24496: MassMusike (announce) Charanga Soleil returns to Satalla, NYC * Weds., March 23 @ 9:30pm (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MassMuzik@aol.com

Radio Soleil in collaboration with Music for the Masses
presents a return engagement by
All-Star International Dance Band
CHARANGA SOLEIL
…where Cuba meets Haiti & returns to Africa…

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

followed by Dance Party with Radio Soleil's
Al Angeloro & DJ Neva

One Show at 9:30pm * Admission $12

Satalla, 37 W. 26 St., NYC
212-576-1155 * www.satalla.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Soleil and Music for the Masses have joined forces to create CHARANGA
SOLEIL – a new and exciting musical project that brings together three of the
world’s greatest dance genres: Cuban salsa, Congolese rumba-soukous, and H
aitian compas! The brainchild of long-time New York radio personality Al Angeloro,
it is the first time a cross-cultural project such as this has been launched
in the United States.

The charanga ensemble – with its distinctive mix of violins and flute –
migrated from Haiti to Santiago, Cuba in the late 18th century, with the addition
of African-Caribbean percussion and vocal stylings in the 1920s. The modern
Cuban charanga has endured as one of the most popular styles of Afro-Cuban music
in the world, particularly in West Africa and (no surprise) Haiti.

In addition to the standard charanga instrumentation (flute, violin, piano,
bass, conga, vocals and chorus), Charanga Soleil has included the electric
guitar, 21-string West African kora, Cuban tres, Haitian rara drum and a full drum
set. This variation gives the band a unique signature while creating room for
the musicians to explore such diverse rhythms as son montuno, danzón, rumba,
changüí, beguine, bolero, zouk, merengue, Haitian racine (roots) and more. It
also allows the instruments to perform non-traditional roles: the tres takes
on a soukous lead guitar line, the kora plays in "clave," etc.

All seasoned master musicians and bandleaders in their own right, the group's
members are: Cathy Lopez (vocals); Sheena (vocals); Colette Michaan (flute,
vocals); Sergio Rivera (piano); M. Salieu Suso (kora, vocals); Lewis Kahn
(violin); Junior Rivera (tres, vocals); Zivanai Masango (guitar, vocals); Yoham
"Chiqui" Ortiz (bass, vocals), Oscar Debe (drums, percussion); Markus Schwartz
(Haitian percussion) and Lino Fernandez (Cuban percussion).

Taking its name from RADIO SOLEIL – the Haitian community station located in
Brooklyn, NY (www.radiosoleil.com) – Charanga Soleil reintroduces the
long-abandoned concept of a radio station represented by an orchestra or big band. The
best known of these was the WNBC Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.
More recent examples were Cuba’s Radio Progreso and Ansanm Comés of Haiti’s
Radio Commerce. Currently, the only other such collaboration is Finnish radio
station YLE’s UMO Jazz Orchestra.

As a pioneer of Haitian-American radio broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week in three languages (Kreyol, French and English), Radio Soleil transmits
on an FM sub-signal from Brooklyn, NY to a listener base of more than 600,000
Haitians across a five-state area, as well as an ever-expanding international
Internet audience. Along with comprehensive news programs, the station remains
a showcase for Haitian and other world musics. It is only fitting that the
primary Haitian radio station should bring back the best in radio tradition by
associating itself with a charanga band; hence: CHARANGA SOLEIL!

For further information about Charanga Soleil, or for media/industry guest
list, please contact:
Neva E. Wartell - 201-459-6039, massmuzik@aol.com
Al Angeloro - 718-834-8847, alangelo2000@yahoo.com

MUSIC FOR THE MASSES
Specialists in World Music * Production - Promotion - Consulting
28 Beach St., Jersey City, NJ 07307
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Listen to Music for the Masses LIVE
with DJ Al Angeloro & DJ Neva
Every Fri. 12midnight - 4am Sat. (EST)
on www.RadioSoleil.com
Haitian Community Radio, NYC