

Going out on winter nights in Sweden (the fifth coldest country in Europe) can be a truly daunting task. Temperatures during the eleventh month of the year are around 5 °C during the day and 1 °C at night. Most people yearn for the scarce two hours of radiant sunshine a day, however, we bring you three Latin music events that accompany the beautiful northern lights that cover the sky during this date and that will make you vibrate and get warm during these days of lively freezing.

We begin with a weekend full of Salsa parties with Hot Salsa Weekend, the largest Salsa and Bachata festival in Sweden will be celebrating its twentieth edition from November 4th to November 6th.
This festival will bring together dancers from the US, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and Stockholm. It will also feature inspiring workshops in Salsa L.A Style, Salsa On2, Salsa Cubana, and Bachata, impressive shows, and nightly parties accompanied by seven international and national DJs.
The workshops will take place on Friday from 4:30 PM at SSD Studio (Adolf Fredriks Kyrkogata 13, Stockholm) while on Saturday (11 AM) and Sunday (11 AM) they will take place in the beautiful building located in the heart of Stockholm Norra Latin (Drottninggatan 71b).
The themed parties (White Gala Party, Glitter & Glamor Gala Party, and Farewell Party) will take place from 10 PM to 5 AM on three dance floors (Salsa, Salsa Cubana & Bachata) at the Norra Latin a short distance from the central station Stockholm. Tickets for the three days of learning and fun are worth 2000 SEK. So get ready to be a part of Sweden’s biggest weekend party, Hot Salsa Weekend 2022. https://hotsalsaweekend.com/

We continue with the Cuban band La Liga Habanera. This group formed 15 years ago in Havana (Cuba) has toured Europe and mainly has infected every corner of Sweden with its music. Its melody lies in a mixture of modern Cuban Timba with elements of traditional Son, Salsa, Soul, and Funk. The voices create a nuance that adorns the brass section that, together with the bass and the piano, recreates the Son montuno. The Havana League will be presented at the emblematic Fasching Club https://www.fasching.se (Kungsgatan 63, 111 22 Stockholm) on Friday, November 11th at 9 PM, and tickets are now available for 260 SEK (standing places). The age limit is 18 years.

We end with the free dance party with Swing, Salsa, and Tango at the Merjeriet cultural center https://g.page/Mejeriet (Stora Södergatan 64, 222 23 Lund). This great event on Sunday, November 27th will now be free and open to all those over 13 years. The dance rhythms will range from an intense Salsa set through Lindy Hop (Swing) to Tango with surprises on stage and on the dance floor with three different DJs.
The evening will begin with workshops for each rhythm and three rounds of courses so you can try the three dance styles and choose the one you prefer. The party will be from 5:30 PM until 7 PM while the courses for beginners will be gradually every hour starting at 2:30 PM.
The Dance Party with Swing, Salsa, and Tango is organized in collaboration with the extensive program of new and recurring events in the center of Lund known as vinterlund https://vinterlund.se/
The main objective of this vast program is to fill the inhabitants of this city in the province of Scania with joy through cultural life during the dark winter months.

EFG London Jazz Festival celebrates its 30th birthday with the innovation and musical freedom that has always characterized the London Jazz scene.
This festival, the largest and in constant transition in North London, opens its space from Friday, November 11th to Sunday, November 20th to present a program of live and digital presentations with world-class artists, emerging talents, collaborations specials, avant-garde sounds, and the latest music for a massive audience that has established the EFG London Jazz Festival https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/ as one of the main international Jazz events in Europe.
This emblematic event in the United Kingdom has three outstanding aspects that have characterized it over the years, they are Character, Impulse, and Wealth. The Character is evidenced in each edition with the contribution of special collaborations, discoveries, and exclusive commissions. The second aspect of this festival is the Impulse, being this event the highlight of the Jazz calendar in the capital. Finally, the third aspect is the Wealth that can be easily found in a club or concert hall packed with spectators to enjoy 300 live shows in more than 70 places attracting around 100,000 people daily.
In this 2022 edition, the star lineup is represented by nine international Latin Jazz artists such as Fiona Ross (Friday, November 11th), Katriona Taylor Quintet presenting “La Reina de la Bossa Nova” (Saturday, November 12th), Yuri Hernández (Sunday, November 13th), Colectiva (Thursday, November 17th), Mexico’s Woman of the Year for Arts and Culture, Migdalia Van Der Hoven (Thursday, November 17th), the Jazz/Latin group led by Steve Rubie from the 606 Club, Samara (Friday, November 18th), Trombonist Laura Impallomeni (Saturday, November 19th), Osvaldo Chacón (Sunday, November 20th) and Chucho Valdés (Sunday, November 20th).
“Voices celebrate the power, connection, and expression of song, beauty, and aptitude…”

Vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and producer, Fiona Ross, has become known for having an authentic contemporary Jazz sound obtained by mixing the fast rhythm of Latin Jazz, a brief flirtation with vintage Jazz, a bit of Neo Soul, and a touch of melancholy ballads.
Multi-award-winning Jazz artist, editor-in-chief, journalist, and founder of the award-winning organization Women in Jazz Media Fiona Ross was Director of the British Academy of New Music in London for nearly a decade, where she was responsible for the formation of Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora, among many others. Fiona’s date will be on November 11th at 8:30 PM at the London Polish Jazz Café Posk (238-246 Kings St. W6 0RF), and the ticket is £15.
“…Celebrating unity with the power of music.”

This multifaceted 10-day event brings to its lineup the established singer within the Latin music industry for the last two decades, Yuri Hernández. The establishment that will host it will be Juju’s Bar & Stage (Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury St, London E1 6QR) on Sunday, November 13th from 6 PM, and the cost of the ticket doesn’t exceed £9.
Hernández is one of the most sought-after musicians in northern Spain and is introduced to the UK Latin Jazz scene through Loco Soñador, his second studio album released in 2020. Joining this musical genius will be DJ Flecha (Joel Verdecia) with his supporting act promoting Cuban music. This veteran DJ (25 years of career) has been nominated three times as Best Latin Tropical DJ in a European country for his technique and originality when mixing.
“Beyond the margins, some of the most innovative artists at the forefront of Jazz are pushing its limits and expanding the definition of the genre while drawing influences from a wide range of other languages.”

This Afro-Latin and Jazz music band, Colectiva, reflects on themes of sisterhood and female empowerment. They are rooted in the sounds of Africa, Latin America, and the diaspora, creating a genre that the group has dubbed Jazz Tropicaliente (Hot/Tropical/Jazz). Their debut single is Under The, written in collaboration with pianist María Grapsa and released in April 2021. This track received great support from global radio stations and famous DJs in the music industry.
Colectiva will be presented on November 17th at 8:30 PM at the London Kings Place-Hall Two-(90 York Way, N1 9AG), and tickets have a permanent price of £15.
On the other hand, Osvaldo Chacón’s band is the leading Timba orchestra in the UK and has been nominated multiple times for the prestigious LUKAS awards. Osvaldo Chacón, composer, producer, and singer-songwriter, has shared the stage with great Salsa figures such as Adalberto Santiago, Azuquita, Tito Allen (Fania All Stars), Salsaceltica, Eddie Palmieri, as well as the greatest world-famous stars such as Celia Cruz, Oscar D’León, Rubén Blades, and Alberto “El Canario”. Supporting Osvaldo Chacón will be DJ Javier La Rosa mixing Salsa, Cuban Timba, Reggaeton, Latin Hip-Hop, and R&B. Sunday, November 20th is the date when you can enjoy these presentations. Time: 8 PM. Venue: Juju’s Bar & Stage. Ticket: £10.
“The Icons are the living legends of Jazz and the leading heroes of the genre who paved the way and continue to create, inspiring artists, and audiences alike.

The EFG London Jazz Festival brings the Cuban pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés, who celebrates his 80th birthday with his extraordinary work La Creación with the Yoruban Orchestra and Hilario Durán & John Beasley.
The winner of six Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards is the most influential figure in Afro-Cuban Jazz of the 20th and 21st centuries. In an extensive career spanning six decades, Valdés has pushed the boundaries of new expressions in Afro-Cuban music. His influence and inspiration in the genre are immeasurable to the point that his work sets the standard by which new generations are governed and drives their careers. To see Chucho Valdés head to the London Southbank Center (Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) at 7:30 PM. and tickets range from £30 – £45.
Along with Chucho will be the cellist, vocalist, composer, and niece Ana Carla Maza. Within her discography is the album La Flor (2020) which incorporates Latin rhythms, Pop melodies and Jazz harmonies along with classical techniques. Bahía (June 26, 2022) is her most recent production inspired by Cuban Son, Samba, Bossa Nova, Tango, Jazz, and Chanson with a rich mix of classical cello and voice.
An evening full of emotions will be lived next Saturday, November 12th at the Masal Deluxe facilities (Küchgarten 21 Küchgarten 21 21073 Hamburg, Germany) with the presentations of the exponent of Salsa Yiyo Sarante and Merenguera Fefita La Grande starting at 9 PM to 5 AM accompanied by DJ Cesar (Hamburg), DJ Miguelin Beatz (Berlin), and DJ Sonrisa (Frankfurt) mixing the best of tropical music. Tickets range from €60 (General) to €120 (Platinum VIP).

Eduardo Sarante whose artistic pseudonym is “Yiyo Sarante” exponent of hits like Pirata, Maldita Primavera, Tierra Mala, Nos engañó a los dos and Tres semanas, was born in Baní “La Capital del Sur”, the most important city in the province of Peravia in the Dominican Republic.
He comes from a musical family, the seventh son of nine brothers, five musicians and singers. In 1999 Yiyo performed in Bávaro (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic), and four years later he was a member of the Oro Duro orchestra led by his brother Julián Sarante.
In 2011 Yiyo obtained international recognition thanks to the support obtained from radio stations in the state of Florida and the East Coast of the United States for the single Maldita Primavera from his EP titled Single launched in 2103.
During that same year, Sarante made his first tour outside his native country, taking him to step on the different stages of some Caribbean countries such as the Virgin Islands, Aruba, and Saint Martin.
Yiyo Sarante’s discography https://www.facebook.com/yiyosarante extends from his albums Lo Nuevo de Yiyo Sarante (EP-2013), La Voz de la Salsa (2015), La Voz de la Salsa. Vol 2 (2019), Clásicos (2019) to his most recent singles released this year Quiero Perderme Contigo, Llorarás, Eres Pasado, Demonio, and Prohíbeme Verte.

On the other hand, the singer, composer, and extraordinaire accordionist, Fefita La Grande (Manuela Josefa Cabrera Taveras) during the last four decades has been an icon of the Dominican Merengue Típico.
This representative of the main musical genre of the Dominican Republic was born on September 18th, 1944, in the municipality of San José de Ocoa. Her father was Eliseo “Seito” Cabrera, an accordionist and owner of a musical instrument repair shop.
Her incursion into the artistic world at a professional level was in 1976 with her first LP Si quiere venir que venga, obtaining great acceptance by the public due to the incorporation of the Saxophone, Congas, and Electric Bass in her melodies when until now there had only been groups of Merengue with traditional instruments: Accordion, Güiro, and Tamboril.
With this new variant of Merengue and with a musical environment dominated by men, Fefita became the first woman to transcend borders and travel to Europe to present this new and authentic style of the Caribbean, in addition to taking her performance to different countries of Latin America thus defining the path for the new generations of Dominican women dedicated to music.
Throughout her artistic career, the performer of La Chiflera (1999), has received various distinctions and has played at Yankee Stadium (New York) with Romeo Santos, and her popularity has led her to participate in major film productions in her country native as Nueba Yol 3: Bajo la nueva ley (1997), Perico Ripiao (2003), and Ponchao (2013) among others.
In 2017, she made the single La Pimienta Es La Que Pica in collaboration with Milly Quezada and Maridalia Hernández, obtaining great support from her followers.
Fefita La Grande https://www.facebook.com/viejafefard has recorded more than 200 songs and her repertoire of greatest hits includes Vamo’ a hablar inglés, O te menea o te apea. Her latest production is La Ciudad Corazón launched in 2021.