Cuban Septet Ecos del Tivolí Promotes New Album in Latin America

The septet Ecos del Tivolí, an exponent of traditional Cuban rhythms originating from Santiago de Cuba—a UNESCO "Creative City of Music"—is currently promoting its new album Yo Soy el Son on radio stations and in theaters across Latin America.

Yo Soy el Son is comprised of 10 tracks composed by Jorge Javier Gonzalez, with arrangements by Pedro Dominico, the group's former bassist and the album's musical producer. The volume features liner notes by Oni Acosta and design work by Miguel Ángel Alpizar.

Regarding the album, musicologist and researcher Oni Acosta wrote that listening to it "is a pleasure not only for the general public but also for those of us who, in different ways, are involved in the workings of the Cuban music industry today."

He emphasized that "listening to this material is invariably combined with sonic enjoyment and the demands emanating from each track, but first and foremost, one must highlight the defense of the country's best sonera tradition, which is perceived as a breath of renewal in times where other trends and fashions prevail."

He also praised "the presence of tremendously high-quality musicians among the guests (…) such as singers Wilito Otero, Michelle Brava, and Rafael Ortiz Jr., and percussionist Sammy García, extraordinary musicians and siblings from Puerto Rico who left their mark on this musical journey."

The promoter of the Santiago-based septet Ecos del Tivolí, Javier Soler, told Prensa Latina that the album Yo Soy el Son is being promoted on the digital platform Spotify and on radio programs such as Rumba & Son on Peru's Radio Planicie.

He added that Música Maestro Radio in the Dominican Republic is another station promoting Yo Soy el Son, and noted that artists like Michelle Brava and Rafael Ortiz Jr., the group's singer Iván Aja, and its director Jorge Cambet are using social media to encourage listeners to tune into the album's radio broadcasts.

Soler also reported that the group has just received an invitation to the Cali Fair in Colombia, where they performed 31 years ago. He explained that this time they will attend as special guests to pay tribute to the Trío Matamoros, whose work they are among the most faithful followers of.

On the 28th of this month, Ecos del Tivolí will perform alongside the Orquesta Aragón at the Jorge Isaacs Theater in Cali in a show titled Gran Noche Cubana: Del Son al Son. Another presentation is scheduled for the 29th at an event for music lovers and collectors, dedicated to the legendary Trío Matamoros.

The collaborative album Yo Soy el Son by Septeto Ecos del Tivoli and their guests was recorded at "Mandarria Records Studios" in Santiago de Cuba, with engineers Roberto Andux and Julio Isaac working on the recording, mixing, and mastering.