Sergio David Calzado Almenares

Composer and violinist. Since 1988 he has been the director of La Charanga Habanera, one of the most popular orchestras in the country to date.

He studied violin at the Escuela Nacional de Arte with violinist Evelio Tieles Ferrer.

He began his artistic career with the orchestra of Pancho el Bravo, and later continued it with Estrellas Cubanas, Ireson, Ritmo Oriental, and Violines de Tropicana.

In 1988 he founded Charanga Habanera as a traditional charanga that performed Cuban music in the style of the 1950s. The musical training of its director, violinist and composer David Calzado, allowed it to occupy a space not only at the national level but also internationally, mainly at the Montecarlo Sportling Club of the Principality of Monaco, where he debuted in 1989, and where he performed alongside, among others, Barry White, Ray Charles, Paul Anka, Sergio Méndez, Kool and the Gang, Tina Turner, Shirley Basey, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Charles Aznavour, Frank Sinatra, and Blood Sweat and Tears.

The appearance of Charanga Habanera —a synthesis of the style of Issac Delgado and N.G. La Banda by composer and flutist José Luis Cortés—, with which it performed in Cuba for the first time in 1993, burst onto the scene as a "sonic scandal" that constantly transgressed many of the patterns established up to that point in Cuban orchestras. Almost all the musicians, in addition to playing several instruments, also dance.

The stage became a dance floor for this group, as they are not limited to playing and performing the occasional choreography confined to the space of the main singers. This has made it one of the most sought-after groups in a short time, in which the influences of rap can be felt, both in the image—which they project on stage through costumes and dance—and in the texts and spoken style of some of the works they perform. This was a significant change, since in 1988 it had begun with a repertoire based on cha-cha-chas, boleros, and guarachas. The new sound of Charanga began to be broadcast on radio starting in 1993 with the album Hey you, loca!, in the group's new musical work, timba took center stage in terms of sound interest, characterized by rhythmic saturation and the exploitation of the most extreme registers: orchestrations in which everything from the deepest hoarse timbres to the most piercing high notes are exploited.

The format of Charanga, now without the violin—its director stopped playing this instrument in the group in 1992—, was expanded with the presence of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone in the brass section, in addition to keyboards. The texts became more aggressive and uninhibited; the refrains were loaded with double meanings; and the choreographies (created by David Calzado), unprecedented until that moment, are conceived with acrobatic figures and deliberately sensual and provocative gestures. A work that summarizes these characteristics is El temba, from the album Pa'que se entere La Habana, 1996. In 1998 they performed at the MIDEN.

His international experience (including work with the orchestra Ritmo Oriental) combined with his inexhaustible energy, allows him to stay in tune with the moment with versatile musicians and those who greatly enjoy the concept of spectacle, including daring choreographies in which the entire band participates. At the same time, timbral modifications are made with the addition of new instruments and what is now known as "the mechanics" of CHARANGA HABANERA is formed.

In 1998 he achieved the award for the most popular orchestra of the year on the island. He has toured Japan, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, United States of North America, and North Africa, performing on important stages such as the Festival de Campanille (Italy), Feria del Pacifico (Peru), Hard Rock (Mexico), among others.

He has also been nominated for Latin Grammy Awards in 2003 with the album "LIVE IN THE USA". In 2005 they were nominated for ORGULLOSAMENTE LATINO in three categories: best video, best album, best group.

Works
El bla, bla, bla
El Ricky ricón
El temba
Esas son cosas que pasan
Experto en amores
Mi corazón no puede darte más
No tires la piedra
Placer de amar
Tremenda atmósfera
Tú, el sipisón y yo
Un disparo en la mirada
Volver al lecho sin temor
Y siguió bailando