Buena OndaBuena Onda

Buena Onda: The Puros Habanos 1st Anniversary Celebration
Live performance: Puros Habanos, Rinpa Eshidan, Yayi and Popi



One year ago renowned singer/guitarist Alexander Laborde Padron assembled some of the hottest Latin-music talent in Tokyo to form 'Puros Habanos.' Since then the group's distinct and diverse Cuban sound has earned them a devoted following of Latin-music enthusiasts and salsa dancers across the Kanto area and beyond. 'Buena Onda' celebrates the groups 1st Anniversary and debut at SuperDeluxe where they are joined by the live art-in-action group Rinpa Eshidan and Cuban dancers Yayi and Popi. Be prepared for plenty of great music, great vibes, salsa dancing and some unexpected surprises along the way.

Puros Habanos Blog

Artist Information:
Alexander Laborde (Puros Habanos)
Main Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter
Born in Cuba, Alexander has been performing professionally since the age of 21. His career took him first to Germany and later Asia where his popularity as a performer still continues to grow. Based in Tokyo since 2004, he has established himself as a leading artist of Latin music in Japan.


Ludwig (Puros Habanos)
Percussion, Electric Drum
Cuban-born Ludwig came to Japan at the age of 20 and has been playing as the lead drummer in the Cuban band BOMBOLEO for the last 10 years. His passion and virtuosity have earned him a revered spot in Japan's Latin music scene.


Minoru Kitahara (Puros Habanos)
Bass
Born in Saitama, Minoru Kitahara began to teach himself the bass in high school and made his pro debut at 25 years old. With a love for music that spans various genres, Kitahara plays with different jazz and pop projects in addition to his work with Puros Habanos. Always working to better himself, he recently began to study Spanish in order to better sing Latin songs in their native tongue.


Binbn (Puros Habanos)
Keyboards, Synsesizer
Born in Kobe, Binbn has been playing piano since he was 4 years old and composing music since high school. In 1980 he entered the literature department at Keio University, and in 1983 he began an apprenticeship with Isao Tomita who taught him composition and arrangement. In 1988 he went to Cuba to study percussion at the Ignacio Cervantes Conservatory in Havana where he was exposed to a wide range of Cuban musical styles. Upon his return to Japan, he enjoyed instant success playing with various bands as well as composing music for television commercials.


Rinpa Eshidan
The Rinpa Eshidan core team is made up of Noiz-Davi, Daisuke Yamamoto, D.H. Rosen, Akari Sasai and XOLA. The group's main activities are performing in live-art events and creating videos of art in action. Instead of focusing on the finished project, we believe the process of creation itself is where art comes to life and our work aims to engage our audience in that process. Rinpa Eshidan is excited to undertake their first live Latin-music collaboration as they help Puros Habanos celebrate their 1-year anniversary.
＊The newly released Rinpa Eshidan DVD [en] will be previewed and on sale in the venue.


YAYI
Born in Cuba, YAYI began taking dance classes at the Teatro Nationale and joined the renowned Narciso Medina Dance Company the following year. While learning the finer points of traditional Cuban dance from "Father Narciso," YAYI also began to pick up the street-dance moves of the younger generation. This mix of old and new has made earned her a solid reputation as one of Cuba's representative young dancers. In 2004 she moved to Japan where she has been in great demand at dance events and in television appearances.


POPI
Born in Cuban, POPI graduated from the Regino Eladio Boti performing arts school and moved on to Santa Clara School of Art. Upon graduation he joined the Guantanamo dance troupe BABUL, and in 2000 he moved on to the Narciso Medina Dance Company where he quickly became one of the group's principal dancers. In 2004 he came to Japan with his partner YAYI and they have been major players in the Latin dance scene ever since.