PRESS RELEASE    PRESS RELEASE    PRESS RELEASE   

BRIDGE TO HAVANA 

Video Celebration   - OLA FRESCA and Jose Conde + Special guest DJ BONGOHEAD

ARTS RIOT Burlington, VERMONT  - SATURDAY September 3, 2016

400 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401

In 1998, almost 20 years before the historic re-opening of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, Jose Conde wrote a song called “Puente a Mi Gente”(Bridge to My People), that lyrically visualizes a bridge “longer than 90 miles” connecting Cuba and Cuban Americans made simply of musical “clave” and positive energy.

Now in the wake of Obama’s diplomatic trip to Cuba, Jose Conde is preparing to launch a video for the song “Puente a Mi Gente” which he has been filming and recording for a year in New York, Miami, and Havana, and which contains the contributions from many Cuban musicians in the diaspora and on the island.

 The video and song are intended by Conde as a cultural bridge of benevolence between the diaspora and Cubans on the island with appearances by current and former members of Los Van Van - Juan Carlos Formell and Orlando Canto Valdez,

NY based Cuban singer and former member of NG La Banda Gerardo Contino, Havana based bolero songstress Danae Blanco, legendary Los Karachi founder/arranger/bassist (current NY musician)Pablo Moya, as well as musicians from Conde’s Ola Fresca band and others. Carlos Mateu a Havana native painter/dancer now based in NY is also featured with a team of his dancers in his choreography on Brooklyn Landings under the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

 The video and song have been completely recorded , filmed, edited, and arranged by Jose Conde and it will be released worldwide on Youtube and Vimeo this fall.

 This Saturday, come join OLA FRESCA and Jose Conde as they celebrate the upcoming video release for PUENTE A MI GENTE and build a BRIDGE TO HAVANA at ARTS RIOT, from VERMONT TO CUBA!  Joining the band on this evening will be DJ BONGOHEAD spinning Cuban Classics and Salsa. DJ BONGOHEAD aka Pablo Yglesias is a noted music writer and cultural curator who has curated compilations for labels such as Rough Guide and Vampi Soul and he is also co owner of Peace and Rhythm Records.

OLA FRESCA is a Brooklyn based band that plays original funky Cuban salsa. Jose Conde writes, arranges, sings, leads the band, and dances. The band is recently released it’s 3^rd  album ELIXIR to overwhelming world wide acclaim.

Doors open at 8PM. Tickets are $10 in advance $15 the day of the show. Check out the event here:

Press inquiries: pipikirecords@gmail.com