"Passport" by Havana D'Primera among the 10 best Latin albums of the decade

December 26, 2019

The album "Pasaporte", released in 2013 by multi-awarded Cuban trumpet player Alexander Abreu and his group Havana D'Primera, was recently included in the list by American newspaper Los Angeles Times of the 10 best Latin albums of the decade.

"A frenetic fusion of salsa and funk, timba has dominated the records coming out of Cuba over the last 30 years. Singer and trumpet player Alexander Abreu spent the last decade updating and refining the timba sound with his band Havana D'Primera", reviewed music expert Ernesto Lechner.

"'Pasaporte' is undoubtedly his best effort, a crispy session of Afro-Cuban dance rhythms performed at lightning speed, with impeccable horn arrangements and a spider of piano tumbaos", added the critic.

The list also features Argentine band Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, Brazilian Marisa Monte, Chilean Ana Tijoux, Colombian J Balvin, Dominican Vicente García, Mexican Natalia Lafourcade and Spanish Rosalía.

Havana D'Primera, born in 2008, is composed of a collective of high-level musicians on the Cuban music scene. Since its inception it has achieved international success with a live album and four studio albums, two of which have been nominated for "Best Salsa Album" at the Latin Grammy Awards.