MARCH 2, 2009
Juan de Marcos & Afro-Cuban All Stars Tour U.S.
Grammy-winning Cuban artists break six year hiatus with tour of 40 U.S. States.
Thanks to the vagaries of U.S.-Cuban diplomatic relations, it's been overt half a decade since Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars have been able to tour the United States. Now, thanks to a recent diplomatic thaw, the Cuban bandleader returns with a brand new Stateside tour scheduled to hit 40 American cities between February and April.
De Marcos, perhaps best known for his work as music director and bandleader of the Buena Vista Social Club project, has been bringing the cream of Cuban musical talent to American audiences for decades, and this current tour puts the spotlight on a whole new generation of talented Cuban singers, instrumentalists, and composers.
The current incarnation of the Afro-Cuban All Stars on this tour brings together top Cuban musicians from the Americas and Europe - including expat pianist Ignacio "Nachito" Herrera, drummer Calixto Oviedo, and trumpeters Yaure Muniz, Igort Rivas & Miguel Valdes - in what promises to be the opening salvo in a new era of U.S.-Cuban cultural exchange.
"It won't be long before the new U.S. administration allows for more cultural exchange," says de Marcos. "This tour stands to be the first in a new period of openness and appreciation for Cuban music, and perhaps the beginning of the end of the embargo itself."
In addition to the tour, de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars will be releasing their Absolutely Live concert CD/DVD on de Marcos's DM Ahora! label to coincide with the U.S. tour. Copies will be available at each venue.
For further information including ticketing and showtimes, please consult the official tour website.
Juan de Marcos & Afro-Cuban All Stars Tour Dates:
March 5, 2009
Lensic Performing Arts Center
Santa Fe, NM
March 6, 2009,
Paramount Theatre
Austin, TX
March 7, 2009
Titas Center
Dallas, TX
March 10, 2009
Hancher Auditorium Presents at West High School
Iowa City, IA
March 13, 2009
Overture Center for the Arts
Madison, WI
March 14, 2009
Myles Reif Performing Arts Center
Grand Rapids, MN
March 15, 2009
Orchestra Hall, MN Orchestral Association
Minneapolis, MN
March 18, 2009
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Urbana, IL
March 20, 2009i
Governers State University Center
University Park, IL
March 22, 2009
Aronoff Center / Procter & Gamble Hall
Cincinnati, OH
March 24, 2009
Miami University - Hall Auditorium
Oxford, OH
March 26, 2009
War Memorial Patriots Theatre
Trenton, NJ
March 27, 2009
Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
Greenvale, NY
March 28, 2009
Town Hall Theatre
New York, NY
March 29, 2009
Zeiterion Theatre
New Bedford, MA
March 31, 2009
The Music Center at Strathmore
North Bethesda, MD
April 1, 2009
Paramount Theatre
Charlottesville, VA
April 2, 2009
American Theatre
Hampton, VA
April 3, 2009
Carolina Theatre
Greensboro, NC
April 4, 2009
Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
April 7, 2009
Sunrise Theatre
Ft. Pierce, FL
April 8, 2009
Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Arts
West Palm Beach, FL
April 9, 2009
Ferguson Hall, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Tampa, FL
April 11, 2009
Knight Concert Hall, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Miami, FL
