Song:Ya No Hace Falta
Album:The Best of Bamboleo
Bamboleo is a proponent of a style of Cuban music known as Timba. Timba is heavily influenced by 40s Cuban dance band music but can also include jazz, R & B and rap. La Banda NG is probably the best known Timba group. Bamboleo isn't as well known because they weren't around that long. They emphasize the showmanship of 40s dance bands with a contemporary twist. Bamboleo is from Havana and led by Lazaro Valdes. He plays piano, produces, arranges and is the main songwriter. Valdes started out as a sideman for Pachito Alonso, Bobby Carcasses and Hector Tallez. He wanted to start a band and went to Havana's National School of the Arts looking for music students. He started out with singer Haila Mompie and she recruited singer Vannia Borges. She became the lead singer of Bamboleo. Vannia had performed with the all female group D'Capo and Pachito Alonso. Mompie left and was replaced by Yordamis Megret. She had previously sung with Jose Luis Cortes. Bamboleo signed with Ahi-Nama Records. They are a Los Angeles company specializing in Cuban music. Te Gusto O Te Caigo Bien was their 1996 debut CD. Their live shows got a lot of attention and that's where you see the 40s dance band influence. And the two girls with their shaved heads makes for a striking visual. They recorded two more CDs including the 1999 CD Ya No Hace Falta. Bamboleo toured the world and appeared on the MTV series Road Rules. It looks like Bamboleo split up soon after. This comp is a good intro to their music and a couple of their live shows are available on DVD. Lazaro Valdes released a solo CD in 2003. I'm not sure about Vannia Borges. She may be active in Cuba but I'd like to see someone here sign her. It would be a shame if we never got to hear her sing again. Here's the video for Ya No Hace Falta by Bamboleo.
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