Eliades Ochoa, Malian Musicians for a Grammy Award
Havana, Dec 13. -The best international phonogram 2010, according to the magazine national Geographic, Afrocubismo, by Cuban musician Eliades Ochoa and Malian musicians, competes to win next Grammy Award in the category of Best World Music Album.The album, produced by World Circuit, competes this time with three compilations of the African continent, reports the official site of the awards of the Academy of Arts and Science American Recording.
Afrocubismo fuses the son montuno, guaracha, guajira and other Cuban rhytnmus with melodies and original timbres obtained from unusual instruments by virtuosos Toumani Diabaté (kora), Bassekou Kouyaté (goni) and Djelimady Tounkara (guitar), Lassana Diabaté (balafon) and Kasse Mady Diabaté (singer).
The original idea of combining contemporary music from both sides of the Atlantic in the same production dates back to 1996, when for many reasons the initiative came to a standstill.
After the universal success of the Buena Vista Social Club (BVSC) made up of Ochoa and other legendary figures of the trova and the traditional son in the island (Compay Segundo, Ibrahín Ferrer, Rubén González, Omara Portuondo), the project came true in Madrid at the end of 2010.
The Caribbean singer, compositor and guitarist, leader of the quartet Patria since 1978, won in 1999 a gold gramophone in the same category (Best World Music Album) as member of the BVSC, and he also deserved nominations for his albums Sublime Ilusión in 2000 and Tributo al cuarteto Patria in 2001. (Prensa atina)
