MANOLITO Y SU TRABUCO en San Francisco

Saturday July 15th

Manolito y su Trabuco

Doors 9PM / 21+

Roccapulco Event center

San Francisco CA

On July 15th, San Francisco's Roccapulco Event Center will host Manolito y su Trabuco, a dynamic salsa and timba group from Cuba. The band, named after founder and pianist Manolito Simonet, combines traditional Cuban music with forceful and strong elements, as represented by the name "Trabuco" which refers to a firearm from the times of the Independence War of 1895.

After serving as the musical director of Maravilla de Florida for six years, Simonet left the group along with most of its members in 1993. He added a horn section, synthesizer and kick drum, and began playing timba under the name Manolito y su Trabuco. In 1996, Bembe Records released the band's first CD, Directo al corazón, as part of their "Salsa cubana" series aimed at marketing the new Cuban popular music as salsa. While timba's acceptance in the salsa market has been limited, Manolito y su Trabuco's creative use of multiple contrapuntal moñas (horn guajeos) has helped them cross over into the salsa scene.

The band's front line has included some of the best singers of the era, such as Rosendo "El Gallo" Díaz, Sixto "El Indio" Llorente, and Carlos Kalunga. They are also one of the largest timba bands, with a "super-charangón" lineup that includes violin, cello, two trumpets, two trombones, flute, synthesizer, piano, bass, drums, congas, and güiro. Manolito y su Trabuco's music features R&B influences, filtered through Simonet's strong Cuban aesthetic and arranging abilities, resulting in many of their biggest hits. The band has also recorded cumbias to appeal to Mexican and South American audiences.