--- Index --- (click here & choose) LAS BRISAS DE HABANA Havana Now! CUBAMANIA! DVD CUBAMANIA! CD CUBAMAR RHYTHM & SMOKE SONGS FROM THE HEART OF CUBA

Purchase CD If you are a non-believer who thinks that once you've heard them all, then you are definitely in for a magnificent treat. "Las Brisas de Habana" is like nothing you've ever heard before. The heart, mind and soul of Cuba is what lies behind the words and music of this incredible collection of beautifully romantic and passionate songs. Each artist, through their own words and in their own unique style describes how they think and feel about their music, their culture, their homeland and eventually themselves. Never before has the island of Cuba and its inhabitants been exposed in such a deep, revealing light as it is here on this wonderful album. The artists not only speak of love and romance, but pain, loss, heartache, disappointment and so many other emotions that make the human experience in Cuba compare so closely to the human experience all over the world that each and every one of us share. "Las Brisas de Habana" translated "The Breeze of Havana," is a compilation of romantic songs that collectively act like a cool, refreshing summer breeze designed to soothe the weariest of souls and the loneliest of hearts. Las Brisas, like the rest of the Global Disc Records' Cuban Music family, has assembled some of the greatest musicians, lyricists and balladeers of our time. The husband and wife duo D'Nigma for example, are making their third appearance on a Global Disc compilation. Preciously featured on "Songs from the Heart of Cuba" and "Havana Now", this romantic duo once again contributes not just one, but tow of their loved filled originals to this project. They are joined by the magnificent, internationally acclaimed trio Cubamar, who have not only appeared on previous albums, but have had the food fortune for themselves and their fans to release a solo album entitled "Cantinero de Cuba" early last year. They share the spotlight with stronghold artist like Cuarteto Esperanza, Duo C&C and Jose Aguiles as well as newcomers Juan Carlos, Alejandro, Angelito and Vocal Tempo, just to name a few. Passion, joy and pride are the core ingredients to the music of Havana. And although the onslaught of Cuban music into the retail stores since the discovery of "Buena Vista Social Club" and the growing international popularity of Latin music in general has virtually overwhelmed us from ear to ear with island rhythms, "Las Brisas", thanks to Global Disc Records, now a staple in world music and home to five previous Cuban albums, have this time outdone even themselves. Having made continous trips back and forth to Cuba since 1998, Pacific Toyama and Global Disc founders producer Daisuke Hinata, and Executive Producer Jonathan Platt, along with coordinators Sammy Figueroa, Rita Aparillo, and Rene Azquierdo have become experts on compiling Cuba's best and brightest musicians to act as the ambassadors of Cuban music all over the world. Once again, produced at the SonoCaribe Studio in Havana, after days and days of auditions followed by all night recording sessions, "Las Brisas" was born, and has pridefully taken its place next to some the greatest collections of Cuban music ever heard. - Tony Butler -   Song Title Artist 01. La Gota De Rocio D'NIGMA 02. He Perdido Guarteto ESPERANZA 03. Si Tu Volvieras DUO C&C 04. Tema de Noviembre HEIDI IGUALADA 05. Estoy Enamorado D'NIGMA 06. Danza ILLIAN featuring TONY PEREZ 07. Amanecer en Tu Piel CHISPA Y SUS COMPLICES 08. La Noche Entera Trio Enserie 09. Claudia PAVEL URKIZA 10. Sera JOSE AQUILES 11. La Habana Juan Carlos 12. Luna ALEJANDRO 13. Lodo (Si Tu Me Dices Ven) CUBAMAR 14. Pa Que Su Cure Mi Alma ARIS 15. Sin ti VOCAL TEMPO 16. Son Para Ti TRIO SON DE ORO 17. Apurate Que Espero ANGELITO

Purchase CD "With its spicy, danceable blend of traditional and contemporary sounds, Havana Now! Captures the vibrant spirit of today's rapidly evolving Cuban music scene" Havana Now! The Havana Sessions is an intoxicating blend of artists, songs and styles of Cuban music, recorded in Havana, Cuba. Havana Now! Represents the contemporary music of Havana today.   Song Title Musician (musical style) 01. MAMBO #15 SAMBOR Y TUMBAO (Mambo/Charanga) 02. El guao JELENGUE (Son) 03. PARA UNA MUCHACHA POSTROVA (Trova) 04. S.O.S. D'NIGMA (Trova) 05. PARA QUE VUELVAS TRAJE NUEVO (Son) 06. VUENGO DE ESTRENO AZUCAR NEGRA (Timba) 07. JUNTO A MI MAGUEY (Son) 08. SOMBRA DE PLATA TONY PEREZ AND LEO VERA (LatinPop) 09. MURMULLO C&C (Trova) 10. TUMBAO Y CHANGUITO SABOR Y TU BAO (Afro-Cuban Jazz) 11. LOS GUIROS LOS MUNEQUITOS de MANZANA (Rumba/Folkloric) 12. COMO FUE LILIAN (Ballad) 13. RETRA PAVEL (Nueva Trova) 14. MARIA CRISTINA CUBAMAR (Trio) 15. SIMEVAS A DAR UN SI CACHI BACHE (LatinPop) Press says; Just as "contemporary" Afro/European music has its categories-rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop, alternative, country, etc., - so does the music of Cuba. "Havana Now" brims with crisp vocal and horn jabs over unrelenting polyrhythms that are creative and vibrant, cool and calming, explorative and ultimately satisfying. What makes "Havana Now" so special is its focus on deeply traditional Cuban music styles/categories. Son, and overall classification of traditional Cuban Music, is represented by Traje Nuevo ("Para Que Vuelva"), Maguey ("Junto A Mi") and Jelengue ("El Guao"). Trova/Nuevo Trova, Cuban folk music that includes bolero and ballad, can be heard through Postrova ("Para Una Muchacha"), C&C ("Murmullo") Lilian ("Como Fue"), husband and wife duet D'Nigma ("S.O.S.") and Pavel (Retrato"). Trio, a subset of Son, is lively freeform Cuban salsa, and is performed by Cubamar ("Marla Christina"). Other classifications include Mambo/Charanga, a heavy piano and woodwind-based style performed by Sabor Y Tumbao ("Mambo #15"), the percussive Rumba/Folkloric of Los Munequttos de Manzana ("Los Guiros"), Afro-Cuban Jazz performed by the versatile Sabor Y Tumbao ("Tumbao Y Chanquito") and Latin Pop by Tony Perez and Leo Vera ("Sombra De Plata"). This well-thought-out compilation (by producer Daisuke Hinata and executive producer Jonathan Platt and J.W. Sewell) serves as an excellent compendium for anyone curious about the rich musical legacy of this much maligned and underappreciated island / country. - Hits Magazine -

Purchase DVD "Cubamania!" Showcases Top Havana Musicians On Platinum Entertainment and Global Disc Records Virtual Sightseeing Tour of Havana, Live Performances and Dance Lessons Featured on 'Cubamania!' DVD Recorded at the historical Sono Caribe Studio during Havana's first-ever Cubamania! Festival, the 12 spectacular performances on the Cubamania! DVD showcase a variety of native styles, including nueva salsa, timba and salsa. Produced by Grammy-nominated Daisuke Hinata, Cubamania! captures the sound, mood and allure of the forbidden island. "Every musician heard on Cubamania! is a major celebrity on the island," says Hinata. "Over the last year, I have been fortunate to enjoy wonderful relationships with some of the most incredible salsa bands in Cuba. I'm lucky to have these amazing artists perform at our festival as well as participate on my record." The Cubamania! DVD, scheduled to be released on August 22, 1999, contains a virtual sightseeing tour of Havana, including live performances from the first Cubamania! Festival, artist interviews, rehearsals and other behind-the-scenes activities. This unique video document portrays the Mardi Gras-like atmosphere that embraced Havana during the Cubamania! Festival, and the spirit of Cuban musicians who demonstrate a raw, almost heroic ability to produce intensely powerful, beautiful and soulful music. Derived from the top selling compact disc of the same name, Cubamania the DVD is the fourth release in an unprecedented series of recordings that capture the passion of Cuban music. Global Disc Records and Platinum Entertainment are planning a massive World and Latin music marketing campaign that will penetrate a wide range of outlets, from cigar bars to coffee houses. A special promo video will be made available to the media and retail. Jonathan Platt, Global Disc Records executive producer, said, "As a label, we are very excited about teaming with Platinum Entertainment on a project that highlights the talented musicians and artists that live on that little treasure island." Several artists that perform on Cubamania!, as well as the previously released Global Disc/Platinum Entertainment albums Songs From the Heart of Cuba (Romantica de Cuba) and Rhythm & Smoke, are scheduled to tour major U.S. cities this summer. Performers already signed to the tour include Maraca, Arte Mixto and Bamboleo. Cubamania delivers a complete Cuban experience all in one exciting DVD. View ten riveting live performances from Havana's Casa de Musica night club, along with behind-the-scenes sessions at historic Sono Caribe Studios, HOT Salsa dancing, a tour of Havana, artists interviews, and even your own personal multi-angle Salsa lesson form one of Havana's premiere Salsa instructors. This exclusive look at the new salsa in Cuba is like nothing you have ever seen or heard before. Its the first DVD to be shot entirely in Cuba!

Purchase CD 'Cubamania!' CD, Showcases Top Havana Musicians Cubamania! Festival Attracts MTV 'Road Rules' And "Semester At Sea" / Episode in Cuba Cubamania!, the third release in an unprecedented series of recordings that capture the passion of Cuban music, will be released on compact disc Tuesday, June 8th, by Global Disc Records, a division of Platinum Entertainment. Recorded at the historical Sono Caribe Studio during Havana's first-ever Cubamania! Festival, the 13 sizzling tracks on Cubamania! showcase a variety of native styles, including nueva salsa, timba and salsa. Produced by Grammy-nominated Daisuke Hinata, Cubamania! captures the sound, mood and allure of the forbidden island."Every musician heard on Cubamania! is a major celebrity on the island," says Hinata. "Over the last year, I have been fortunate to enjoy wonderful relationships with some of the most incredible salsa bands in Cuba. I'm lucky to have these amazing artists perform at our festival as well as participate on my record." Airing in June, MTV's popular "Road Rules" series, with a potential audience of 63 million U.S. households, was granted unlimited access to videotape the recording sessions at the Sono Caribe Studio, as well as the Cubamania! Festival, which took place in March of '99 at Casa de Musica, in the heart of Havana's colonial section and featured some of the island's most talented musicians, including the all-stars on 'Cubamania!' The Cubamania! DVD, scheduled to be released in July 1999, will contain a virtual sightseeing tour of Havana, including live performances from the first Cubamania! Festival, artist interviews, rehearsals and other behind-the-scenes activities. This unique video document portrays the Mardi Gras-like atmosphere that embraced Havana during the Cubamania! Festival, and the spirit of Cuban musicians who demonstrate a raw, almost heroic ability to produce intensely powerful, beautiful and soulful music. Selecting the musicians for Cubamania! turned into a series of Solomon-like decisions for Hinata. "We received an overwhelming response from local artists that wanted to be part of this project," he says. "Ideally, we wanted to achieve a sound that reflects Havana's growing music scene, a constantly evolving blend of Cuban pop, jazz and funk with such traditional music styles as timba, salsa and nueva salsa." Global Disc Records and Platinum Entertainment are planning a massive World and Latin music marketing campaign that will penetrate a wide range of outlets, from cigar bars to coffee houses. A special promo video will be made available to the media and retail. Jonathan Platt, Global Disc Records executive producer, said, "As a label, we are very excited about teaming with Platinum Entertainment on a project that highlights the talented musicians and artists that live on that little treasure island." Several artists that perform on Cubamania!, as well as the previously released Global Disc/Platinum Entertainment albums Songs From the Heart of Cuba (Romantica de Cuba) and Rhythm & Smoke, are scheduled to tour major U.S. cities this summer. Performers already signed to the tour include Maraca, Arte Mixto and Bamboleo.

Purchase CD This talented trio's sparkling vocal and harmonic treatments, of boleros and ballads from Spain and Cuba, will capture your heart. CUBAMAR's music speaks volumes of a romantic and proud Cuba.

Purchase CD "Love and Passion. 'Songs From the Heart of Cuba' is an exotic overflow of both. A must have for the romantic in us all"   - Marla Friedler - Figueroa, Salsaweb Magazine Recorded in November 1998, with the threatening skies of Hurricane Mitch looming over Havana, Songs From the Heart of Cuba: Romantica de Cuba (Global Disc Records/Platinum Entertainment, in stores Tuesday, March 9, 1999) reflects the gentle, poetic talents of CubaÕs finest musicians. The album explores the delicate side of the country and its people, with compelling songs about love and passion that reveal the inner world of the Cuban heart and soul. "This is a project that dreams are made of,"said Grammy-nominated producer Daisuke Hinata "The lyrics are in Spanish, but the emotions that fill the album come through in any language." Working together at HavanaÕs historic SonoCaribe Studios, Hinata and executive producer Jonathan hoped to capture songs reflecting the beautiful, yet bittersweet lives of those living on the island. "The weather caused some delays and power outages, but it did not stop musicians coming from all over Cuba to audition to be on this album,"said Platt Songs From the Heart of Cuba features music inspired by the diverse range of Cuban music Ð from romantic ballads and traditional Cuban standards, to boleros, nueva trova, nueva cancion, jazz and Brazillian harmonies. Contributions from musicians like Cubamar, Heidi Iguilada, Trio Ensere and Leo Vera (the former lead vocalist of Irakere and Charanga Manera) are masterful and romantic. Cuarto Esperanza, a remarkable group comprised mostly of blind musicians, blend beautiful harmonies on a track describes as Buchata mixed with Cuban Bolero. Tony Perez, considered one of CubaÕs finest Latin jazz pianists, created a special vibe by performing the instrumental "Solo De Piano"in total darkness. Performed by 15 of CubaÕs most seasoned musicians, Songs From the Heart of Cuba offers a sensuous blend of traditional ballads, and follows the distinguished premier Global Disc release, Rhythm & Smoke: The Cuba Sessions.

Purchase CD "The true ritmo of Cuba. A steamy blend of exotic Cuban sounds,'Rhythm and Smoke' will make you want to get up and dance. It's the real thing."   - Marla Friedler -, Salsaweb.com Magazine Rhythm & Smoke "The Cuba Sessions" is the premier release to come out of the exciting joint venture between Global Disc Records, an independent label specializing in bringing successful overseas artists to America, and Platinum Entertainment, a company that produces and releases an eclectic musical catalog that includes World, Electronic and Classical genres. First in series of releases on World Beat music, Rhythm & Smoke, "The Cuba Sessions" delivers a sensuous blend of sultry beats and music performed by the top musicians from Cuba. What began as a soundtrack to accompany a film documentary about Cuban cigars, culture and music evolved into a full-fledged recording project. Rhythm & Smoke "The Cuba Sessions", produced by internationally renowned producer Daisuke Hinata, represents a variety of artists and styles capturing the unique special essence of the songs and lifestyles of Cuba. The Rhythm &Smoke sessions took place during a seven-day period in June of 1998 at the Sono-Caribe Studios in Havana. Over one hundred of the country's most highly regarded musicians and established artists including Bamboleo, Orlando "Maraca" Valle, Arte Mixto, Klimax and Grammy award winner Changuito, participated on the record. The project also attracted newly undiscovered talent such as the unpredictable CachiBache, the acapella group Catarsis, the uplifting sounds of Cantores de Rosario and the romantic and compelling Cubamar. Talent, passion and rum fueled the magical sessions that lasted from 9:00am until 4:00am every day, capturing the complete essence of Cuban music and song. Some of the styles of music include Afro-Cuban jazz, Cha-Cha, Folkloric, Rumba, Timba and Nueva Salsa Cubana. The diversity of music from groups of people around the world that settled in Cuba over the years has a definitive influence on the styles found there. There is no denying that the rich mix of European harmonies from Spain and France and the rhythmic influences brought to Cuba from various countries in Africa explain the acceptance, popularity and enjoyment of Cuban music around the world. Rhythm and music are woven into the everyday lifestyle of Cuba creating a sound that is as intoxicating as its rum and cigars. Rhythm & Smoke "The Cuba Sessions" reflects the life in Cuba, the warmth of its people, the music in the blood and the soul.