Eliades Ochoa, the Cuban singer, songwriter and guitarist well known as one of the original members of Buena Vista Social Club, returns with his brand new album 'Guajiro', a collection of beautiful and melodic songs that cements his reputation as one of the most important artists to come out of Cuba in the last century. Featuring guest artists Rubén Blades, Joan As Police Woman and Charlie Musselwhite.

Los Van Van, another group which qualifies as an "institution" in itself and which has continued going strong even after the passing of Juan Formell. Somewhat surprisingly for socialist Cuba, the early music of Los Van Van is much more engaged with the psychedelic pop and rock sounds coming from the imperialist countries of the U.S. and England than were in and around Latin New York and the diasporas of Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. In that sense Los Van Van could be compared to the Tropicália movement in Brazil, freely taking and digesting elements from across the musical spectrum. I'm more partial to their second album, which didn't come along until quite a few years after this debut - it has more of a soul and funk influence - but this record is still great even if it sounds more "dated" because of its paisley and baroque embellishments.