Charanga del Norte

Sue Miller – flute, coros, composer, arranger, musical director, Martha Acosta Nino – vocals, Martha Julian – vocals, Ana Luisa Muñoz – vocals, Nick Williams – viola, Jon Lindh – violin, Sharleen Samuels – violin, Ruth Bitelli – bass, Andy Wardale – cello, Y Josephine – güiro, Guillermo el iyawo Davis – Cuban professional dancer, Simon Siddol – piano, Matty Shallcross – timbales, Jack McCarthy/Raz Jayasuriya – congas

Charanga del Norte are a 14-piece Charanga band  – they play Charanga típica styles of Cuban dance music such as Mambo, Chachachá, Danzón and Pachanga as well as Son and Son Montuno. The band features high improvising flute over pulsating rhythms from the funky string section, mesmeric montunos from the piano.tripping base and driving percussion. In 2003 - Seven Years ago - the band played a great gig at the Chapel Allerton Festival in a Marquee on the site of what is now Seven Arts!  

Charanga del Norte were set up in 1998 by band director Sue Miller, with a view to performing original arrangements and compositions in the Cuban Charanga style. The line-up is led by violins and flute(s – delete s) (“Charanga”) together with electric bass, piano, vocals, timbales, congas and güiro. To date the group have featured on two salsa compilation albums for Avid Records: ‘Everybody Salsa’ and Everybody Salsa 2’ and have recorded four of their own CDs: ‘¡Ay Mama!’, ‘Libelula’, Charanga del Norte’ delete, ‘Danzones de Ayer y De hoy’ and ‘¡A Caballo! Charanga del Norte Originals’. Their latest album "Look Back in Charanga" will be premiered at Seven Arts. Here a clip here.

“one of the finest outfits around” (Salsamania)

“You’ll dance to this with two left feet and a bag on your head!”
Brampton live

At Seven Arts Chapel Allerton on Thursday 13 May 2010 8pm.  Price £12/£10 concessions
INCLUDES SALSA DANCE LESSON with Guillermo el iyawo Davis. Tickets available in advance from Seven Arts or online from Jumbo records www.jumborecords.co.uk.