Salsa lovers know what they're doing. Manolito y su Trabuco is an innovative group with a unique line-up. The latter is based on the traditional line-up of charanga orchestras (violon, cello and flute) plus timbales, to which visionary band leader Manolito Simonet has added keyboards and drums. Top that with three singers, who all take solos, and you have a veritable war machine. Manolito y su Trabuco has salseros the world over dancing. Resistance is useless!
Born in Camaguey Manuel Simonet learnt piano and tres with the Amateur Artists Movement. In the early 1980, he became the pianist for two groups, Lagrimas Negras and Inspiracion, and in 1986 became musical director, composer and arranger for the Maravillas de Florida orchestra.
En 1993, he created his own group, Manolito y su Trabuco. The term "trabuco" in Cuba refers to a team's power. Manolito's Trabuco lives up to its name. It is a powerful, explosive group that inspires ecstatic reactions from fans and a hearty recommendation to see them live. In 1994, Mi Salsa, Cuba's most popular TV programme, hailed the group as the discovery of the year. The following year they produced their first record Directo al Corazon, with Egrem and embarked on their first international tour. Both were an instant success.
More albums followed: Contra Todos los Pronosticos (Egrem, 1996), Marcando la Distancia (Egrem, 1998), Para Que Baile Cuba (Egrem, 2000) and Se Rompieron los Termometros (Egrem, 2001). Manolito y su Trabuco won the dance music award at the Cuban record festival Cubadisco in 1999 and 2000, as well as the Nicolas Guillen poetry for the track Llego la Musica Cubana. In 2004, their album Locos por mi Habana (Egrem) got the Egrem prize for the top-selling record, the critics' prize and the year's top dance music prize. In 2006 Hablando en Serio was next very popular album, the same as their CD Control in 2008. In 2010 the band released two albums: Trabuco una vez mas and Beat Cubano – the first Latin Jazz Album of the Band. 2013 with Sin Freno and 2016 with No puedo parar the Trabuco dance records production continued. The album Hecho in Cuba in 2015 recorded together with famous guitarist Dominic Miller, Sting’s sidekick since more than 20 years, showed again the great variety of musical flavours the band can perform.
True giants of Cuban music, Manolito y su Trabuco, are touring Europe in June / July and October 2018 presenting a brand new album. Not to be missed – not only by salsa lovers.
The party goes on after the concert. The music will be selected and played by DJ Dee and DJ T-Bee.
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