La Cuneta Son Machin, Nicaragua

I just discovered the music of La Cuneta Son Machin and I love them. What makes them fantastic?  They blend traditional Latin sounds with a sprinkle of rock, punk, pop, jazz, funk, polka, and Marimba. 

The following popular song, '' Entre Ritmos y Palmeras '' by Los Hermanos Cortez, starts off normally and within few seconds, you will hear the flavor of La Cuneta Son Machín.
(Listen to the Marimba bit, it’s just wonderful) http://youtu.be/kpPRtatgWuE

La Cuneta Son Machin was created August 9, 2009 in Managua (Barrio Ciudad Jardin), Nicaragua, in front of Santo Domingo de Guzman.
Santo Domingo de Guzman is the patron saint of Managua.   

The group’s objective is to promote Nicaraguan traditional music and create a sense of national pride as well as generate awareness and interest of Nicaragua's rich culture in the new generation. Also, they purposely mix the music chinameras-metaleras so their listeners can identify with their favorites sound. 

I also love the fact that they are not pretentious and their energy is raw, unique and sincere. They make their own videos and during their performance wear chinelas Rolter, (flip flops Rolter). I super love the integration of the Marimba sound in all their songs.

They are mainly known as La Cuneta.  The word “cuneta” literally means curb as in the end of the street. 

Members:

CARLOS LUIS "LA BUJILLA" MEJÍA (Marimba, timbales)
CARLOS "FRIJOL" GUILLEN (Voz lider) Lead voice
FABIO "FABRIZZIO" BUITRAGO (Batería, timbales, coros) Drums, chorus
OMAR "EL PROFESOR" SUAZO (Guitarras) Guitar
CÉSAR "EL PUMA" RODRÍGUEZ (Teclados) Key board
AUGUSTO "EL NEGRO" MEJÍA (Bajo, coros) Chorus
JEMAX ROJAS LUNA (VJ)
ERICK REYES  (Técnico de audio) Sound Engineer
"JUANCITO" (Asistente de escenario) Assistant to

Upcoming performances: 

USA California, May 2012  

(exact date and location will be posted)

Costa Rica's International Art Festival 2012.  festivaldelasartes.go.cr/

Thursday March 22:La Sabana, Tarima Kolbi  10pm
Friday March 23: La Sabana, Tarima Fidel Gamboa  5pm
Saturday March 24: Parque La Libertad  6pm 

Their Official site: http://www.lacunetasonmachin.com/ 
There is a section called La Rockonola and you can listen to a number of their songs.

La Cuneta Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-CUNETA-SON-MACHIN/151999317951

Song: Catalina -- the video was recorded during their live performance in the feast of Santo Domingo de Guzman. http://youtu.be/8BxwLrHgIk8

Que onza balanza by La cuneta Son Machine.http://youtu.be/kpPRtatgWuE



 Song: El Santo Cachon. Link: http://youtu.be/5iUEmVahycQ

UNDERKARL Tours Nicaragua's Jazz Festivals

If Jazz is your thing, UNDERKARL will be touring Nicaragua in March 2012, their unique sound is  a blend of contemporary music, rock and jazz.

A quick preview of their music:  http://youtu.be/lhT87vzMZgc 
 

 

Locations, dates and time

Managua
Date: March 13, 2013
Location: Colegio Alemán Nicaragüense, Carretera Sur, Km 10 ½.
Time: 7 pm
Cost: C$50

Matagalpa
Date: March 15, 2012 during Matagalpa's International Jazz Festival.
Location: Centro Cultural de Heroes y Martires.
Time: 6 pm
Free

Other Performances in Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico.

16/03/2012   Tegucigalpa's Jazz Festival, Honduras
17/03/2012   San Jose's International Art's Festival, Costa Rica
23/03/2012   Centro de las Artes / San Luis Potosí, Mexico
24/03/2012   Eurojazz / Mexico City, Mexico
27/03/2012   Escuela Superior de Música del INBA / Mexico City
                   (joint performance with FAS Trio, Mexico)

Line-up: 

Sebastian Gramss (bass)
Lömsch Lehmann (tenor)
Christof Thewes (trombone)
Frank Wingold (guitar)
Dirk Peter Kölsch (drums)

Underkarl, founded by bass player Sebastian Gramss from Cologne, Germany in 1993, are hotly tipped as one of the foremost upcoming European jazz bands. Its five members are each highly respected soloists and instrumentalists in their own right. Together they have played more than 300 concerts and have performed at international festivals all over Europe, their music continually pushing the boundaries of contemporary music, rock, jazz and improvised music. The spectrum of activities pursued by the bassist Sebastian Gramss extends from very individual versions of jazz standards in 20^th Century Jazz Cover, through film and radio play music, to his equally idiosyncratic vision of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (BWV 988). This talent for exploration together with their long history of working together has earned them an enviable reputation as a fantastic live instrumental band.

Underkarl's latest program "Goldberg" is merging classical roots with a jazz approach in a unique interpretation of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations (BWV 988). This program was released on CD "Goldberg" (Enja) with renowned producer Jean Szymczak in late 2007. First, in the 1999, Underkarl recorded excerpts of the Goldberg Variations for their third album "Marathon". They have now adapted and interpreted the complete series of the "Aria" and its 30 variations. (I took this info from: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Underkarl.htm

Recordings:

“Melting Pot” (2012)
“Goldberg” (2007)
“Freemix”, Underkarl feat. Holger Czukay (2005)
“Second Brain” (2003)
“Maraton” (2001)
“Jazzessence” (1999)
“20 Century Jazz Cover” (1996)

UNDERKARL's Official Website:  http://underkarl.de/