Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Performs on Tonight's JAY LENO

On September 14, internationally acclaimed ensemble Orquesta Buena Vista Social Clubbrings its world tour-recently hailed by the U.K. press as leaving audiences "awestruck" (Financial Times) and "taking the atmosphere up to a breathless level," (The Independent)-to the U.S. for a run of dates that will hit New York, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Indianapolis and a number of markets in between. The 15-member lineup includes Latin Grammy award winners Omara Portuondo and Eliades Ochoa, trumpeter Guajiro Mirabal, and laúd virtuoso Barbarito Torres, all of whom count themselves among the original members of Buena Vista Social Club.

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, featuring original members Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, Guajiro Mirabal, and Barbarito Torres will perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tomorrow night, Friday, September 13.

More than a decade after Buena Vista Social Club's emergence on the international stage via a Grammy-winning album and an Oscar-nominated documentary by acclaimed director Wim Wenders, the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club continues the pioneering work of the original group. Each member hails from Cuba and brings his or her unique perspective to traditional Cuban music and Latin jazz. See below for full lineup and tour schedule.

Opening each concert with his quintet will be one of Havana's most highly praised pianists, Roberto Fonseca. Called a "multifaceted virtuoso" by London's Sunday Times and "a fabulously gifted pianist, composer and bandleader" by The Guardian, Fonseca comes to the States in conjunction with the U.S. release of his latest album Yo, out August 27 on Concord Jazz. The album-his seventh to date-blends diverse elements of jazz, traditional West African and Cuban music, and electronics.

Short Bios

Omara Portuondo's latest solo album Gracias (World Village / Montuno) won a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. In its review of the record The New York Times raves, "the years have done nothing to mitigate her vocal prowess. Her voice is rich, shapely, dynamic and still sultry."

Guajiro Mirabal's distinctive trumpet sound and colorful phrasing have earned him the title of "The Trumpet of Cuba." He garnered high praise for the Grammy-nominated Buena Vista Social Club Presents Luis Manual "Guajiro" Mirabal, his tribute to the music of prolific Cuban composer Arsenio Rodriguez.

Santiago de Cuba's Eliades Ochoa is considered one of the most important soneros of all time and is always an audience favorite with his trademark cowboy hat and his unique harmonic guitar: a tres with added D and G strings.

Barbarito Torres has worked with many of the biggest names in Cuban music, including Celina Gonzalez's Grupo Campoalegre and the Afro-Cuban All Stars. His 2001 solo album, Havana Café, includes guest appearances by Buena Vista veterans Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo.

After graduating from Instituto Superior de Arte and touring Italy with singer Augusto Enriquez, Roberto Fonseca joined saxophonist Javier Zalba to form Temperamento, a group that became his creative platform for the next 15 years. In 2001, Fonseca joined the Orquestra de Ibrahim Ferrer for a world tour. Led by Ferrer-a Buena Vista Social Club alum-the tour marked the beginning of ongoing and fruitful relationships with various members of BVSC.

ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB

Omara Portuondo, Lead Vocal
Eliades Ochoa, Guitar and Vocals
Jesus Aguaje Ramos, MD, Trombone, Vocals
Guajiro Mirabal, Trumpet
Barbarito Torres, Laud
Papi Oviedo, Tres
Pedro Pablo, Double Bass
Rolando Luna, Piano
Idania Valdés, Vocals and Minor Percussion
Carlos Calunga, Vocals
Alberto La Noche, Bongos
Filiberto Sanchéz, Timbales
Coayo, Congas
Luis Alemany, Trumpet
Guajirito Mirabal, Trumpet

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

September 14 /// Centennial Hall /// Tucson, AZ*
September 15 /// Mesa Arts Center /// Mesa, AZ*
September 17 /// Orange County Performing Arts Center /// Costa Mesa, CA*
September 18 /// The Valley Performing Arts Center /// Northridge, CA*
September 20 /// Monterey Jazz Festival /// Monterey, CA
September 21 /// Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts /// Davis, CA*
September 22 /// Davies Symphony Hall /// San Francisco, CA*
September 25 /// Orchestra Hall /// Minneapolis, MN
September 27 /// Clowes Memorial Hall /// Indianapolis, IN
September 28 /// Krannert Center /// Urbana, IL*
September 29 /// Chicago Symphony Orchestra /// Chicago, IL*
October 2 /// Bass Performance Hall /// Fort Worth, TX
October 3 /// The Long Center for the Performing Arts /// Austin, TX
October 5 /// Rialto Center, Georgia State University /// Atlanta, GA
October 8 /// Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University /// Washington, DC
October 9 /// Merriam Theater /// Philadelphia, PA
October 11 & 12 /// Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center /// New York, NY

* with Roberto Fonseca

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