Thursday, June 24, 2010

Download these two new songs

"Mi Superheroe"

"Diga Usted Coronel"

  
Download now or listen on posterous
Mi_Superheroe.mp3 (3650 KB)

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Photos from today at Rutgers University

Photos from today at Rutgers University

Today at Rutgers University, NJ

Today we're going to Rutgers University in New Jersey to play for a talk show which will be broadcasted soon (I'm still not sure where but I'll put up the info when I have it). We'll be playing one song and they'll be interviewing us. The whole band wouldn't fit in the studio(!) so it's only the rhythm section for today: Ignacio "Nacho" Hernandez on guitar, Andres Rotmistrovsky on bass, Victor Cruz on "alegre" drum, Marcelo Woloski playing "tambora" drum and Karina Colis on Drum Set. I'll be singing and playing accordion.
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Sunday, June 20, 2010

Gregorio Uribe Big Band @ MSR Studios # 2

Here is another video of the recording of "Caribe Contigo" which will be released soon.

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Playing with Folklore Urbano

On my way to play drums with "Floklore Urbano". I'm exited, I miss playing drums! Check them out: www.flokloreurbano.com
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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Tonight @ Joe's Pub

Going out tonight to see Sofia Rei Koutsovitis perform at Joe's Pub...she's amazing! Here is the info:

 

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis

UPCOMING SHOWS

Price: $15 in advance; $20 at the door
  • 7:00 PM - June 19 Buy Tix

SHOW DESCRIPTION

"As the Argentine singer Sofia Rei Koutsovitis led her multinational band,(…) the passion and clarity with which she assayed a tricky mix of South American rhythms and jazz-inflected harmonies made clear why she has been embraced by New York City audiences from Carnegie Hall to the hippest downtown haunts." - Phil Lutz, New York Times

"One of the most versatile and in-demand singers on the New York music scene." - Simon Calle,  All About Jazz 

Best Latin Jazz Vocalist of  2009 Award - The Latin Jazz Corner 

 

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis is one of New York’s most passionate, charismatic and inventive vocalists, who brings depth and fullness of a riveting voice to her second album, Sube Azul, as well as to her live performance. Following up on Ojalá, her polyglot and multilingual debut, she offers this time a collection of mostly original Spanish-language songs that build on a new set of growth experiences since moving to New York in 2005.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the album is grounded in traditional South American rhythms such as chacarera, zamba and vidala from Argentina, Afro-peruvian festejo and lando, Afro-Uruguayan candombe, Colombian cumbia and bullerengue and other genres that merge involving jazz harmonies, electronic sounds and rich improvisations. Singing in Spanish, Portuguese or English, Sofia's voice is graceful as well as sophisticated, tying together diverse influences in a program full of rhythmic complexity, melody and romance.

Sofia is a restless artist, one of the most versatile and in-demand singers on the New York music scene. 

FEATURED ARTISTS

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Thursday, June 17, 2010

TONIGHT (Friday): Gregorio Uribe Big Band @ Encounter of Colombian Musicians NYC

Hey folks, here is the info for tonight's (FRIDAY) show. Come see us and many other great bands! 

 
 
 
 
VII Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York
TOMORROW, Friday and Saturday, June 18-19th, 6pm-12am
Don't miss it!  If you haven't purchased tickets, they are $5 cheaper if you purchase in advance.  TOMORROW and SATURDAY Pablo and Anna Mayor announce guest of honorTotó la Momposina and her son and musical director, master drummer Marco Vinicio Oyaga, at their seventh annual Colombian music festival to be held at El Museo del Barrio (museum on 5th Ave. between 104th and 105th St. in Manhattan) 
 
Festival will feature nearly 20 bands playing Colombian music, dancing in the café between sets, Colombian food, drink, and a CELEBRATION of the music of Colombia. See schedule below.
 
Tickets are cheaper in advance:
 
SUPER SABADOS at the museum, Saturday afternoon, June 19th, will also feature short workshop/presentations (free admission) as a part of the Encuentro celebration between the hours of 1 and 4:45 pm in the theatre
 
Afro-Colombian Drum Workshop with Marco Vinicio STILL OPEN for Friday, 6/19, 3-5pm
Just show up! Enter through doors of the museum (El MUSEO), and proceed to the elevators to the right.  Someone will instruct you as to where the drum workshop is. $15, pay at the door
 
To see video clips of previous Encuentros, go to our You Tube page,ColombianMusiciansNY
TWO DAY Festival SCHEDULE:
 
Friday, June 18th  
6PM FIFO and Citizens of the World (Colombian jazz from Dallas TX)
6:30 Alejandro Flórez and Tibaguí (Modern Andean guitar music)
7:00 Ricardo Gallo-Tierra de Nadie (Contemporary Colombian jazz)
7:30 Hector Martignon (Colombian Latin jazz veteran and virtuoso pianist)
8:00 Dance Break in Café
8:45 Guests of Honor-Totó la Momposina with percussionist Marco Vinicio Oyaga
9:20 Gregorio Uribe Big Band (singer/accordionist Gregorio Uribe’s dance band)
9:50  Marta Gómez (renowned singer-songwriter)
10:20 Dance Break in Café
10:50 Johanna Castañeda y su Grupo Llanero (rhythmic music from Los Llanos featuring Johanna Castañeda on cuatro and vocals, with Colombian harp)
11:20 Rebolú (Caribbean dance band)
12am End
 
Saturday, June 19th
6pm Parias Ensemble (classical/contemporary/jazz fusion led by guitarist Daniel Reyes)
6:30 Harold Gutierrez (musical director of Mestizo dance ensemble-traditional dance music)
7:00 Sebastián Cruz and the Cheap Landscape Trio (rock/jazz fusion led by guitarist and Lucía Pulido’s musical director Sebastián Cruz)
7:30  Plectro Trio from Colombia (traditional Andean music from renowned Colombian based guitar trio)
8pm Dance Break in Café
8:45 Folklore Urbano (Pablo Mayor’s renowned 12-piece jazz/dance orchestra)
 9:15 Guests of Honor-Totó la Momposina with percussionist Marco Vinicio Oyaga
 9:50  Samuel  Torres (renowned virtuoso percussionist)
10:20 Yiyo Obregón y Grupo Chonta (traditional music from Colombia’s pacific coast led by marimba maestro Diego Obregon)
11 La Cumbiamba eNeYe (Renowned folkloric band led by Martin Vejarano)
11:30 Jam/Descarga Colombiana
12am End

Workshop Presentations/Target free Super Sabados -in the theatre
1-1:30 pm  Johanna Castañeda y su cuatro
Storytelling through music with Johanna Castañeda, voice and cuatro, playing "musica llanera", music from the plains region of Colombia
 
1:30-2pm  La Gaita
Martin Vejarano from La Cumbiamba eNeYe presents the native flute from the Caribbean coast of Colombia
 
3-3:30pm Música de los Andes
Alejandro Flórez on tiple leads a workshop presentation on the Andes music of Colombia, with Anna Povich de Mayor on flute
 
3:30-4pm El Piano de la Jungla
Yiyo Obregon presents the "piano of the jungle," marimba de chonta, from the very African-influenced Pacific coast of Colombia
 
4-4:45pm  Caribbean Drums of Colombia
featuring students of the Harbor Conservatory and the Colombian drum workshop
 
more info. at:  
Facebook/Twitter/Flickr:  Encuentro de Músicos Colombianos en Nueva York
As always, thank you for supporting our music!

Hope to see you soon,
Pablo Mayor-Folkore Urbano
Pablo Mayor-Folklore Urbano
Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York
 Encuentro de Músicos Colombianos en Nueva York
NYC
visit us on FACEBOOK/search Encuentro de Músicos Colombianos en Nueva York
for info. on Folklore Urbano or to purchase CD's, visit our website
for Folklore Urbano on I-Tunes, visit http://www.cdbaby.com,
Facebook and MySpace, search Pablo Mayor-Folklore Urbano

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Finished mixing "Caribe Contigo"

Just finished mixing "Caribe Contigo" with engineer Lawrence Manchester and producer Juan Pablo Mantilla. Its sounding great! We'll be mastering it next week and editing the video...I'll keep you posted.


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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

"Mi Superheroe"

Here is a little cute song I wrote for my father's 60th birthday a few days ago. Enjoy! (This was recorded at Ears and Gears - www.earsandgears.com)

  
Download now or listen on posterous
Mi_Superheroe.mp3 (3650 KB)

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Gregorio Uribe Big Band @ MSR Studios # 1

I'm going to start putting up some videos of the "behind the scenes" of our recording last week so you can get a feel of the atmosphere in the studio. Here is the first one!

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Afro-Colombian Rhythms Workshops in NYC with Toto La Momposina's percussionist

Here is a great opportunity for percussionist, drummers and musicians in general of learning about colombian rhythms directly from a master!

 
 
 
 
VII Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York
4 workshops on Afro-Colombian Rhythms from the Caribbean coast of Colombia
Harbor Conservatory presents
in conjunction with
Pablo Mayor and the VII Encounter of Colombian Musicians in NY
4 workshops on Afro-Colombian Rhythms from the Caribbean coast of Colombia
 
June 15, 16, 17 and 18, 2010
 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
 Individual sessions are $15, a series of all 4 are $50. 
 
Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts is pleased to host 4 workshops on Afro-Colombian Rhythms from the Caribbean coast of Colombia taught by MARCO VINICIOOYAGA, master drummer and musical director for Toto la Momposina as part  of the VII Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York Festival founded and directed by Pablo Mayor. Individual sessions are $15 each, and a series of all 4 are $50.  To reserve a space please e-mail Pablo or Anna Mayor, at folkloreurbano@earthlink.net. Harbor Conservatory is located in the Heckscher Building along with El Museo del Barrio at One East 104th Street and Fifth Avenue
 
Learn the African roots of cumbia and other rhythms like porro, fandango, and puya from Colombia's atlantic coast.  Selected workshop participants will play and participate in a culminating performance in conjunction with El Museo del Barrio's Super Sabado Target Free Saturdays on June 19th event and Pablo Mayor's "VII Encounter of Colombian Musicians in NY"
 
Nina Gale Olson
Director of External Affairs
Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts &
Raices Latin Music Museum @ Boys & Girls Harbor
One East 104th Street, New York, NY 10029
Tel: 212/427-2244ext. 577
www.facebook.com : Harbor Conservatory
Now Celebrating 40 Years of Enriching Lives through the Arts
 
 
As always, thank you for supporting our music!

Hope to see you soon,
Pablo Mayor-Folkore Urbano
Pablo Mayor-Folklore Urbano
Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York
 Encuentro de Músicos Colombianos en Nueva York
NYC
visit us on FACEBOOK/search Encuentro de Músicos Colombianos en Nueva York
for info. on Folklore Urbano or to purchase CD's, visit our website
for Folklore Urbano on I-Tunes, visit http://www.cdbaby.com,
Facebook and MySpace, search Pablo Mayor-Folklore Urbano

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Saturday, June 5, 2010

Silvio, Mockus and other craziness...


> I'm at Carnegie Hall sitting in front of a column (this column wasn't on the sitting description!) waiting to see Silvio Rodriguez perform live for the first time in my life. There are protesters outside and I understand why...they are right; Cuba will keep on being a difficult subject for many years. But I'm not here for the politics...(write at this point the lights went down, everybody started screaming of excitement and I had to stop writing on my blackberry because Silvio was about to come out. So I resent this small paragraph to my own email and promised myself I would continue writing it once I got home and this is what I'm doing right now, so lets continue: where was I?)

So politics...yeah, I wasn't there for the politics, I was there for the music; the beautifully crafted arrangements, the mastering of song writing, the complex yet simple and honest sentiments described and so many more elements that make Silvio a master songwriter...its not about Silvio, its about his music. Its about his individual experience as a human being and how he, like most artists, try to reflect all of what he is in his music...and he succeeds. Its not about liking who he is, its about realizing the uniqueness and grandeur with which he brings all that he is made of in melodies, verses and harmonies. Its not about what he says,;its about how he says it...it's not about agreeing with what he says; its about realizing that the way he says it has an impact weather its positive or negative one. And I'm not arguing with anyone right now (although it may sound like it! hehe), but what I saw tonight brings many thoughts to mind and although I have no way of organizing these right now, they are there...in my head...al the time!

I'm not sure if he was playing in another city other than New York but it makes a lot of sense that he would perform here and it gives me another reason (like I need one more) to love this place...I mean, I'm sure he's not playing in DC! (who know's I should do some research...but I really don't think he is). It makes sense that he would perform here because of many obvious reasons but personally it makes sense because there shouldn't be a conflict between me loving his music and loving day to day life in New York City. It is this kind of mentality that we should strive for: objectiveness! Passion is great and beautiful and is simply part of us but it shouldn't blind us. There is wisdom in not having to care that much, in not having to choose, in not having to compromise...the world is what it is and I don't plan on falling in to the trap of always having to choose; everything has it good things and bad things or can you prove otherwise?. Do we really think it will ever be simple having billions of human beings in the world, each one with individual thoughts and sentiments? I believe in a sort of optimistic chaos and you know why? Because I see that the people who understand that chaos, that complexity, that inevitability of the world are the ones that will hurt the world the least. When you think like that there is no idea important enough that will lead you to, for example, kill someone. Because people like this understand that most things cannot be controlled and aren't as important (and I mean this in a positive, enthusiastic and optimistic way believe it or not)......at this point I have no idea where I'm going with this, so I'll just leave there...for now at least.

The other thing that has been revolving in my mind is the whole thing about the current presidential elections in Colombia. There is a great opportunity to start (finally!) to create a country of civilized, educated and OBJECTIVE people...but the sad part is how many colombians are scared of voting for that change because "we are not ready for it", "we have to solve other problems first", "Mockus is crazy" and so on...but then, will we ever be ready? I mean, aren't all the problems that we have now part of being "raised" as a country with a wrong mentality? Its a cycle: we keep postponing building a strong base because we always have to take care of some problems on the higher floors of the building...well, at some point there has to be a generation which is willing to bite the bullet and start taking care of the long term problem: the mentality! I'm no expert (pretty much in anything, for that matter) but I do believe that our problems begin with mentality and should be solved by changing that mentality.

Talking about mentality, let me go back to Silvio's concert at Carnegie Hall today. It was a very exiting moment today. Ironically (and don't make me explain why I think this is ironic) I love to go to these concerts by myself and keep completely focused (no singing, no dancing...almost no clapping...almost as if I'm trying as hard as I can to for a private channel between me and the artist so I can see them and only them). Of course the people where going crazy and the crowd was very enthusiastic. They loved him and every few seconds someone would actually scream out "Silvio TE AMO!" "Viva Cuba Silvio" etc...but to me it's puzzling how you can love him (or his music) so much and not SHUT UP so you can actually here his songs! GOD!!! What the fuck is the point of loving that particular song if you don't let him play it because your yelling out whatever you're thinking! Its not a rock concert! Would you do that if he were playing in your leaving room? What about the freaking cellphone pictures?!! That's the most stupid of all, let me see if I can understand it: so you've been looking at this guy only in pictures throughout your whole life (and maybe some youtube videos) and you can't wait for the moment when you actually see him live, when you really know that he is there, when you can almost touch him, when you can listen to his breath on the speakers and what's the first thing you do when this moment comes? TAKE A PICTURE! Wow...you're really taking advantage of the opportunity! Don't get me wrong, the beauty of these concerts its the excitement of thousands of people connected because of someone's music. The clapping when the guy comes out to the stage, when a song ends, when he says something funny, the thousands of people singing a melody when he gives the cue...those are all fabulous things. But two hours of idiots screaming out what their political views are, what song they want him to play, what country they are from and so forth really gets old and did I mention that "hey the guy is trying to introduce the song!!". Oh yeah, lets not forget my favorite imbecile that screamed out "Mockus Presidente!"...and this leads me to what I was saying before (I don't know...somewhere at some point) about objectivity: as you can imagine I'm in love with Mockus but I think that the guy who screamed it out in the middle of a song is an idiot.

Anyway, I'm glad you wasted your time reading this because you probably learned nothing and your confused. I wouldn't be surprised if someone would say something like "wait, so Mockus was performing with Silvio Rodriguez?" hahaha! You know what folks, don't even worry about it! Sweet dreams.

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Thursday, June 3, 2010

"Toto La Momposina" will perform at the Encounter of Colombian Musicians in NYC!

Toto La Momposina, Colombia's most famous traditional artist, is coming to perform at the Encounter for Colombian Musicians in New York and guess what? We're playing right after her!! Talk about pressure right?!

The Encounter takes plays on both the 18th and 19th of June (we play on Friday the 18th at 9:20pm) and it includes amazing bands and musicians such as Folklore Urbano, La Cumbiamba Eneye, Lucia Pulido, Samuel Torres, Marta Gomez and did I mention "Toto La Momposina"?!!

You folks can't miss it. Its a beautiful event for all ages that Pablo and Anna Mayor (Folklore Urbano) have been organizing for many seven years already and its getting better each time! Below is all the info so pass it around.

 

VII ENCOUNTER OF COLOMBIAN MUSICIANS
 IN NEW YORK /

VII ENCUENTRO DE MÚSICOS COLOMBIANOS 
EN NUEVA YORK

encuentro logo

Seventh Annual Festival Announces Performance Schedule

Special Guests of Honor To Include Vocalist Totó la Momposina 
and her son, Artistic Director Marco Vinicio Oyaga

Festival organizers announce the performance schedule for the seventh annual Encounter of Colombian Musicians in New York, Saturday, June 18 through Sunday, June 19. This year's festival includes special guests of honor, legendary Colombian vocalist Totó la Momposina with her Artistic Director and son, Marco Vinicio Oyaga. 

Set to feature nearly 20 of New York's renowned Colombian musical ensembles, Encuentrowill convene upon one of NYC's prestigous cultural institutions this year, turning Harlem's El Museo del Barrio into a two-day center for Colombian music and culture on Manhattan's upper east-side.  This celebrated event will highlight Colombia's musical treasures, its rhythms like cumbia, currulao, vallenato, and bambuco, among countless others, on the eve of the Bicentennial year of Colombian independence.

The Encounter, or Encuentro, continues to inspire, educate, and awe its audiences with its varied artist showcases, ranging from the poetry of Marta Gómez, to the fire of virtuoso percussionist Samuel Torres, to the pure joy of the Afro-Colombian music of Diego Obregon's marimba de chonta, to the more subtle sounds of Spanish-derived Andean guitar music this year featuring Plectro Trio direct from Colombia. Dance bands like La Cumbiamba eNeYe, Pablo Mayor's renowned orchestra Folklore Urbano, and more jazz-oriented and avant-garde veterans like Hector Martignon and Lucía Pulido, reveal how Colombian music has taken its place at the forefront of the world music scene here in New York City and beyond. 


Festival Schedule

Friday, June 18th 6 PM - 12 AM
6:00 PM FIFO and Citizens of the World (Colombian jazz from Dallas TX)
6:30 PM Alejandro Flórez and Tibaguí (Modern Andean guitar music)
7:00 PM Ricardo Gallo-Tierra de Nadie (Contemporary Colombian jazz)
7:30 PM Hector Martignon (Colombian Latin jazz veteran and virtuoso pianist)
8:00 PM Dance Break in Café
8:45 PM Guest of Honor-Totó la Momposina
9:20 PM Gregorio Uribe Big Band (singer/accordionist Gregorio Uribe's dance band)
9:50 PM Marta Gómez (renowned singer-songwriter)
10:20 PM Dance Break in Café
10:50 PM Johanna Castañeda y su Grupo Llanero (rhythmic music from Los Llanos featuring Johanna Castañeda on cuatro and vocals, with Colombian harp)
11:20 PM Rebolú (Caribbean dance band)

Saturday, June 19th 6 PM - 12 AM
6:00 PM Parias Ensemble (classical/contemporary/jazz fusion led by guitarist Daniel Reyes)
6:30 PM Harold Gutierrez (musical director of Mestizo dance ensemble-traditional dance music)
7:00 PM Sebastián Cruz and the Cheap Landscape Trio (rock/jazz fusion led by guitarist and Lucía Pulido's musical director Sebastián Cruz)
7:30 PM Plectro Trio from Colombia (traditional Andean music from renowned Colombian based guitar trio)
8:00 PM Dance Break in Café
8:45 PM Folklore Urbano (Pablo Mayor's renowned 12-piece jazz/dance orchestra)
9:15 PM Guest of Honor-Totó la Momposina
9:50 PM Samuel  Torres (renowned virtuoso percussionist)
10:20 PM Yiyo Obregón y Grupo Chonta (traditional music from Colombia's pacific coast led by marimba maestro Diego Obregon)
11:00 PM La Cumbiamba eNeYe (Renowned folkloric band led by Martin Vejarano)
11:30 PM Jam/Descarga Colombiana


High Line
 
VII ENCOUNTER OF COLOMBIAN MUSICIANS IN NEW YORK /
VII ENCUENTRO DE MÚSICOS COLOMBIANOS EN NUEVA YORK
 
Friday, June 18, 6 PM - 12 AM
*Saturday, June 19, 6 PM - 12 AM

*1 - 4 PM (Target FREE Super Sabados)

Tickets:
One evening pass:
At the door: $30.00, in advance: $25.00
Students with ID: $20.00 (ID required))
Children (12 and under): $15 (ID required)
 
El Museo Del Barrio
1230 East 5th Avenue (at 104th Street)
New York, NY 10029
Phone: (212) 831-7272
Website: http://www.elmuseo.org
El Museo
 
For more information, please contact:
 
Pablo Mayor-Folklore urbano 917-655-1927
Anna Povich de Mayor - folkloreurbano@earthlink.net

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Everything went great...I'm just tired.

The show at Fat Cat was so much fun. Monday's recording was amazing. I didn't get any sleep the night before the recording so I'm still recuperating! I'llbe posting some videos as soon as I get my life back in track, so bare with me!
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