Look Back in Charanga

Sue Miller & Charanga del Norte
Look Back in Charanga

Charanga del Norte CDN OOCD10

Accomplished flautist and Cuban music expert Sue Miller deserves an apology from me. This CD arrived last summer, and was played then, but somehow slipped down into a pile…This is someone who knows her stuff and loves nothing more than a good descarga (jam session). She feels Cuban music in her blood, and the band behind her does some sterling work. That she’s the star is beyond doubt, and her freewheeling, spiralling improvisations are joyful to hear. Bonus points for coming from Leeds and the delightful wordplay in the title, but the meat is in the performance, which is as tasty as they come – within Cuba or outside.

DJ Chris Nickson

We launch our new CD ‘Look Back in Charanga’ at this gig, performing music from both our recent albums ‘Our Mam in Havana’ and ‘Look Back in Charanga’ and  also featuring a number for flute and dance solo where Guillermo matches his steps to my  flute inspiraciones…

Line-up for this gig is:

Sue Miller – flute and coro, Nick Williams – viola, Simon Siddol – piano, Rosie Hayes – bass, Jon Lindh, Sharleen Samuels and Alinka Greasley – violins, Andy Wardale – cello, Y Josephine, Martha Julian and Ana Muñoz – vocals, Y Josephine – güiro, Matty Shallcross – timbales, Jack McCarthy – congas and Guillermo ‘El Iyawo’ Davis – band dancer

The venue is relatively small (150 capacity) so book your tickets now to ensure a place: tickets are on sale at Jumbo Records in the Merrion Centre, from the bar at Seven or online at the Jumbo website  Jumbo Records website

For more info on the gig visit the venue website:

Seven Jazz

‘Nearly a decade or so ago, I saw this outfit playing in the town square in Bolton, Lancashire. They really impressed me with their retro Cuban sounds, led by a front-line of massed violins (okay, then; four) and flute, laced with
delicate but adept improvisations, and sounding totally authentic. Things change, and so do bands, of course. Charanga Del Norte celebrates its tenth anniversary this year —and it’s even better. Leader and flautist Sue Miller has studied with and learned from several of Cuba’s top traditional charanga players, and it is evident in her playing; she handles the vocals too, with a sultry, breathy style that certainly suits the sound.’

Norman Darwen

Rock ‘n Reel magazine

Sue and Eddy Zervigon in New York

Rumberos Presents
A Tribute To Eddie Palmieri & La Perfecta!

Friday 5th February 2010 @ The Wardrobe, St Peter’s Square, Leeds LS9 8AH

09.30am until 02.30am – £8/£6 NUS

Featuring the Rumberos Allstars live onstage!
Salsa dance class with Miss Nicky LG (The Salsaholics)
DJs Lubi, Fabio Bahia & Silvao aka La Combinacion Perfecta DJs!

Launching in 2010 with our new 1st Friday of the month slot, we are back at The Wardrobe in Leeds with a special one-off live tribute to the greatest salsa pianist of all time, Eddie Palmieri, and his cracking 1960s band La Perfecta!

From 1962 to 1968, Eddie and La Perfecta changed the face of Latin music with their 2 trombone and flute front line backed by just congas and timbales, piano and double bass! They kicked as much ass as the 16 piece mambo orchestras of the time with half the musicians!

We have put together a special allstar UK band to perform a one-off concert of some classic Eddie Palmieri/La Perfecta songs live which include Muneca, Tu Tu Tu, Que Humanidad, Vamanos Pa’l Monte, Ay Que Rico, Bilongo (Eddie’s 1971 version), Melao Para El Sapo, No Critiques, Picadillo (Eddie & Cal Tjader’s 1966 version), Lazaro y su Microfono, Como Me Gusta El Son, Estamos Chao, Bamboleate, Cuidate Compay and many more cracking numbers….

The band is:
Jonny Enright – trombone/coro (Grupo X)

Jimmy Le Mesurier – timbales/coro (La Clave)

Mark Donlon – piano (ex-Roberto Pla Orchestra)

Sue Miller – flute/coro (Charange Del Norte)

Sam Bell – congas/coro (Conjunto Salsonito/Haggis Horns)

Matt Owens – Ampeg baby bass (Descarga)

Simon Pugsley – 2nd trombone/coro (Casa Latina Allstars)

Gilberto “Kiki”  Sire – lead vocals ( Cubania/Conjunto Salsonito)

….plus more guests still to be confirmed………

Many of the above have regularly backed the best US and Puerto Rican salsa and Latin musicians and singers including Tito Allen, Joe Bataan, Jimmy Bosch, Frankie Morales, Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers, Dave Valentin, Adalberto Santiago, Azuquita to name a few!

Sue Miller is the premier charanga flautist in the UK having studied in Cuba with Richard Egues (Orquesta Aragon), and in New York with Eddie Zervigon (Orquesta Broadway), as well as leading the UK’s ONLY charanga orchestra Charanga Del Norte now for over 10 years!

Gilberto “Kiki” Sire is the top Cuban sonero based in the North of England, originally from Matanzas, Cuba.

This is a one-off tribute to Eddie Palmieri by the UK’s finest salsa/latin jazz musicians with the correct La Perfecta intrumental line-up. If you love Eddie Palmieri, La Perfecta, old school salsa and mambo, live Latin music…we recommend you attend this gig! It will blow…..

Friday 5th February 2010 – 9.30pm doors
6 St Peter’s Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH
£8/£6 NUS & Wardrobe members….
Class 9.30pm. Band onstage 11.15pm. DJs until late…..

Phone: 0113 383 8800 (The Wardrobe)
E-mail: info@thewardrobe.co.uk
Web site: www.thewardrobe.co.uk

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 wonderful guiro player I’ve yet to find out the name of – how can you not play well when you have  this elegant grooving rhythm section behind you!

Orquesta Barbarito Diez in rehearsal at Obdulia's house

We played an hour’s set before Changui de Gunatanamo and Orquesta  Aragón on June 21 2009, booked by the Barbican for the Cuba50 events

Martha Ana Guille y Susan

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 – an English girl improvising flute Charanga típica style.

We played the Civic in Barnsley on 7 November 2009 – here’s some video from the gig: