by the El Reportero’s news services
A new film about an old problem, brought Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro back to the New Latin American Film Festival of Havana, which space is considered today relevant for the regional movie.
The winner of the Oscar for ‘Traffic’ (2000) presented his most recent work in the Cuban capital: ‘Sicario: the Soldier’s Day’, saga of the 2015 film.
That is the world that once again seduces Del Toro who plays a vengeful mercenary who represents the anger and violence of the drug war and the evil that originated from it.
The war against drug trafficking from another point of view, this time from violence ‘in the best Hollywood western style,’ the versatile actor pointed out during a press briefing at the film event.
Del Toro has already become regular in this city. Between gestures and a particular way of speaking he feels and sees himself as just another Cuban. Part of this was due to the intense preparation process on the island for the film about the Cuban-Argentinean guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara that he also produced in 2008.
Returning to Cuba is always a pleasure, noted the actor, pointing out that events like the Havana Film Festival are windows to show the best of the regional cinematography.
Wide repercussion by death of popular bolero singer Moncho
The death of popular Spanish bolero singer Ramon Calabuch (Moncho) has had a great repercussion in the international media.
Popular singer of boleros, Ramón Calabuch (Moncho), was known as ‘The Gypsy’ and King of Bolero. He sang boleros such as Llévatela written by Armando Manzanero, Voy, by Luis
Demetrio and Amor Fugaz, by Benny Moré, among others written or sung by several famous artists.
In Cuba, Moncho was a very famous singer, and cultivated professional relations with local bolero composers, such as José Antonio Méndez and César Portillo de La Luz. He started his artistic career in 1956 in Barcelona.
In more than 60 years of professional life, Moncho recorded 34 albums, most of them in Spanish, although he left songs in Catalan language.
Several artists such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Dyango and Diego El Cigala were preparing a tribute to him on Jan. 14.
Chucho Valdes and Orishas among Top 20 in Latin Music in 2018
The albums Jazz Bata II by the Cuban jazz musician Chucho Valdes, and Gourmet by the hip hop group Orishas are among the top 20 Latin music made records on the Billboard.
The Cuban jazz musician and Orishas rank 10th and 12th, respectively, in the top 20 this year, according to the influential specialized publication.
In his record, Valdes, who has won six Grammy and three Latin Grammy awards, includes blends of African rhythms and classics of Cuban popular music as a tribute to his father and Irakere founder, Bebo Valdes.
For their part, Orishas returns to the stage with Gourmet, their fifth studio album in which they return to the Cuban roots that marked them as one of the most listened to hip hop groups.
The list is headed by El Mal Querer, the second record by the Spanish singer Rosalia, which was released on Nov. 2, 2018, by Sony Music.
Other musicians on the list include Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Manuel and Sonora Sanjuanera; Natalia Lafourcade, Mon Laferte and J Balvin.
