance at the Higher Institute of Arts doing her final recital with honours in 2000. Eralys recently finished her studies of Master in Advance Performance (Piano and Harpsichord) at the Royal College of Music, London and post graduate diploma in Harpsichord at Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Eralys also has more than 17 years experience as a soloist, chamber musician and a teacher of piano, ensemble and accompaniment. She has performed many times in the most prestigious concert halls and theatres in Cuba including two performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at Amadeo Roldan Theatre in Havana in 2006.
Eva Tarr: founder, director of The London Latin American Film Festival.
Eralys studied piano at Guillermo Tomas Music Conservatoire and later at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, with Olga Valiente, who graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow. She studied Piano Performance at the Higher Institute of Arts doing her final recital with honours in 2000. Eralys recently finished her studies of Master in Advance Performance (Piano and Harpsichord) at the Royal College of Music, London and post graduate diploma in Harpsichord at Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
