We made it, just! Left Lons-le-Saunier, train to Paris, great gig with the excellent Ocho Y Media at La Maroquinerie, party all night and straight on to the train to London. Another rocking gig for La Linea Festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, dancing in the aisle’s, party all night. Tonight Norwich, then Lincoln, Saltaire and then home for album launch in Edinburgh!!

Back in France, lovely gig last night in Lons-le-Saunier. Thanks to the lovely people who came down to the show, full house and great food and wine after the show. Tonight Paris.

Thanks to all the people who came down to see us last night at the Grand in Clitheroe, full house and a great atmosphere. Special thanks to the Blackpool salsa crew for making the trip, great moves. Tonight, Nottingham (sold out) then Wales then France. Hope to see you!

Salsa Celtica’s first live album “En Vivo En El Norte” is ready for release on 19th April.

After 15 eventful years on the road Salsa Celtica release their first live album titled “En Vivo En El Norte”. The album features Salsa Celtica recorded live in concert with some very special guests.

The Salsa Celtica “all-star big band” was captured live in concert on the 22nd of November at the Universal Hall in Findhorn by Scottish producer Calum Malcolm. The concert was our last gig of the year after a great summer touring the USA and Europe.

For the concert we were joined with special guests including melodeon player Dermot Byrne from the Irish super group Altan and salsa trombonist Joe De Jesus from the Bronx NY who has played with every one from Tito Puente to David Byrne. The gig was great fun for us and the 13 track recording (including some new sets) really captures the atmosphere and the band at our energetic best.

If you want to buy a signed copy from us, Salsa Celtica set off on a UK and French tour on the 16th of March. Please come down and say hello, hola or bonjour!

We have finished mixing our first live album En Vivo En El Norte, the band recorded live in concert in Findhorn last year. It will be ready for release on 12th April 2010. More to follow soon.

Bonjour, we have just returned from an excellent séjour to Quimper in
Brittany. Thanks to the lovely people at the Théatre de Cornouaille who
were all very helpful, hospitable and put on a fantastic night. Thanks to Lau who
played the first half of the concert and of course thanks to all the people who
came along and made it such a wonderful night, Merci!!!
No thanks to the Irish flying minibus company who share a first name with the
fantastic Welsh footballer Mr Giggs. They almost managed to destroy the whole
trip with their by now well known pathetically pedantic money grabbing ways.
In the end half the band had to jump on the Eurostar and then get the
train and taxi to Quimper, we arrived in one piece, just. Some adventure
and well worth it in the end. Next time let the train take the strain!!!

Hello, thanks to all the people who came down to see our 15th Anniversary event on Sunday night at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. We had a great gig at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and then somehow managed to just about fit the whole band on the stage of the festival club at the Glasgow Art School for a late night set. Thanks to all the guest musicians who joined us, we hope you are home safely now, and thanks to Donald Shaw and the Celtic Connections staff for all the help in putting the show together. We had great time and a few drinks after to celebrate. It was all a nice way to, as said below, come of age!
5 star review of the concert below, photos of the concert by Louis De Carlo.
Hope to see you soon, all the best Salsa Celtica.

The Scotsman Newspaper
Published Date: 26 January 2010
By Sue Wilson

SALSA CELTICA 15TH ANNIVERSARY / MAYRA ANDRADE *****
_GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL_

FORGING the Celtic Connection between Cuba and Cape Verde, Salsa Celtica were preceded on stage by the latter island’s fastest-rising star, the enchanting young singer Mayra Andrade, who greeted the near-capacity crowd at her debut Scottish gig by saying she hoped to come back soon and often.

Blending her homeland’s post-colonial African, Portuguese and Brazilian influences with shades of jazz, pop, funk, reggae and ska, her seductively cool yet lambent voice floated, flirted and yearned over rootsy, slinky backing from her five-piece band, winning a roomful of new fans in an all-too short 40 minutes.

Salsa Celtica themselves triumphantly pulled out all the stops to celebrate their first 15 years, augmenting their core 11-piece with a guest list that swelled the total cast to around 25, extending the connections to link in the Bronx, Ireland and Spain, taking in Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Maonlai, Altan accordionist Dermot Byrne, Asturian piper Jose Manuel Tejedor and New York trombonist/flautist Joey de Jesus.

In terms of the folk elements welded so seamlessly into the band’s unique musical alloy, there was a virtual contemporary-trad supergroup among the throng, with the guest stars joined by regular collaborators like pipers Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson, fiddlers Chris Stout and Mathieu Watson, Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes, harpist Catriona McKay and banjo demon Eamonn Coyne.

With the Latin contingent including a four-strong brass section, three percussionists, and the potently paired voices of Lino Rocha and Ricardo Fernandez Pompa, this thoroughly-rehearsed performance magnificently showcased a group of musicians who have truly come of age

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 2 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3NY
Cost: £15

As it says below it’s our 15th Birthday so this is a special gig to celebrate the anniversary. They are taking the seats out in the stalls area of the concert hall so should be a great night. The concert also features the Mayra Andrade band. 2010 marks 15 years since Salsa Celtica embarked on their great Scottish Latin adventure, a notable birthday celebrated tonight with an even bigger bang than the Edinburgh-based big band customarily lay on. With the show also launching their first live album and DVD, and with a fifth studio release due later in the year, upwards of 20 musicians will form the “orquesta” with an international cast of world and Celtic music guest stars from Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela ,Cape Verde, New York , Asturias, Ireland, England and Scotland, including amongst others Ireland’s Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers).

2010 marks 15 years since we embarked on our great Scottish Latin adventure, big thanks to all the people who have supported the group over the last 15 years. We have had a great time so thank you all! Salsa Celtica 15 years old wow!!!

To celebrate we are putting on a very special concert at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on the 24th of January as part of the Celtic Connections Festival. The concert will feature an incredible line up of friends and guests we have met and worked with over the last 15 years from all over the world (see below). The seats in the stalls are being taken out to make room for dancing and after the concert there will be a chance to party and preview copies of our new live album will be on sale for the first time. This really is a one off concert, we hope to see you there!!!

Upwards of 20 musicians will form the “The Salsa Celtica Grande Orquesta ” with an international cast of World and Celtic music guest stars from Cuba,Venezuela,Cape Verde,New York, Asturias,Ireland,England and Scotland, including amongst others Ireland’s Liam O Maonlai (Hothouse Flowers).

“The Salsa Celtica Grande Orquesta ”
Lino Juan Rocha (lead vocals,Venezuela),Toby Shippey (percussion/coro,Scotland),Douglas Hudson (congas,Scotland), Eric Alfonso (timbales,Cuba), Javier Fioramonti (bass/coro,Argentina), Simon Gall (piano/coro,Scotland), Stephen Kettley (saxophones,England) Sue McKenzie (sax,Scotland), Eamonn Coyne (banjo,Ireland), Ross Ainslie (pipes/whistles/bouzouki,Scotland)

Special Guests

Liam O Maonlai (guest vocals, Hothouse Flowers, Ireland),
Joe De Jesus (trombone/flute, New York),
Dermot Byrne (melodeon, Ireland),
Jose Manuel Tejedor (pipes, Asturias),
Ricardo Fernandez Pompa (lead vocals, Cuba),
Chris Stout (fiddle, Shetland),
Jarlath Henderson (Uilleann Pipe, Ireland),
Kathleen Mackiness (guest vocals, Scotland),
Catriona McKay, (harp, Scotland)
Paul Jayasinha, (trumpet, England)

more guests tbc

The first half of the concert will feature the fantastic singer Mayra Andrade and her band. Crowned as Best Newcomer at the 2008 Radio 3 World Music Awards, the young Cape Verdean singer born in Cuba describes her sound as “a musical crossroads” between African, Latin, jazz and pop influences.

Thanks and muchas gracias to all of you who came down to see us on our UK tour 09. Yes England,Scotland and Wales thanks you, great craic was had by all,including us!!! We finished the tour by recording a couple of our gigs in Manchester and Findhorn and right now we are mixing what will be our first live album. Look out for release 2010.