Goodbye Tirso Duarte and other music news

I was remembering Tirso Duarte (pictured left), the extremely talented Cuban vocalist/pianist/composer who passed away too soon at the age of 45 on September 26th. He was brutally attacked and suffered fatal injuries after a concert in Tumaco, Colombia. Tirso who lived in Cali for the past 12 years was part of the Cali music scene with his band La Sonoridad. He recorded numerous singles during the past decade

Duarte who was a natural on piano since the age of 8 and had a talent for singing, got his big break as keyboardist for Pachito Alonzo Y Su Kini Kini. He later joined David Calzado Y Su Charanga Habanera during it’s first major reformation where his powerful voice, a knack for showmanship and his innovative piano montunos gained notice. Tirso and fellow vocalist Michel Maza became major assets to Charanga Habanera during this period. Later he joined Jose Luis Cortez and NG La Banda for a short period of time before he was asked by Cesar “Pupy” Pedroso to join the original lineup of Pupy Y los Que Son Son. He also performed and recorded with Juan De Marcos Afro-Cuban All Stars for a period of time which is captured on the Afro-Cuban All-Stars video “Absolutely Live”. All of these associations gave Duarte the confidence to launch his solo career in 2004 with several recordings on the Envidia label. He also gained notoriety as a special guest artist on various recordings and live appearances.

Duarte, also brought a youthful presence with his bright colorful wardrobe, an exuberant stage presence and his dynamic musicianship. I caught him at the 2016 SF Salsa Rueda Festival at the old Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco. It was an awesome show! He had the packed crowd under his thumb with his catchy songs, call and response connection with the audience and serious vamps on the keyboards. What a great memory. He will be sorely missed. RIP Tirso.

In music news….drummer Daniel Villareal whose is getting a serious buzz with his intoxicating blend of Latin, Jazz and Psychedelic Rock will be bringing his band to Yoshi’s, Jack London Square in Oakland on Monday, October 30th. For more info, visit www.yoshis.com. You can check out Daniel’s video on You Tube…..The legendary Omara Portuondo has a solo date as part of her Vida Tour at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley on Friday, October 27th at 8 pm. The show is presented as part of the John Santos curated “Raices” series. The show will probably sell out. This is rumored to be Portuondo’s last tour since Omara is 92 and the show is billed as a retrospective of her career. For tickets and information, visit the freight.org….La Dama Blanche, Cuban singer, flautist and percussionist will make her first SF Bay appearance at The New Parish on Wednesday, November 8th at 8 pm. La Dama Blanche is known for her explosive mix of Hip Hop, Cumbia, Dancehall and Reggae. This show is being brought to you by our friends at Jaffe Events. For more information, visit www.jaffeevents.com.