Afro-Cuban Salsa Ensemble – Worldwide Touring & Recordings with the legendary Buena Vista Social Club.
Directed by percussionist and lead singer Gustavo Cereijo, eleven-piece Afro-Cuban Salsa ensemble Chukale has been amazing Australian audiences since 2005.
Chukale is dedicated to showcasing the cream of international Latin American talent. Legendary Buena Vista Social Club lead singer Felix Baloy and flautist Poblitu Tamayo recently paid Chukale its greatest compliment to date by recording with the band. Uruguay’s multi-gold record selling vocalist Gonzalo Porta and gifted Cuban pianist Marialy Pacheco have graced Chukale’s recent stage performances.
Chukale are the Benchmark for Latin American music in Australasia
Gustavo Cereijo’s Chukale has supported touring international Salsa icons Sonora Carruseles from Colombia, Venezuela’s multiple Grammy award-winner Los Amigos Invisibles and Grammy award-winning Cuban cultural institution Los Van Van and the infamous international Afro-Cuban All Stars.
On stage, Uruguayan-born conga maestro Gustavo Cereijo teams with Alex Nesevski on timbales, drummer Sacha Kloostra, Daniel Gonzales on percussion and bass player Steele Chabau to form the band’s driving rhythm section. The Conservatorium-trained brass section comprises trumpet players Bob Schultz and Shannon Marshall. Also on trombone Shane Hannan teaming with Joseph Roberts on baritone and flute, who combine with pianist Christo “El Pulpo” Iconomidis give’s the band its unmistakable Salsa signature. The band is completed by John Sanchez on vocal, who adds further energy to the stage with his unmistakable talent as a “Salsero”.
The Band – The Club Residencies
The band built its reputation working from the ground up with residencies in a variety of Brisbane hot spots including [and currently] Cloudland, as well as previously at The Alhambra Lounge, Uber, The PressClub and Barsoma to name just a few , as well as regularly interstate at venues such as Byron Bay’s famous Beach Hotel. They’ve ignited world music festivals and events including The Sydney Salsa Congress (2009),Woodford Folk Festival (2007) and Bellingen Global Carnival (2007), Darling Harbour’s Fiesta Festival (2008) and many many more, nationally and internationally, in the past 24 months.
Let The Music Play On!
Chukale EP and album Expedition has been Released which features many tracks recorded in Havana, Cuba with musicians as Felix Baloy and Rolando Salgado from Afro Cuban All Stars and The Buena Vista Social Club band. Polo Tamayo from La Ritmo Oriental band . El Indio from Manolito Siboney band. Antonio Leal from Benny More band, , Oderquis Reve from El charangon de Elio Reve band. Also featuring Carlos Puisseaux from Son band Sierra Maestra and Rainer Garzon from Havana Symphony Orquestra.
BOOKINGS FOR CHUKALE
Chukale as an Eleven-piece ensemble are available for your private or corporate event [depending on allowances between current tours and touring dates]
As Australias’ best percussionist Gustavo Cereijo is also available as a solo percussionist for your club or event (and if you need a sneak-peak at Australia’s best, Gustavo can occasionally be caught outside of Cloudland banging the rhythm alongside Austin King at Zuri).
As with all 11 uniquely talented artists in the group, Club DJ Australia can make arrangements for any member individually or any smaller number combination of Chukale to perform for your venue, function or event to fit within your budget allowances. Also, along with full Rio carnivale-style dance performances with Paradizo productions to add the full dance element to the latin-salsa sound, Club DJ Australia can make your event memorably spectacular.
Call Club DJ Australia and make a Chuklae today – Chukale will blow the minds of your audience. 100% guaranteed.