Kimbombo

We perform guajiro music from Cuba, written and recorded originally by Miguel Matamoros, Guillermo Portabales, Los Guaracheros de Oriente, Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Polo Montanez and more. This beautiful music is the soul of Cuba's countryside, and a primary source for modern day forms of Latin music ranging from salsa to bachata to reggaeton.

We have performed covers and originals in casitas, bars, clubs, libraries, hospitals, senior citizen homes, churches, and fighting off smoke from la caja china. But what we like most of all is to take our musical message to school settings where we offer performance-lectures on the history of Cuban folk music and its connections to Cuban poetry, especially the poetry of Nicolas Guillen.

We also have an exciting music-text collaboration titled "Cuban Suite" with Cecilia Rodriguez Milanes. This includes Cecilia performing a set of original poems, including her epic, "Cuban American Manifesto," with musical support from Kimbombo.

We do workshops, too! We can work with students one on one or in groups to teach and discuss the basics of son, montuno, guajira, and more. Let us make Cuban folk music a part of your curriculum in Caribbean or Latin American studies, literature, history, world music, humanities, modern languages, etc.