Bamboleo

Since the group's creation in 1995, Bamboleo has emerged as Havana's hottest timba group and has quickly earned a worldwide reputation for its dynamic original sound and stage presence. The 14-piece band is headed by pianist and arranger Lazaro Valdes and features four charismatic singers: Vannia Borges, Yordamis Megret, Alejandro Borreo, and Jorge David.

Lazaro Valdes born and raised in Habana from a musical family, began to study piano in 1972 at the Alejandro García Caturla Academy. Bamboleo first came together when Lazaro Valdes decided he wanted to venture out on his own after having played with such notable figures as Hector Tellez, Bobby Carcasses, and Pachito Alonso (with whom he played for five years). Through Lazaro's funky style of playing the "tumbaos", Bamboleo is set apart from other timba and contemporary Cuban music groups. Lazaro put together a band of very talented and well-studied musicians-most of Bamboleo's band members are graduated from the National School of the Arts in Havana, each a master of his instrument - and found Haila Mompie, the band's original female vocalist who left Bamboleo in 1997. It was Haila who discovered Vannia Borges while she was working with another band, and requested that she come rehearse with Bamboleo. Vannia immediately accepted this invitation and has since been considered "la voz dulce"-the "sweet voice"-of Bamboleo. Vannia, originally from Habana, studied music from the age of 5 yrs at the National School of Arts in Habana and graduated in 1989. She began her career in 1992 in a female quartet D'capo lead by Alina Torres where she sang for four years. In 1996 Vannia sang with Pachito Alonso y su kini kini for a year and then joined Bamboleo in 1997. After auditioning several Cuban beauties to fill the void after Haila's departure, Bamboleo found Yordamis Megret-the perfect counterpart to Vannia Borges. Yordamis, originally from Guantanamo, began to study guitar at the age of 10 at Regino Eladio Boti in Guantanamo. In 1995 she graduated from the National School of Arts in Habana and began her singing career in 1995 with Ricacha. A year and a half later, Yordamis sang with the salsa group PG, lead by Jose Luis Cortés founder and leader of NG La Banda. It was in 1998 that Yordamis was discovered to join Bamboleo, at the time they were beginning their world wide tours.

The music and performance of Bamboleo is characterized by captivating movement, dynamic energy, and overt sensuality. When the group performs live, it is a sight to behold. Their urban hip-hop look and the way the ladies gyrate their hips in a funky dance call the "tembleque" leave their audiences dumbfounded. With the men in hip Italian suits and the women sporting elegant dresses contrasted by shorn heads, Bamboleo personifies a tightly knit musical partnership accentuated by a stunning visual display.

Bamboleo is the musical extension of songo, a vibrant sound created in the 1980's by Los Van Van. The new Cuban sound used the son as its foundation but fused electric instruments and r&b horns. As songo became the rage, it evolved into the more complex timba incorporating doses of funk, rap, and jazz-a fusion that is the band's powerful and aggressive trademark sound.

Bamboleo's first album, Te Gusto o Te Caigo Bien, released in 1996, opened their doors to the world as they began worldwide tours. They have played all of the hottest venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Miami, and have toured extensively throughout the U.S.. In 1997, Bamboleo released their second album Yo No Me Parezco A Nadie-- an album that critics have referred to as a "total masterpiece." Their third album, Ya No Hace Falta, released in 1999, is a collection of a dozen tracks of irresistible tropical bliss. Following this release was an extensive international tour, which included Japan, Europe, the United States, and China where they played the Heineken 2000 World Music Festival in Beijing. In May of 2000 a dance remix CD titled "No Qué Bueno Está!" was released, which was a combination of live tracks and several different dance style remixes from house to hip-hop. Bamboleo also participated in a recording with the Temptations on a CD titled Ear-Resistable which won a Grammy 1n 2000, for best traditional R&B vocal album.

Bamboleo has also had the opportunity to perform with such eminences as George Benson, who jammed with them at the Café Cantante in Cuba. They have also performed in Festivals with Femi Kuti, Zap Mama, and James Brown.

This 14- piece monster band has come a long way in a short time, having their videos on regular rotation on major national and international video programs, and making an appearance on MTV's Road Rules and Univision's Primer Impacto. Bamboleo has also been featured on the covers of several music publications and has received great critical acclaim nationally and internationally.