Laritza Bacallao is a talented singer who conquered the Cuban public a few years ago with a big hit that put her overnight on the map of the national music scene. Titled \u201cQue suenen los tambores\u201d (Let the drums play), the single invited her fellow Cubans to enjoy themselves and dance to the beat of the drum, as a way to forget their misfortunes.<\/p>\n
An emerging star, Bacallao has just returned from a tour of Europe, after performing in the United States, and is getting ready for a big concert for what she called her \u201cnatural public\u201d: Cubans. The concert will take place on September 4th<\/sup>, at the Karl Marx Theater in Havana.<\/p>\n The show will be directed by Rudy Mora, and will feature performing companies like Free Dance and PMM, and singers Candido Fabre and JG, who will join Bacallao in her interpretation of \u201cHello baby,\u201d one of the most popular songs in local radio stations right now.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a lot of positive energy and happiness there that day because that is what we want to convey to the public,\u201d said Bacallao, who will also be using the occasion to launch her new disc, \u201cYou only live once,\u201d recorded with Planet Records, and that is to be distributed in Cuba by the EGREM record label.<\/p>\n The new disc is built around the message that has made Bacallao popular: \u201cEnjoy life and always look forward to better times.\u201d<\/p>\n Although her beginnings are linked to traditional genres, today Bacallao likes mixing Caribbean rhythms, such as merengue, bachata and rumba.<\/p>\n Her repertoire includes singles by renowned Cuban composers, like Descemer Bueno and Osmany Espinosa.<\/p>\n She started as a singer at a national radio station called Radio Progreso, where she had the opportunity to perform with some of the biggest bands of traditional music, such as Sensacion and Aragon. It was with the latter that she recorded her first disc, in which she was introduced as \u201cThe Princess of Cha cha cha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when I started going on tours. I performed in a big concert in Japan, along with other important Cuban musicians,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Asked about her experience in the United States, she replied that she has done great so far. \u201cI imagine that my experience is very similar to that of other Cubans who have performed there: we haven\u2019t reached the American public as we think we have, but rather the Latinos living in that country, people from Peru, Chile, Cuba\u2026 We still have work to do. Traditional Cuban music probably has more chances to get to that audience,\u201d she told OnCuba<\/strong>.<\/p>\n