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Cuban musicians set to groove at concert hall

Adonis Puentes and Voice of Cuba Orchestra take stage Thursday
Adonis Puentes started his music studies as a child and was a salsa star on Cuban television.

The dance floor will be open Thursday, Feb. 18 as Adonis Puentes and the Voice of Cuba Orchestra bring a multi-layered groove to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. Curtain is 7 p.m.

Adonis Puentes has earned critical acclaim as a soñero, singing ballads backed by the mix of Spanish guitars with African rhythms distinctive to Cuba.

He was born in Artemisa, Cuba (45 miles southwest of Havana), into an atmosphere charged with Cuban music. His father Valentin taught music and played guitar, and passed his passion to Adonis and his fraternal twin brother, Alexis (better known today as Alex Cuba). By the age of 6, Puentes was playing with a Children's Guitar Ensemble formed by his father, and by 14, he was singing and writing his own music.

Puentes' popularity swept the island nation when at 21 he entered and became one of the finalists of "Mi Salsa," a salsa singing competition that was broadcast on television throughout Cuba.

In 1998, three years after an initial tour of Canada with his brother and father, Puentes moved to British Columbia to start a new life as a proud Cuban-Canadian. After working with his brother and others for many years, in 2005, he released his first solo album called Vida (Life), which contains a diverse and dance-friendly collection of original, contemporary takes on Cuban tradition. Vida earned accolades on many Top 10 charts.

His most recent release, Sabor a Café, has been described as a "sensuous, profound recording with dramatic arrangements. a modern Cuban music masterpiece."

Puentes now divides his time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Los Angeles. He describes his latest music as "fusion with Cuban roots," which bridges generations and cultures with a charisma and delivery that shines brighter than life through solo performances with piano or guitar accompaniment, to fronting orchestras.

As he noted in The Globe and Mail, "You come to my concert and you dance. My mission in life is to make you have two hours of joy."

Tickets for Adonis Puentes and the Voice of Cuba Orchestra are $24 and $34. They are available by calling 247-7657, on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com, or visit the ticket office inside the Welcome Center at Eighth Street and Main Avenue in downtown Durango. Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. On show days, the box office at the Concert Hall will be open one hour prior to curtain. All sales are final.