Charanga Habanera

La Charanga Habanera is a timba ensemble from Havana directed by David Calzado. The band has been nominated for awards including the Latin Grammy in 2003 for the album Live in the U.S.A. In 2005 Charanga Habanera was nominated for "Orgullosamente Latino" awards in three categories: best video, best album, and best group. Furthermore, the group has won numerous awards from Cubadiscos and Lucas.

La Charanga Habanera began in 1988 when a group of young people recently graduated from the art schools in Cuba formed a group to do a project of Cuban music style called charanga, that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The project was popular enough that they extended it for five more years. During this time they shared stage with such famous artists as Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Barry White, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Whitney Houston, and Kool and the Gang. The group toured internationally in Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and the United States. It is currently one of the most popular timba or Cuban salsa groups at home in Cuba.

Their first hit, "Me sube la fiebre," had made Charanga Habanera one of Cuba's most popular timba bands. The band had almost no personnel changes outside of the replacement of singer Leo Vera by Michel Maza and the addition of Danny Lozada as a third lead singer. This incarnation of La Charanga produced four historically important timba records. By 1997, La Charanga was banned by the state for its “vulgar” lyrics and risqué stage show.

At the Festival de la Juventud y los Estudiantes in July of 1997, Charanga Habanera performed its R-rated nightclub act on live national television, resulting in a six-month government-imposed suspension. During this time, Dany Lozada and Juan Carlos González departed to form the group which recorded the legendary Tanto le pedí. When the suspension ended the group played until the summer of 1998 without recording and then the more famous breakup occurred, resulting in the formation of Charanga Forever—Kevin Moore (2001: web).

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