Mocombo

PRESS RELEASE - Music and the Arts
January 12, 2007
Journalist and broadcaster Javier Clavelo
HABANA, CUBA

Rarely does a Canadian music composer make such an impression in Cuba as English born musician Danny Mott. His project Mocombo has recorded two full CD´s of music in Habana music studios using some of the best Cuban musicians. I checked www.mocombo.com and found listings for eight CD´s today and lots of mp3 sound bytes. Mocombo.com is a great web site to check out.

Tonight The National Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba is debuting a nine minute performance to the music of Mocombo´s Canadian recorded album Dreamscape. Miguel Iglesias - General Director of The Cuban Contemporary Dance Company has been very enthusiastic about Danny Mott´s Mocombo in Habana and the fact that the music from the CD Dreamscape is so dance friendly. Plans are in the making for more productions with the Canadian composers music and keeping his music in the touring repoirtoire of the dance company.

Osnell Delgado, company dancer and choreographer was very inspired the Mocombo´s Dreamscape.

¨Danny´s music is simply beautiful…a perfect composition for the dance and I believe that what attracted me most was its essence. The sound could transport me to a wide variety of places while its moods still exert in me many different sensations.¨ ¨I hope that he gets more attention in Canada. The music he has recorded in Cuba is great¨

Tony Basanta of Cuban radio Cadana Habana is also a big fan of Mocombo´s music project in Habana. Tony has produced three one hour specials featuring songs from Mocombo in Habana project. ¨Toronto bassist-composer Danny Mott´s project Mocombo is opening a new cultural page in our swinging island. I´ve had the pleasure of debuting Mocombo´s music on Cuban radio and I am highly impressed with his diversity and music sensibility. Mocombo´s project in Habana is a true work of art and you´ll be able to find passion, concept and sentiment in the music.

Jorge Brooks, General Manager of the Contemporary Dance Company was given Mocombo´s CD Dreamscape through personal contacts and fell in love with the music immediately. Jorge has also heard the music Mocombo has recorded this year in Habana. Jorge commented ¨Mocombo´s recordings in Cuba reflects the Cuban reality, the Cuban history, how Cuban´s move, how they express themselves. Mocombo´s Árianna´and ´Taino Blood´ string pieces capture Cuban life and history. Danny Mott´s first foray among Cuban musicians has a strong passion. His music is diverse and extremely useful in the concept of our dance company.¨

For more information www.mocombo.com
- Javier Clavelo

CROATIA
VFM RADIO(for BOOM BOOM)
H.D.GENSHERA 2 32100 VINKOVCI
CROATIA

No. ATRIST - SONG / LABEL
01. Mocombo – Too Many Dirty Dishes
02. Dale Boyle & The Barburners - Travelin' Bone / Bullfrog Music
03. Monster Mike Welch - All The Love In The World / Dixiefrog
04. Richie Arndt & The Bluenatics - Love Shack (Dancing with You) /
05. Vamp - Hoochie Coochie Man / Own
06. Robin Trower - Inside Out / V-12
07. Ike Turner - So Fine / Night Train Int.
08. George Thorogood & Destroyers - Homesick Boy /Music Designers I
09. Rich Hope - Shake This Joint Around / Maximum
10. Farlow-Kirch Band - Alabama / Globe
11. Bill Lyerly Band - Trying To Drink You Off My Mind / Blues Ripete
12. The Steve Hill Trio - Trouble Coming Down (Strife in the News) /
T.I.C.Records
13. D.C. & The Capitols - All Night Long / KNON's Texas Blues Radio
14. BC and the Blues Crew - Let the Good Times Roll / Blues Crew
15. Earl Green - A Love Thing / SnakeStone
16. Mocombo - Flop House Boogie /
- VFM RADIO(for BOOM BOOM)

Mocombo A Musical Evolution
by Jerry Paquin

The moniker “Mocombo” has been around for a few years with three previous CD recording releases, including Odessey, Zubie Zubie and Dreamscape. The idea of Mocombo concept is the brainchild of bass player, composer, and arrangerd Danny Mott. When asked to summarize Mocombo, Danny indicated that he views all the musicians past and present as the “Mocombo” family, or a “musical unbrealla” that utilizes various musicians to record a multitude of musical styles.

Odyessey’s major statement comes fir the first cut: Out on a Desert, which deals with the irony of religion, themes of war, and the problematic Middle East situation. Zubie Zubie is a complete departure from Odyssey, featuring all jazz influenced tunes. Zubie Zubie shows influences of Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, and African saxophonist Manu Dibango. Dreamscape is a haunting foray through many instrumental songs and features great melodies and a string quartet as the ablum’s centrepiece.

Danny’s family emigrated from England in his boyhood days. He grew up in the east end of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. His love of music and creative writing have been with him in his early days. His accomplishments include a recent 3-year degree in Music and Anthropology and three years at reputable Humber College in Toronto.
Mocombo’s new CD “Flophouse Daddy” features a band of up tempo jazz, blues, fusion and funk. The swinging version of the title tune “Flophouse Daddy” is one of sefvery original compositions on the album.

Mocombo’s 4th album, “Flophouse Daddy” to be released October 2005.
- Townies

Dialogue from the DVD Documentary Mocombo in Havana Project: Danza Contemporanea de Cuba

Jorge Brooks, manager of Cuban Contemporary Dance Havana Cuba

Life is full of unexpected opportunities. Having met Danny is really good chance. We are seeking new music for the company. We work with contemporary dance and a diversity of styles. We met Danny through personal contacts and gave his music to us. We are interested in his work which is based on his experiences in Cuba, its reality, its history and how Cubans manifest themselves.

Cuban music is very passionate.
Cubans are incredibly happy and very sentimental.

The Mocombo CD recording ‘Dreamscape’ provided us with what we were looking for.
His music- I don’t know if he thought of this- is very useful for choreography.

Onel worked with his music and was able to capture the passion of the human being…regardless of where he is, in any society of at any given time in history.
The show lasts 15 minutes approximately and features 14-15 dancers.

For both sides, it was love at first sight. So much so that Onel started to work on Danny Mott’s music from day one.

The choreography is complete and takes into account spatial relations and stage design. It expresses a lot of feelings. Anybody who might have felt alone or isolated, this work will help them reflect on life and it will also help enrich them spiritually.

The choreography will see its debut this year.

Miguel Iglesias, director of Cuban Contemporary Dance Company Havana Cuba

This work is the result of a chance encounter between a Canadian musician and us. He is working on Cuban music. He saw the company and it was love at first sight for all of us. When he saw a rehearsal, he said he would be honoured and pleased to have the company use his music.

We will debut the dance and music at the Garcia Lorca Grand Theatre this year and it will probably be used in our European tour. Osnel Delgado took up the challenge and that’s how this choreographic work started. It took him just one week to finish it and we did not want to miss this great opportunity to show our stuff.

We are pleased to present Osnel Delgado’s choreography, ‘Touch’, with music by Danny Mott.

Gran Teatro
Havana Travel Guide from VirtualTourist.com



- Elmakutra Media