Tiempo Libre

Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre is one the hottest young Latin bands today. Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs and dance venues, the Miami-based band has become known for their incendiary, joyful performances of timba - an irresistible musical mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and the seductive rhythms of son - true modern heirs to the rich tradition of the music of their native Cuba.

Schooled in different Havana conservatories and all enjoying thriving careers in Latin music performing, touring and recording with such artists as Albita, Cachao, Arturo Sandoval, NG La Banda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Isaac Delgado, Roberto Torres and DLG, these seven extraordinary musicians came together to realize their collective musical dream: to create the first authentic all-Cuban timba band in the United States. Their eagerness to share their music with others led these multi-talented individuals to come together between projects to develop their new style together. Hence the name Tiempo Libre (Free Time).

Since their formation in 2001, Tiempo Libre have been on a mission: to share the musical heritage in which they grew up with as wide an audience as possible, reinterpreting and reinvigorating traditional Cuban music with a youthful, modern sound and forging a new style born from the meeting of their Cuban roots and their new American experience. In Summer 2002, at their Ravinia Festival debut opening for Celia Cruz, Tiempo Libre dazzled a crowd of more than 12,000 people. They were quickly reengaged by Ravinia for Summer 2003 where they shared a bill with Aretha Franklin, performing before an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000. Summer 2003 also included performances at the new Heineken Jazz Festival in Hua Hin, Thailand where Tiempo Libre were the undeniable sensation of the Festival. Return trips to Asia included sold out shows at Hong Kong's Kwai Tsing Theatre and the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the glorious concert hall at the foot of the famous twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and at the 2005 Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. In the United States, their busy touring schedule has included performances at Miami's JVC Jazz Festival, Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, SOB's in New York City, Lincoln Center's MidSummer Night's Swing, Brooklyn Latin Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Festival International de Louisiane, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Society of the Performing Arts in Houston, Orange County Performing Arts Center, California Center for the Arts, the Colorado, Interlochen, Green and Eastern music festivals, New Haven Jazz Festival, California World Fest, Lotus Music Festival and New York's River-to-River Festival at the South Street Seaport. August 2005 brought Tiempo Libre's European debut. Among the highlights of that tour, Tiempo Libre performed the closing concert of the new Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy where the band wowed a sold-out house and secured an immediate reengagement.

In January 2005, Tiempo Libre signed a multi-record deal with Shanachie Entertainment. Their debut album on that label - Arroz con Mango - was both a tribute to the deep Cuban roots of Tiempo Libre's members and a celebration of their new life in the US. Released to universally glowing reviews, Arroz con Mango received tremendous attention in the press and was featured in numerous national publications including Latin Beat, Hispanic Magazine, Jazziz and American Airlines' American Way Magazine. They performed songs from the new album on many of Miami's highest-rated Spanish-language shows, on WNJU-Telemundo in the New York area, on Chicago's WGN-TV and they were featured in a nationally-aired radio interview by Maria Hinajosa on NPR's Latino USA. Fulfilling the meaning of its title ("arroz con mango is a Cuban slang expression meaning something completely out of the ordinary), the album was nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award in the category of Best Salsa/Merengue Album.

In Spring 2006, Tiempo Libre will release their second album on the Shanachie label. The new release will be supported with two tours to Europe and an extensive number of engagements in the US, including appearances at Yoshi's, Lincoln Center, the University of Illinois at Urbana and Michigan State University, to name just a few.

In addition to their performing and recording careers, the members of Tiempo Libre are particularly committed to the sharing of their rich musical traditions through outreach and educational activities. They have become known for their inspiring classes on rumba, Latin jazz and traditional Cuban music, designed to reach audiences of all ages and backgrounds.