Founded on February 25, 1993, and having already started to develop their style when various key members were part of Maravilla de Florida, Manolito y su Trabuco was one of the first timba bands, but it wasn't until the second wave, in 1995, that they released their first album, Directo al corazón. In 2006, about to release their 7th album, Hablando en serio, they've enjoyed a gradual and steady rise in popularity and are now generally considered to be among the top three or four true timba bands in Havana.
We strongly recommend that you see this band live if humanly possible. Like Issac Delgado, Manolito y su Trabuco is one of those bands that you have to see live to fully appreciate how great they are -- one of the tightest and most powerful ensembles on the planet. They tour Europe regularly and keep threatening to extend their touring to the US. So far they've only played a few times in NY and Miami. Of course, they're a regular fixture of the Havana club scene.
Manolito Simonet was the musical director and pianist for Maravilla de Florida before forming the Trabuco. The group features a unique instrumentation of violin, cello, flute, two trumpets and two trombones, plus synth, piano, congas, bass and an absolute powerhouse of a drummer, Roicel Riverón. The singing is exquisite with the incomparable Sixto "El Indio" Llorente, singer/writer Ricardo Amaray, and newcomer "Mayami". The first five albums also feature the wonderful Rosendo "El Gallo" Díaz, one of the most distinctive and creative timba singers. Alexander Fernández, now in Norway, sang on the first two albums, and Carlos Calunga of Klímax fame sang brilliantly on Se rompieron los termómetros
For those who love traditional Cuban music and are nervous that Timba is a bit too modern for their tastes, Manolito (as well as Los Que Son Son, Orquesta Revé, and Adalberto Alvarez), provide the clearcut entryway to the glories of Cuban music in the 90's and 00's. They combine the authentic flavor of Son with the raw, African fury of Timba in a way that leaves everyone deeply satisfied.
