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

Charanga del Norte perform at Grimsby Town Hall on Friday 30 July as part of North East Lincolnshire Arts Forum Festival

Dance class from our dancer Guillermo at 6.30pm

Band on at 8pm

Venue: Grimsby Town Hall, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 1HX

Tickets from Tourist Information 01472 323111

Ticket Prices £10 (£8 in advance) £7 OAPs and £5 for children

LOOK BACK IN CHARANGA

Artist: Sue Miller and her Charanga del Norte

Album: Look Back in Charanga

Cat: CDN 00CD10

Release: 13 May 2010

CD on sale from: http://www.passiondiscs.co.uk

Track Listing

1. Mambo
2. El Bodeguero #1
3. Richard Egües on the Danzón and the Chachachá
4. El Bodeguero #2
5. Lola Catula #1
6. Melquiades Fundora on the Charanga
7. Sabroso como el Guarapo
8. Isora Club
9. Lola Catula #2

LIVE IN THE UK

13 MAY –  Seven Arts Centre, Leeds

30 JULY – Grimsby Townhall (Arts Festival)

CONTACT

s.miller@charangasue.com

07957 244 167

www.charangasue.com

http://www.charangasue.com/charanga-del-norte/

‘Look Back in Charanga’ is the sequel to ‘Our Mam in Havana’:

Carrying on with the puns Look Back in Charanga pays homage to all the greats of Cuban popular music, in particular to the legendary Richard Egües from Orquesta Aragón.

Bandleader and charanga flute improviser Sue Miller studied flute improvisation with Richard Egües in Havana in 2000 and 2001 and has since worked with some of Cuba’s finest traditional charanga players. This recording pays homage to the great charanga flute players and musicians past and present who have developed the Danzón, Mambo, Chachachá and the Pachanga, namely: Richard Egües, Israel López ‘Cachao’, Antonio Arcaño, Belisario López, José Fajardo, Melquiades Fundora, Pancho Bravo, Johnny Pacheco, Eddy Zervigon, Eduardo Rubio, Nestor Torres and Joaquín Oliveros.

The Band:

Flute and Vocals: Sue Miller;

Viola: Nick Williams

Violins: Jon Lindh, Sharleen Samuels and  Katarzyna Chruscicka

Cello: Andy Wardale

Piano: Simon Siddol and Mark Donlon

Bass: Ruth Bitelli

Timbales: Matty Shallcross

Güiro: Y Josephine

Congas and Extra Percussion: Jack McCarthy

“Leeds-based Charanga del Norte were an ensemble of Latin-loving northerners that included a cellist from the Liverpool Philharmonic. Their blend of European classical music and African rhythms sparkled in the afternoon sunshine, buoyed by founder Sue Miller’s ubiquitous flute.”

Jane Cornwell, Evening Standard – on Charanga del Norte’s concert with Orquesta Aragón in Victoria Park,  London, 21 June 2009

]]> http://www.charangasue.com/2010/05/gig-preview-in-the-yorkshire-evening-post-6-may-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.charangasue.com/2010/05/spiral-earth-article-on-charanga-del-nortes-cd-launch/ http://www.charangasue.com/2010/05/spiral-earth-article-on-charanga-del-nortes-cd-launch/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 11:05:38 +0000 charangasue http://www.charangasue.com/?p=1215

07/05/2010

Sue Miller and her Charanga del Norte

Sue Miller and her Charanga del Norte release a new album Look Back in Charanga on 13 May.

Look Back in Charanga is the sequel to Our Mam in Havana:

Carrying on with the puns Look Back in Charanga pays homage to all the greats of Cuban popular music, in particular to the legendary Richard Egües from Orquesta Aragón.

Bandleader and charanga flute improviser Sue Miller studied flute improvisation with Richard Egües in Havana in 2000 and 2001 and has since worked with some of Cuba’s finest traditional charanga players. This recording pays homage to the great charanga flute players and musicians past and present who have developed the Danzón, Mambo, Chachachá and the Pachanga, namely: Richard Egües, Israel López ‘Cachao’, Antonio Arcaño, Belisario López, José Fajardo, Melquiades Fundora, Pancho Bravo, Johnny Pacheco, Eddy Zervigon, Eduardo Rubio, Nestor Torres and Joaquín Oliveros.

Two upcoming live dates are

Thurs May 13 Leeds Seven Arts http://www.charangasue.com/2010/04/next-leeds-gig-charanga-del-norte-13-may/
www.sevenarts.co.uk

Fri July 30 Grimsby Town Hall http://www.charangasue.com/2010/04/charanga-del-norte-gig-30-july-grimsby-town-hall/

The CD will be launched at both gigs.

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

Richard Egues and Sue Miller

I am currently undertaking a PhD part-time at the University of Leeds, UK, where I combine my practical work as a performer with more traditional research methods. In addition to a written thesis my work  involves recording in the studio and live at concerts,  where analysis, commentary and transcription of flute improvisations link in to this practical side. My research therefore  covers various academic areas such as music analysis, improvisation, ethnomusicology and performance.

My thesis title is ‘Flute Improvisation in Cuban Charanga performance, with a specific focus on the work of Richard Egües and Orquesta Aragón.’

I am supervised at the University of Leeds  School of Music by  Dr Luke Windsor (Psychology of Music and Performance)  Dr Luke Windsor

You can view the School of Music postgraduate students’ blog at this site: Music Postgraduates Blog

Gladys and Richard Egües with Sue Miller in April 2001