Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2011

The fact that salsa outfit Calle Real hails from chilly Sweden speaks to the immense attraction of Cuban music around the world. The band, which plays the hopped up form of salsa known as timba, comes to Japan for the country’s largest Latin music fest—Isla de Salsa—and touches down afterwards in Tokyo for a one-off gig. Founded by Chilean Patricio Sobrado in 1999, the 12-man powerhouse features only one half-Cuban member, Rickard Valdés, son of the legendary pianist Bebo Valdés. This doesn’t stop them from bringing down the house with an electric take on timba spiced with dashes of pop, rock and R&B. Promoter Tiempo Iberoamericano is making two pairs of tickets available to the first respondents to apply to vivela@tiempo.jp.

Shibuya O-East, Aug 11 (listing).