The group was founded in 1988 because of a long-term contract of playing traditional Cuban music from the 40s – 60s at the Club Monte Carlo in Monaco. They played with many known artists, like Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra.

David Calzado also wanted to be famous in Cuba and since the Cubans were not that interested in the traditional music that the group was playing in Europe they had to go through a big change. In 1992 the group got themselves a complete new sound and the concept also included scene clothes and a show. With the song “Me sube la fiebre”, written by Giraldo Piloto (Klimax), they had a breakthrough and after that they just went on making success.

After a live broadcasted outdoor concert at La Piragua on Malecón in Havana in 1997, the lyrics of Charanga Habanera were questioned and considered offensive and immoral and the group was suspended from playing for six months during which a couple of members left the group and were replaced by others. The big breaking-up came a year after the group had started playing again, and all the band members except for two persons left the group due to differences of opinion and started the band La Charanga Habanera.

David Calzado rapidly managed to rebuild the group, by recruiting members from Pachito Alonso y sus Kini-Kini and Bamboleo among others, and after just a couple of months they were back on the scene at La Tropical.

Since then, many of the group members have been changed and they have released a great number of records. They got a Grammy nomination in 2003 with the album “Live in the USA”. Several musicians that have been members of La Charanga Habanera have later made solo carreers. Among them we find Pedro Pablo, Tirso Duarte, Michel Maza and Danny Lozada.

Source: www.timba.com
Charanga Habanera’s official website: www.charangahabanera.net