TANGA (SALSA / LATIN JAZZ BAND)

¡TANGA! is Vancouver's hottest Latin dance band, bringing the exciting sounds of salsa dura and Latin jazz to audiences across the West Coast. This high-powered ensemble consistently packs concert venues and dance floors with their mix of innovative original compositions, popular Latin hits, and classic songs. Drawing from the traditions of Irakere, Cubanismo and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars, they blend smoldering grooves, sizzling horn solos, and fiery vocal harmonies, spicing it all up with a touch of their own West Coast flavour.

Since its formation in 2005 by trumpeter Malcolm Aiken, ¡TANGA! has taken Vancouver by storm, showcasing a new generation of home-grown salseros to concert audiences, dancers, jazz fans and club goers alike. Their music is a product of a unique collaboration of musicians which, just like the jazz-tinged salsa they play, is influenced by the many different musical, ethnic, and cultural origins of the band members.

¡TANGA! is the essence of hard salsa with a uniquely Canadian edge. From salsa to bolero to Latin jazz, Tanga’s output is some quality West-Coast cookin’…
 

About MALCOM AIKEN

Trumpeter Malcolm Aiken is a gifted performer, band leader and music educator based in Vancouver, Canada. He is a involved in an eclectic mix of innovative projects and collaborations and is fluent in a variety of musical styles and traditions including jazz, Afro-Cuban, and contemporary classical music. His current project is !Tanga! an explosive 12-piece Latin Jazz Orchestra set release their first CD, “Simmer and Serve,” in May 2007.

Malcolm's musical career started with violin lessons at age 8, but he switched to the trumpet after hearing his first Louis Armstrong record. After high school he began freelancing around Vancouver while earning a music diploma from Vancouver Community College in 1999. He then completed his Bachelor's of Music at the University of British Columbia in 2004, where he studied with Larry Knopp and Alan Matheson. Following this, Malcolm went on to study privately in New York with Laurie Frink (NYU) and in San Francisco with Mario Guarneri (LA Philharmonic).

In addition to a busy schedule of concerts, recording sessions and club dates, Malcolm is currently completing his graduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Ethnomusicology, where in 2005 his work on Afro-Cuban music won him the prestigious Canadian Graduate Scholarship Award from the Canadian Council.

As an educator, Malcolm shares his experience and enthusiasm for music with brass players of all ages through workshops, master classes and private lessons. In addition to his own studio of trumpet students, he has worked as a clinician at schools and music events around BC, and is on faculty at the acclaimed Whistler and Sun Peaks music festivals.

Since 2002, Malcolm has appeared in concerts and on stage in Canada, Asia and in Europe. Highlights include the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Chiayi International Music Festival (Taiwan), the Festival de Musique a Domaine Forget (Quebec), the Bali Arts Festival (Indonesia), and the Herein Von Amstel (Amsterdam, NL).

TANGA - SIMMER & SERVE (2007)

Hot salsa dura and Latin jazz. Smoldering Afro-Cuban grooves, sizzling horn solos, and fiery vocal harmonies, spiced up with a touch of a west coast flavor

Malcolm Aiken – Director and Trumpet
David Lopez- Vocals
Rafael Arguello – Vocals
Bryan Davies – Trumpet
Jeremy Vint - Trumpet
Francois Levesque - Trombone
Steve Mynett - Trombone
Niho Takase - Piano
Danny Tones – Congas and coros
Chris Denis – Bongos and coros
Miguel Benavides – Timbales
Salvador Pedraza - Bass
with guests:
William Benavides - Guitar and vocals
Eduardo Mandiola - Vocals
Sam Davidson - Clarinet
Rod Murray - Trombone
Miguelito Valdez - Insane Cuban Trumpet

more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels