CharangaSue.com

Sue Miller – Cuban Flute Improviser, Writer & Academic

Estrellas Cubanas perform Amalia Batista

Estrellas Cubanas performed the Danzon Amalia Batista by Rodrigo Prats at the Danzon Festival in Havana in 2007 – do contact me if you’re interested in promoting an exchange project between Estrellas Cubanas and Charanga del Norte.

Sue’s Performance CV

Performances in Havana: March and April 2009:

I guested with various veteran bands such as Charanga de Oro, Orquesta Sublime and Estrellas Cubanas as part of the International Danzón Festival. I also gave an invited lecture in Spanish on the history of Charanga de Norte and on my research into Cuban Charanga at the [...]

Guesting with Orquesta Barbarito Diez

In 2006 I guested with Orquesta Barbarito Diez in Bejucal near Havana which was a lovely gig with a sweet rhythm section which included the grandson of Orestes Varona, the timbale player from Orquesta Aragón. On piano a very classy lady called Obdulia , Francisco ‘Panchito’ on bass and Jeronomito Barbón on congas  and a [...]

2009 BFE Student Prize

Taken from the Ethnomusicology Forum Website September news:
2009 BFE Student Prize
The winner of the 2009 prize for the best student paper presented at the 2009 annual conference at Liverpool John Moores University goes to Sue Miller for her paper, “‘The Thieving Magpie’: Musical Borrowing, Quotes and Signifiers in Cuban Charanga Improvisation”. The panel thought [...]

The Danzon Festival in Havana 2009

At the International Danzón Festival I performed with Charanga Orquestas ‘Estrellas Cubanas’, ‘Orquesta Sublime’ and ‘Charanga de Oro’ and gave a lecture in Spanish at the conference on my research and my band Charanga del Norte (the UK’s only Charanga Orquesta). I was featured on Cuban television and radio as something of a novelty [...]

RR con RR Cigarro – Charanga de Oro

Polo Tamayo plays the famous Mambru quote and tongue twister rr con rr cigarro, rr con rr barril, rapido corren los carros, cargando de azucar del ferrocarril on El Bodeguero as played by Charanga de Oro led by Jose Loyola. Enrique Lazaga is on güiro, Pancho Terry on violin and Jorge Machado on bass. This [...]

¿El Danzón Inglés?

¿El Danzón Inglès?

I gave a one hour lecture in Spanish on my research into Cuban flute improvisation and on the history of Charanga del Norte at the International Festival and Conference on Danzón, Havana on 1 April 2009:
Here’s my abstract:
¿El Danzón Ingles?

Presentacion de Conferencia
Coloquio y Festival Internacional de Danzón, Habana, 2009
Por Susan Miller

En 1997 [...]

My Lecture in Havana

I gave a lecture at the international Danzón conference in Havana in April 2009 where I demonstrated how I learnt the Cuban flute style of improvisation from renowned Cuban flute players such as Richard Egües, Polo Tamayo and Melquiades Fundora.

My Transcription of a Solo by Richard Egües

Transcribing Charanga flute solos forms part of my PhD research into the Cuban flute style of improvisation. Here is a solo by Richard Egües from the album ‘Richard Egües Grandes Hits con la Orquesta Aragón’ (Egrem)

Sabroso como el Guarapo

In Havana in 2009 I performed with Orquesta Sublime which was great and playing with Jesus Cos, one of Cuba’s finest traditional Charanga timbale players was a fantastic experience. I  also guested with Estrellas Cubanas, inspired by the wonderful singing of Ernesto Oviedo – the three of us here are dressed up ready to go [...]