biography

SIERRA MAESTRA

Cuba’s leading son group SIERRA MAESTRA return in 2006 promoting their new album “SON - soul of a nation”, their heart-felt tribute to son music, and are now celebrating the 30th year since their formation

November 2005 saw a tragedy for the group when lead singer José Antonio Rodríguez, a founder member of the group, died suddenly on the night of the last show of that tour. See ‘intro’ for a fuller appreciation
Despite this trauma, the group have auditioned and found a new singer – Jesús Bello Díaz, who won ‘sonero of the year’ in 1995 in the annual Cuban national competition. He is 41 and from Villa Clara province

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After playing a key part in the recent worldwide boom in Cuban traditional music the group released their new album to celebrate the glorious heritage of son music in Cuba, and push the sounds of son to a new place. There are new songs, new guests and a renewed vitality.

Sierra Maestra have been stars of Cuban music ever since the late 1970s. They were the first group, and remain the best, of the modern era to play in the old-style son line-up: tres, guitar, trumpet, bongo, güiro and vocals - as during the great days of the 1920s and ‘30s. They have been the pioneers in reviving this style for new generations and reintroducing it into the Cuban mainstream. They named themselves after the mountain range in the eastern part of Cuba as a tribute to the birthplace of son.

The group have played a significant part in the recent global explosion in popularity of Cuban music. Ex-leader Juan De Marcos González created the Afro-Cuban All Stars and Buena Vista Social Club while still with the band, and Jesus Alemañy, previously trumpet with Sierra Maestra for 15 years, left to create his group Cubanismo. Yet the new tres, percussion and trumpet players, and now a new singer have joined the five original members to make the group line-up perhaps the strongest ever.

Sierra Maestra have recorded 15 albums and over 10 singles and appear on at least 50 compilations.

2000 - release of “SALSA!”, a feature film in which they starred as well as played the music. Internationally distributed by Universal, as is the film soundtrack.
2002 - release of “RUMBERO SOY”, the new songs on World Music Network/ Riverboat Records
2005- release of “Son - soul of a nation“ , their homage to this great Cuban music style.
The group SIERRA MAESTRA is the outstanding son band from Havana. Like vintage rum, some groups just get better and better!

SIERRA MAESTRA INTERNATIONAL TOURS :

1981 + 1982 - Nicaragua
1983 - Finland, Spain, Sweden, Angola, France
1984 - Sweden, Finland, Norway
1985 - Angola, Nicaragua
1986 - West Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Austria
1987 - Zambia, Zaire, Congo, Burundi, Seychelles, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola - they recorded a record in Congo called “ Congo Carabalí”.
1988 - Japan (2 months, 30 cities)
1989 - France, notably the Cuban Festival in Bobigny called “Havana à Paris”. Sierra Maestra were the only son band invited.
1990 - Curaçao
1991 - Mexico (the Cancún Festival of Caribbean Salsa), Nicaragua
1992 - UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Iceland
1993 - UK, Holland, Germany, Spain, Norway, Sweden, France, Belgium.
1994 - UK, France, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden.
1995 - Australia, UK, Benelux, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada.
1996 - Australia, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Germany, Denmark.
1997- UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, USA, Canada
1998 - UK, France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Ireland
1999 - USA, Canada, France, Benelux, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Israel
2000 - France, Italy, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Spain
2001- Japan, Australia, UK, France, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Mexico
2002- France, Germany, Holland, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Mexico
2003- Canada, Mexico, UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Sweden
2004- France, UK, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Lithuania
2005- UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Cap Verde

 

 

Musicians Line-up :

Vocals + claves Luis Barzaga
Vocals Jesús Bello Díaz
Vocals + Maracas Alberto Valdés
Vocals + Tres Emilio Ramos
Trumpet Yelfris Valdes Espinosa
Güiro Carlos Puisseaux
Bongos + Congas + cowbell Eduardo Rico
Claves + percussion Alejandro Suárez
Bass + Band director Eduardo Himely