Cienfuegos Austin Tx Cuban Son Music

Welcome to Musica Cienfuegos

Bienvenidos from CIENFUEGOS and LA MOÑA LOCA!

Cienfuegos performs a diverse array of latin genres with a focus on traditional Cuban styles such as Son, Bolero, Guajira, and Cha-Cha. Depending on the venue and event the band varies in size from a duo to an 11- piece "salsa" orchestra . Performance material consists of original compositions and traditional latin standards.

In the largest format, Austin's newest and most exciting salsa orchestra, takes on a far more energetic sound, an entirely new, dance oriented repertoire, and a more appropriate name.....

"¡ LA MOÑA LOCA !"

"LA MOÑA LOCA" Every Wednesday @ Ruta Maya 9-Midnight

Mar 16, 2009

Mo-ña |ˈmônˌyä; mônˈyä|
noun
a composed horn interlude in an orchestrated salsa arrangement

Cienfuegos expands to an 11-piece salsa orchestra entitled, "LA MOÑA LOCA!" every Wednesday night! The group will perform an entirely new repertoire including original arrangements and material from groups such as Ray Barretto, Maraca, The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Fania All-Stars, Calle Real, El Gran Combo, and more.

The expanded lineup includes three outstanding vocalists: Daniel Nelson, Leopold Rodriquez, and Julian Veracruz, the rhythm collective of Samuel Lopez(Timbal), Rene Gonzales(Congas), Omar Diaz(Bongo/Campana), Josh Lowe(Bass), and Angelo Lambesis(Keys), and no moña loca would be complete without the "Moña Loca Horns" Jorge Torres, Clarissa Lopez, and Leo Gauna.

Dust off your dancing shoes, and get ready for a full night of "salsa dura" from Austin's newest salsa orchestra, "LA MOÑA LOCA!"

Every Wednesday@Ruta Maya
9-Midnight $7Cover

Austin Music Magazine

Jun 21, 2008

Cienfuegos is featured in the current issue of Austin Music Magazine, along with articles on Alejandro Escovedo and Charanga Cakewalk.

CIENFUEGOS
"UNITED BY THE GROOVE"
By Carson Barker
Daniel Nelson knows the secret to salsa music’s spellbinding effect that compels people to dance, and it has nothing to do with salsa. It’s not the pure sound of the blaring brass horns, Nelson’s smooth voice hovering over the rhythms, or the clanky piano keys smacking out Latin jives and Cuban tones though the guitars and double bass. It also has nothing to do with Cuba, Mexico, South America or any other region that one might assume that
salsa stems from. The secret, according to Nelson, originates on the other side of the planet.
“The Africanized rhythm, no question about it,” he says. “There is a rhythmic structure called clave, it has this tension and release that everyone can feel, and it makes you move.”
Nelson handles guitar and vocals, and cooperates the brains of the Latin music machine
Cienfuegos with George Shalda. The band itself is composed of rotating musicians that seldom share the same nationality, “but we are all sort of united by the groove.”
Cienfuegos (Spanish for one hundred fires) has gained considerable notoriety in the four years they’ve been together. In August 2007, Univision’s Premios de Texas music awards named Cienfuegos Best New Artist in 2006, and the band followed up with the Best Salsa/Merengue Award the following year.
Though Cienfuegos started out as a part-time gig, the awards, the steamy regular gigs at Ruta Maya and the dancing crowd of Austin have helped change that. “So far we’ve just been
trying to have fun playing the music and make a living,” Nelson says. “ I haven’t had a day job for about the last two years. We’re making our CD on our own…we’re lucky that things are going that direction.”
Aside from the awards, the rotating musicians and the widespread nationalities, Nelson claims it’s the beat that owns his soul. “I liked going salsa dancing with my wife…I learned the songs and then I was sold.” am+e

Jul 3	Private Event
Jul 8 9pm-12am	La Moña Loca at Ruta Maya
Jul 9 6:30-9pm (trio)	Manuel's Great Hills
Jul 10 6:30-9pm	Central Market N. Lamar