With the release of 8 full-length albums, the 3 time Cubadisco Award-winning, 2 time Latin Grammy-nominated Santiago de Cuba-based septet Septeto Santiaguero have developed an internationally recognized profile for a sound that draws from the roots of Cuban son and guaracha — but based around the musical traditions of their hometown. And as a result, the septet have toured over 30 countries around the world and played at some of the world’s most renowned venues and festivals including Paris‘ Bataclan (Vive le Bataclan! Vive le Paris!), the Frankfurt Opera, the UK’s Womad Festival, Pamplona, Spain‘s Fiesta de Los Sanfermines, Madrid‘s Veranos de la Villa, Dusseldorf‘s Festival Jazz Rally, Norway’s Fordefolk Festival, Vic-Ferzensac‘s Tempo Latino, Cinema Paradiso and several others — all while being anointed to succeed the legendary Buena Vista Social Club as the ambassador of authentic Cuban Music by the Cuban press.
The band’s latest effort, Tribute a Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto, a collaboration with Dominican salsero Jose Alberto “El Canario” was nominated for a Best Tropical Latin Album Grammy in next month’s Grammys. To celebrate their recent signing with Montreal-based booking agency Cuza Agency for both North and South America and their Grammy nomination, check out Septeto Santiaguero on the buoyant and infectious single “El lunar,” a composition that pairs guitar, horns, percussion and call and response vocals around a rhythm that will make you move; in fact, the music video features the dancing of dance troupe Sabor DKY spliced with footage of the band jamming and getting down on the streets of their hometown — and it’s as equally infectious and buoyant as the song itself. Oh, and it’s a wonderful reminder that summer will be upon us soon enough!
