Cuban band Tiempo Libre will perform at MemAud as a part of International Education Week
Tiempo Libre and its Cuban flavor will be hitting the stage at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Sunday.
This young Latin band has appeared on television shows such as Live from Lincoln Center, The Tonight Show and Dancing with the Stars. The band will be appearing as a part of International Education Week.
Specializing in an infectious style of music called timba, Tiempo Libre is a seven-member group hailing from Cuba and based in Miami, Florida. The band is dedicated to creating a new style that combines modern elements with the music of its heritage.
Jorge Gómez, founder, keyboardist and musical director, said he describes timba as the evolution of Cuban music.
“In Cuba, there is cha-cha-cha, danzón, bolero, conga, Latin jazz, and when you mix everything together, you have timba,” Gómez said.
The men met in Miami in 2001 and began playing together during their free time.
In Spanish, “tiempo libre” means “free time,” thus how the group got its name.
Beginning with small shows in bars and at weddings, the group eventually made its debut by opening for Celia Cruz in front of more than 12,000 people. Since the band’s formation, it has received three Grammy nominations.
The group doesn’t just focus on the traditional musical styles of its culture. It melds them with other elements such as classical music. This is exhibited in their most recent Grammy nominated album Bach in Havana, which combines Cuban rhythms with songs by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Tiempo Libre also showcases its dance-provoking music by its instrumentation. By switching out piano for keyboards and a bass for an electric bass, the style of music is transformed.
The members enjoy playing and performing, as well as teaching young people about Cuban music and how to “feel it,” Gómez said. The group works a lot in musical theater as well.
Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, said he thinks the group will be a nice complement to International Education Week, which begins Friday and extends until Thursday, Nov. 20.
“We selected Tiempo Libre because of their great reputation and, obviously, the amazing music they perform,” Holzaepfel said in an e-mail.
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