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Discover The Alternative To Dance Latin Music In Israel

Havana Music Club: An exclusive Cuban atmosphere in Tel Aviv

Man dressed in black dancing with woman in white top — The owners of Havana Music Club are the same as the legendary Arena club.

The number one Latin rhythm club in Israel, Havana Music Club, since August 2010 opens its doors every night. It serves as a different entertainment venue for loyal Salsa and Bachata lovers from this country located on the Asian continent.

This club has set a new standard in the Middle East that resembles the best Latin music clubs in Europe and North America specifically New York and Los Angeles but with a Cuban atmosphere. Additionally, it has an underground parking lot for approximately 250 vehicles and nearby side streets with free parking spaces.

Ten years and a resounding success led Havana Music Club to create Hula La in July 2019. This “Little Brother” is located next to the main headquarters and also meets the requirements of high quality in sound, lighting, and atmosphere with a space clean that houses hundreds of dancers in 1500 square meters of parquet, which allows you to fully enjoy the continuous music of the various DJs.

This club complex is located next to Ayalon Lanes at the Hashalom Interchange (Azrieli Towers), a 2-minute walk from Hashalom Train Station.

The next event that Havana Music Club will bring to the Latin scene in Israel in 2021 will be the Caramelo festival. This event will have workshops with a couple of top-level national and international artists in the Salsa and Bachata styles. In addition, you will enjoy three nights of crazy parties, as well as accommodation with three meals, and hot/cold drink bars at the Hotel Leonardo Club.

Date: Thursday, September 2nd – Saturday, September 4th

Venue: Leonardo Club Hotel. Kampen St, Eilat, Israel

PARTIES IN HAVANA MUSIC CLUB

Couple dancing in the middle of the dance floor — The club has a food menu served by waitresses with an additional charge to the price of admission.

Havana Music Club offers Latin parties with Salsa and Bachata instructions three days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) from 9:00 PM to late at night, and you can start from the basic level up to the professional level.

You will start with a small warm-up lesson to continue with the Latin rhythm class of the moment you prefer in any of its levels, and end with the great dance party in the Havana Music Club and Hula La. Likewise; you can also opt for classes for small groups.

Among the courses that will open soon are:

Woman dressed in lilac and man in black shirt — The club is handicap accessible

Salsa Lady Style: This course is aimed at Salsa dancers that have an intermediate level or higher. Women interested in developing body movement, gaining confidence in dancing, developing their style, and technique.

In the Salsa Lady Style course, you will work on proper posture, turns, leg and handwork, body movement, hip work, and upper body.

Chat for beginners: These Bachata classes are designed for all levels. The objective is to give you the bases so that you enter the world of “chat” and give you the tools to enjoy the dance that is conquering Israel.

Sabor de Cuba – Master’s Level: The course is taught by Lear Shoshani & Moti Sabag, one of the oldest and most prominent Afro-Cuban Salsa instructors in the country. In these lessons, they will teach the essentials of the music of this Caribbean island from its origins and emphasizing the Son, Rumba, and Afro-Cuban Mambo to dance more in tune with the music.

Salsa and Cha Instructor Training: Havana Music Club’s most prestigious course to attract future instructors from the Salsa and Bachata scene in this Middle Eastern country. This course includes general instruction, safety before a captive audience, dance basics, instructional experience, and various enrichment lessons in the field of rhythm, style, and musical history of these styles that mark the development of the night scene of this decade.

Maybe This Data Also Interests You

Dancers in the middle of a dance pass — Havana Music Club is an exclusive Cuban atmosphere in Tel Aviv

There are 3 different rooms in the club: Central Room with capacity for 300 people seated or 850 people standing, Secondary room “Hula La”, and VIP Room with 90 square meters to accommodate from 20 to 50 guests.
Smoking is prohibited within the club’s facilities.
It is also strictly forbidden to bring any kind of drink. (Includes water)
Havana Music Club offers live local bands’ performances.
If you bought the ticket for a concert, I recommend you arrive at the opening of the doors to choose seats because the places are not separated.
In general, the price online is cheaper than the one paid at the box office.
Two other courses that will soon be offered are Mixed Style Lady Style and Salsa del Medio.
Among the DJs that currently display their sets with the best mix of Latin music are DJ Charlie Pérez, DJ Nadav Shamgar (DJ NASH), DJ Moti, DJ Paco, and DJ Tzachi Bachar.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Health guidelines, the number of people who spend time in the club should be limited. Attendees must present a vaccination or “in recovery” card plus an identification card.

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Flashback: Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill

The Architect Of Afro-Cuban Jazz

Arturo "Chico" O'farrill with reading glasses and sitting — In memory of the 20 years of his physical disappearance

Arturo O’Farrill, better known as “Chico” O’Farrill was born on October 28, 1921, in Havana (Cuba) at the height of Son. He had a normal childhood like any son of a Jewish family raised to continue the family profession, Law.

In the 1930s Chico was admitted to the Riverside American Military School in Gainesville, Georgia. His father, an eminent Irish lawyer recognized in the Afro-Caribbean country, decided to intern him to continue his studies.

During his stay at that institution, O’Farrill discovered the great jazz orchestras that made life in that territory. Those bands were known by the name of Big Bands. He entered that musical environment and began his process of love and passion for the industry. He listened to recordings by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey while learning to play the trumpet on his own. In almost immediate time Chico became the trumpet player for the school’s military band and large dance groups.

Years later, Arturo returned to Cuba. He studied the same profession as his father (Law) and at the same time with his studies, he developed his facet as a composer. He received composition and harmony classes from important island musical instructors such as Félix Guerrero.

His progress, determination, and development in music were unstoppable. He was a member of the Armando Romeu Bellamar Orchestra and the Isidro Pérez Orchestra at the time of Mambo and Son, rhythms that prevailed and enhanced Latin music for decades.

MUSICAL HISTORY

Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill seated and in black and white — Chico O’Farrill dabbled in rock

“The Architect of Afro-Cuban Jazz” worked for four years (1943 – 1947) in Montmartre, the Cuban cabaret with the greatest French style. In the same way, he belonged to the Bellamar Orchestra, directed by Armando Romeu with Luis and Pucho Escalante, and Mario Romeu, among many other members.

As a trumpeter, Arturo traveled to Mexico and Europe. He created Los Raqueteros del Swing band, being the director and member of the orchestra. Subsequently, he founded Los Beboppers (the first Cuban bop group) with continuous performances at the Hotel Saratoga. Here, Chico was once again at the helm as director of the band and musician with his related instrument, the trumpet.

In the 1950s he began his successes as an arranger, working briefly for various musical directors such as Gil Fuller, Noro Morales, Frank “Machito” Grillo, and Benny Goodman.

Likewise, he composed his first masterpiece, Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite in five movements: Canción, Mambo, 6/8, Jazz, and Rumba Open. This masterpiece of composition was made and recorded for the imprint of the businessman Norman Granz, with the Machito Orchestra as the rhythmic base and accompanist.

The expert comments on Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite were numerous, but here are two of the most outstanding opinions:

Luc Delannoy: “It begins and ends with a hypnotic flute and conga duo that reflects the essence of Cuban treatment; the union of musical universes: the European (the flute) and the African (the conga). These two instruments are joined by the oboe, followed by the trumpets, saxophones, and the double bass “Tumbao”… After a return to swing and bebop in the fourth movement, Chico takes us back to the origins of Latin jazz with a melody of clear Arabic accents, before immersing himself in the universe of Afro-Cuban percussions.”

And Benny Carter commented on the Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite the following: “The reason for the coherence of the rhythmic parts and their relationships with the solos that have their own life and independence, Masterpiece of a genius.”

Arturo "Chico" O'farrill dressed in black and with a red background — His last album was Heart Of A Legend

After the enormous success of this powerful piece of music, O’Farrill wrote Cuban Fantasy for Stan Kenton during his stay in New York (EE.UU). However, Kenton eventually changed the name of the piece and it was called the Cuban Episode.

In 1953 he moved from New York to the California state and founded his orchestra with renowned musicians such as Mario Bauzá, Doug Mettome, Jimmy Nottingham, Eddie Bert, Fred Zito, Lenny Hambro, Flip Phillips, and the saxophonist Eddie Wasserman. The orchestra used the Afro-Cuban rhythmic section of Machito, harp, and oboe.

Under this concept, he recorded for Norman Granz and performed in two emblematic venues of the American Jazz music scene: Birdland (New York) and Hat Ballroom located in Los Angeles, California. During this period he composed three new movements: “La Jungla”, “Contrast”, and “Rhumba Finale”, baptized as “Manteca Suite”. The latter recorded in 1954 with Jazzist Dizzy Gillespie and an orchestra with 21 talented musicians.

In 1956 he returned to Cuba in search of inspiration and immediately began to work for the best record companies such as Panart and RCA Víctor. In this record label, he made “Chico’s Cha-Cha-Cha”, adapting the Charanga rhythm to the Big band format. This album was released, once again, on compact disc by BMG during the last decade of the 20th century.

Two years later the restless O’Farrill traveled to Mexico due to the great platform that this country provided for Latin American musicians at the time. During that residency, he once again stood out with a special sound. He appears on television as music director for singer Andy Russell, and there his life takes a dizzying turn. He started the semi-retirement period but never stopped composing. By that time, he composed his next and one of his greatest works “Azteca Suite” for trumpeter Art Farmer. And he made history once again!

In the 60s and with the rise of rock, Chico returned to New York and made arrangements for such important figures as La Lupe (They Call Me La Lupe); Cal Tjader (Along with Comes Cal); Count Basie (High Voltage); Gato Barbieri (Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata); Ringo Starr (Night and Day) and dabbled in Rock music with David Bowie (I Know That It Will Happen and Looking for Lester) and finally was the director of the Venezuelan Aldemaro Romero’s Orchestra.

In this stage that lasted until the end of the 20th century and already in the 70s, the Big bands went from being an innovation to being displaced by other rhythms that were rapidly increasing in popularity. These genres used new techniques, styles, sounds, and harmonies. It led to the appearance of icons in Jazz and the disappearance of the exclusive Bing bands for ballroom dancing.

For this reason, Chico O’Farrill reinvents himself and begins to work in the lucrative field of music for audiovisual advertising.

Arturo "Chico" O'farrill in black and white — Pure Emotion album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Performance

In the mid-nineties, American Jazz producer and director Todd Barkan contacted the “Afro-Cuban Jazz Architect” to pay tribute to his career with a compilation of his musical hits. The name of the album was Pure Emotion and it got a nomination for Best Latin Jazz Performance at the 37th Grammy Awards.

O’Farrill toured Europe with his orchestra in 1996 and recorded his latest album entitled “Heart Of A Legend” with 14 tracks.

For this album, they had an orchestra of 18 musicians and a collaboration of international artists. The arrangements and musical direction of “Heart Of A Legend” were in charge of his son Arturo O’Farrill Jr. and who continues with his legacy.

On June 29, 2001, at 80 years old in New York City, Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill passed away.

Undoubtedly, Chico O’Farrill was always a visionary, and he was at the forefront for more than half a century of the musical genre today recognized worldwide as Latin Jazz.

In memory of the 20 years of his physical disappearance

Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill Forever!

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Bobby Valentin, the King of Bass at the Fania All-Stars Machinery

Bobby Valentin The mind of a master

Roberto Valentin “Bobby Valentin” was one of the main collaborators and arrangers of the Fania All-Stars in the 1970s, over which time he also recorded numerous solo albums. Born in 1941 in the locality of Orocovis, Puerto Rico, he began playing guitar as a child and won a contest with a band that he conducted himself at the age of 11.

He began his trumpet studies at the age of 15 shortly before he moved with his family to New York, where he continued his studies under the direction of Carmina Caruso. In 1958 he started his professional career with the Joe Quijano’s Orchestra.

Valentin spent the next several years working as a trumpeter, guitarist, bassist and arranger for artists such as Willie Rosario, Charlie Palmieri, Ray Barreto, Tito Rodríguez and Willie Bobo, until the year 1965, when he debuted with an orchestra to his name by releasing two albums, one of them was under Johnny Pacheco‘s Fania label.

Bobby Valentin, the King of the Bass

During the following years, Valentin continued to release albums to his name under the Pacheco’s label, but he also began recording and making arrangements for the label’s band, the legendary Fania All Stars, which had the presence of important figures as Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, Papo Lucca, Mongo Santamaría, among many others.

In 1975, he began recording for his own label, but his work with the Fania All Stars goes on until the day. Since then, the musician continues to perform with his orchestra for the most important salsa and jazz festivals from all over the world, while at the beginning of the decade Valentin contributed arrangements for some Pacheco‘s songs, it was only natural that he released his albums under his new label.

Fania All-Stars, to which he helped define the sound through his bass playing, in classic albums of the 1970s such as the Tribute to Tito Rodríguez or the live album at Yankee Stadium. — Bobby Valentín moved with his orchestra to Puerto Rico in 1968.

And while Bobby Valentin moved with his orchestra to Puerto Rico in 1968, he continued to travel often to New York to record for Fania, in addition to working and arranging songs for the label’s band, the Fania All-Stars to which he helped define the sound through his bass, on classic albums of the 1970s like the Tribute to Tito Rodriguez or the live album at Yankee Stadium.

In 1978 he began recording for his own label, Bronco Records, through which he recorded “La boda de ella“, a song that became one of the most important of his career.In addition to continuing to release albums for his own label, the latter of which saw the light in 2016 under the name “Mi Ritmo es bueno” and Mind Of A Master in 2018.

The pop classic The Twist composed by Hank Ballard and popularized by Chubby Checker in 1960, now sounds in salsa clave in a new version created by musician, arranger and composer Bobby Valentin y su Orquesta.

For award-winning Puerto Rican composer, arranger, producer and musical director, to remember is to live, as a result of which he presented the song in Spanish and dance in order to interest the new generations.

“When I was based in New York, this was a boom, Chubby Checker recorded it! At that time, what was done in rock & roll and today’s music is called salsa and it was all about dancing. There was the chachachá, the pachanga, the boogaloo… Everything was visual, with dancing! Chubby Checkerwas in all the TV shows… I recorded the song a year and a half ago, but the premiere was pushed back for the pandemic. I figured I could do it in salsa without losing the essence of that time,” he said.

Fania All-Stars Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentín, Johnny Pacheco

The Twist https://youtu.be/zf-SjdhbH9M

Sources

Amarie Magazine

Fania

JD Productions, Erika Muñoz and International Salsa Magazine Present Jesus Pagan Acevedo

Jesus Pagan and his Orchestra Salsa Artist, Singer, Composer and Producer.

He began his musical career in 1991 as a percussionist and backup singer with various tropical music and nueva trova groups in Puerto Rico, being the Andrés Jiménez “El Jibaro”‘s group the best known amont those at that time.

In 1997, Jesús moved to the state of Massachusetts to get on with his life and continue his duties privately until he was invited to share a rehearsal of the Carlos Pabón’s orchestra, brother of salsa singer David Pabón.

That is when he again took the path on music, this time, as a lead singer. His name quickly ran throughout New England letting slip that this little guy was a great singer and sonero. Local orchestras such as The Latin Heartbeat, Komboloko, Ray Gonzalez, Eguie Castrillo and Frankie Rodriguez Y Homenaje A La Salsa immediately opened to him the doors and opened the plate to stand out as a great singer and sonero.

By 2008 Jesus Pagan was counting in a vast experience as a singer, sonero and composer, so he decided to release his first album under the title “Salsa De La Mata” becoming the new sense of the art of soneo in the genre he loves, Salsa. This album immediately became a classic of modern salsa.

Figures such as Hector “Maximo” Rodriguez, Eddie Montalvo, Ray Castro, Luisito Quintero, Joe Fiedler, Ray De La Paz and Lucho Cueto are among the talents in this recording which earned Jesus Pagan a Paoli Award and a U.S. Grammy Award nomination.

After this recording Jesus Pagan has released 3 other albums including one that he considers very special in his career which is “Ya Llego Conjunto Barrio”, “Somos Del Barrio” which he produced locally in the area of Springfield and Holyoke Ma. with musicians of the local salsa scene and internationally renowned figures.

Currently, Jesús Pagan is in the initial phase of what will be his new salsa work and has also recorded with other orchestras and artists in several genres as a guest artist, backup singer and composer.

Currently, Jesús Pagan also works as a chorister and singer for many of the best-known salsa artists in his environment. As a chorist, he has accompanied artists such as: Ismael Miranda, Tony Vega, Johnny Rivera, Adalberto Santiago, NG2, Frankie Negrón, Ray De La Paz, Raulin Rosendo, Wilmer Lozano, Héctor Tricoche, Tito Rojas, Roberto Blades, Willie González, Giro, Michael “El Buenon” and many others. As a singer, he has performed with: Larry Harlow, Richie Ray, George Delgado Y Conjunto Neoyorquino, Conjunto Classico, Alex Torres, Luisito Rey Y La Dinámica, Orquesta Dicupe and many others who have invited him to be part of special performances.

Recently, he returned from a super successful tour in Medellin, Colombia where he was the guest singer for the classic salsa orchestra from New York, the Dicupe orchestra in a sold out concert, over 10,000 people at La Macarena bullring.

His dreams realized include his performance at the most famous concert hall in the world, Carnegie Hall in New York City at a sold out concert with Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo’s The Palladium Big Band and “The Gentleman of Salsa” Gilberto Santa Rosa featured as a guest artist by the year 2012.

Jesús Pagan also had the honor of being one of the main singers to salute the memory of Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández in a concert in his honour at the Mortenzen River Front Town Square in Hartford Ct and sang together with the son of the celebrated composer Chali Hernández.

Another of his achievements was to open 2 important concerts for renowned figures of the salsa scene. The first one at the UMASS Fine Arts a sold out concert with singer La India and the other one at the Boston City Hall for “Salsa’s bad boy” Willie Colon.

JD Producciones Presenta a Jesús Pagan Acevedo

Jesús Pagan Y Su Orquesta Jesús Pagan & Conjunto Barrio

JD Productions Exclusive Artists

For booking: 413-297-8937 / 413-505-4745 E-mail: [email protected]

Artist Manager: Damaris Rivera de Pagan

Our Available Music Catalogue

www.cdbaby.com/jesuspaganorquesta

www.cdbaby.com/jesuspaganysuorquesta1

www.cdbaby.com/conjuntobarrio www.cdbaby.com/cd/

Erika Muñoz

By: Erika Muñoz

La Mulata Rumbera

“Se Armó la Rumba en México“

International Salsa Magazine Correspondent

International Salsa Magazine

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Tito Rodríguez, Jr. “The Palladium legacy lives on”

Timbalero, Arranger, Composer, Producer and Band Director, Tito Rodriguez, Jr. is one of the most important timbaleros of Salsa and Tropical Music as well as being one of the heirs of the mambo.

I had previously listened to, analyzed and shared my impressions about Transición (2017), by Tito Rodríguez, Jr. In conversation with Tito himself, he confirmed that Transición is his fourth album and the first to carry a Spanish-language title. We are doing well, Tito. This album was preceded by:

Curious?

Un clásico de 1978, originalmente en el sello TR de su padre. Con Sal Cuevas, Cachete, Ruben Figueroa, Gilberto Colon, un joven José Alberto El Canario en la voz - y una sección de coro con Adalberto Santiago y Ruben Blades. Vaya. ¿Curioso? ha sido una de las reediciones más solicitadas de la línea TR y los arreglos y el groove demuestran claramente por qué — Curious? (1975), featuring Adalberto Santiago, José Alberto “El Canario” and Rubén Blades.

Eclipse (1994) y

A classic! In the summer of '94, the Eclipse cuts and the infectious Erotic Woman. — A classic! In the summer of ’94, the Eclipse cuts and the infectious Erotic Woman.

The Big Three Palladium Orchestra live at the Blue Note (2004).

“The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra already may rank as the most brilliant large Latin jazz ensemble this side of Havana.”

The idea of bringing together the three great orchestras of the Palladium was Machito, Jr.’s, whom I will be approaching soon.

Promise is a promise, so here I am to elaborate a bit on what I left out of the previous report.

Why the title Transition?

For much of his productive life, Tito has held a conventional job so music has been his part-time love. Well, we should clarify what this so-called “part-time” has meant for Tito because even part-time, from 1994 to 1999 his orchestra was performing once a month at the world famous Copacabana in New York City. On the other hand, The Big Three Palladium Orchestra live at the Blue Note secured him a promotional tour – through Brian Theobald of BPR Music – that lasted a whopping eleven years.

Well, now it looks like Tito is getting ready to hit the stages that have been waiting for him so long. So get ready, what is coming is not from friends. I wonder if the title track Volver had something to do with Tito’s dream of surrendering to his first love: music.

Tito has been consistent in following the musical line of his progenitor’s orchestra although he has managed to modernize the baseline, adding his own forceful stamp. That is why the musical line of Tito Rodriguez, Jr.’s big orchestra is more modern without straying from the classical foundation.

Reading several articles, I stumbled upon one by Robin Denselow published in 2010 for the international newspaper The Guardian. My chest swells with Puerto Rican pride when I review the legacy left by the “Mambo Kings”: Machito, Puente and Rodriguez, those 3 bandleaders who transformed the American music scene. The Palladium located on Broadway and West 53rd Street no longer offers mambo, chacha or rumba but the musical legacy of the mambo kings remains more alive than ever. According to Denselow, when that Palladium Orchestra took the stage with a brass section it was Tito Rodriguez, Jr. who first led that historic reunion. According to the British view Rodriguez, Jr. lovingly revived his father’s compositions while showing off his percussion skills.

This was just the hors d’oeuvre for when Larry Harlow arrived to raise the bar even higher. Of course, having the luxury of having the pianist hero of not only the mambo kings but also the Fania All-Stars was no small feat for these virtuous offspring. Perhaps they are the offspring of the most influential trio in Latin music.

Back to Borinquen: In 2009 Tito Rodriguez, Jr. was in Puerto Rico fulfilling one of his musical dreams. With that dream in his suitcase, Tito, Jr. arrived behind his timbal to lead a very large orchestra.

Once on Puerto Rican soil, they joined that dream: Luis Nazario “Güiriche” on conga, Paquito Corselles on bass, Luisito Marín on piano, Pablo “El Indio” Rosario on bongo; Emilio Reales, Darío Morales, Simón Rivera and Edwin González on trumpets; Rafy Ruiz and Al Schnitzler on alto saxophone; Nelson Vega and Wilfredo de la Torre on tenor saxophone plus Angel “Chiqui” Vidal on baritone saxophone.

On vocals, Josué Rosado was backed by José Miranda and Juan Manuel Lebrón on backing vocals.

On that occasion, the orchestra performed in the Chucho Avellanet Show, at the gala of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, at the Yagüez Theater in Mayagüez with the special participation of Chucho Avellanet.

The show that closed the tour in Puerto Rico took place at the Science Park in Bayamón. It is worth mentioning that Al Schnitzler and Emilio Reales were musicians in Tito Rodríguez’s orchestra in the 1960s.

Searching through the archives I think I fell for the performance of El Mulato Rumbero.

Although Tito, Jr. has not insisted on the label of being the son of the great vocalist Tito Rodriguez, it is not possible to escape the good shadow of being the son of a Puerto Rican glory who, almost fifty years after his death, is still a topic of conversation in musical circles.

WedSite: Tito Rodriguez, Jr.

By: Bella Martinez “La Escritora Irreverente de La Salsa”

Puerto Rico

WebSite: Bella Martinez

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