As is its way, La Linea ‘06 finds room for a selection of styles and rhythms from a scene of huge diversity: Mexican rancheras, reggaeton, flamenco, bossa nova, deep Afro-Cuban rhythms, Afro-Peruvian styles, Portuguese fado, 21st Century Nuyorican soul plus a unique “Buena Vista Social Club™” presentation at Sadler’s Wells.

Saturday April 1 – Amparanoia & Ska Cubano + guest DJs - Coronet, 28 New Kent Road, London SE1 - 8.30pm-3am - All tickets £15 in advance
La Linea ‘06 bursts into life with a spectacular double bill party night special at The Coronet on April 1 featuring Amparanoia – the sound of modern Spain …eclectic, raucous, conscious, defiant and rhumbamentally entertaining! Their new CD “La Vida te Da” will be released on 6th March. Completing the bill is the explosive jump-up combo of rhythms from Cuba, Jamaica and Colombia that is Ska Cubano - their “Ay Caramba” was acclaimed one of the best albums of 2005.

Saturday April 1 – Misia – Queen Elizabeth Hall - South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX - 7.30 - £12.5/£17.5/£20
A very rare London show for one of the great contemporary voices of fado.

Over the last decade, Misia has been at the forefront of the Portuguese fado revival. While deeply rooted in the bittersweet Portuguese blues, tonight’s show is enriched with an infusion of tangos and boleros to coincide with the UK release of her new album “Drama Box”. Misia’s richly emotive voice is accompanied by guitars, violin and bandoneon.

Sunday April 2 – Susana Baca + Marta Topferova - Queen Elizabeth Hall - South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX - 7.30 - £12.5/£17.5/£20
Susana Baca is one of the great voices of Latin America. In the last ten years, since coming to international fame when picked up by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, she has really made the Afro-Peruvian repertoire her own. Now playing her first London show in almost two years and backed by her own exquisite band she plays on a more intimate stage than she has done for some time in a performance to launch her brand new album released in March. Support comes in the shape of the immaculate Marta Topferova. This Czech-born, New York resident has no right to sing her sultry Latin folk repertoire with such aplomb but hey, that’s La Linea, and from the strangest places come the sweetest sounds.

Tuesday April 4 – Lila Downs + Kevin Johansen - Barbican Centre – Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS - 7.30 - £12/£18/£22
Mexico’s voice for the twenty first century introduces her brand new project La Cantina focussing on the rich repertoire of Mexico’s beloved cancion ranchera tradition. Ballads of heartache, solitude and longing reinterpreted with Lila’s Nueva York inflected cool. Downs cuts a striking figure on stage. Her resemblance to the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo has long been noted and she appeared in - as well as singing the Grammy nominated theme tune - Selma Hayek’s Frida biopic.

“Imagine Edith Piaf singing in Spanish and you have the idea of the soulful sound of Lila Downs” Los Angeles Times

This will be Lila’s first headlining London show.

Support comes from the Argentine-Alaskan Kevin Johansen whose Grammy nominated latest album, City Zen, has been one of the groundbreaking Latin Music releases of recent years.

Thursday April 6 – Salsa Celtica + guest DJs – Islington Academy - 16 Parkfield Street, N1 – 7-11 - All tickets £12 in advance
It shouldn’t work but it does. Salsa Celtica make a rare London appearance - feted from New York to the Canary Islands, resident in Edinburgh but really inhabiting a mythical Latin music world of their own where the Scottish fiddle plays in counterpoint to the Charanga violin. A night made for the Academy’s immaculate dancefloor.

Saturday April 8 – Reggaeton Jam featuring DJ Nelson + special guests DJ Benny Bianco and MCs Aldo y Dandy – SE One - Weston Street, SE1 – 10pm-5am - £15 in advance
Presented in association with Candela
Reggaeton, the hypnotic sound of Jamaican dancehall clashing with Latin Hip Hop, has swept the world in the last two years. DJ Nelson and Flow Music productions in Puerto Rico are in the eye of the storm. From their record releases to their essential Saturday night radio show in San Juan; to their collaborations with all the other main Reggaeton players eg Daddy Yankee. Flying in from Puerto Rico with their crew for one night supported by the best of London’s burgeoning Reggaeton scene - in the shape of DJs Jose Luis, Moreno and Loco - this is the biggest and best night of Reggaeton to be staged in the UK. The event happens at SE One - London’s largest and most flexible club with a state of the art sound system and dance floor - under the arches at London Bridge station

Saturday April 8 Louie Vega and His Elements Of Life - featuring Blaze, Anane, & Luisito Quintero with special guest DJs - Coronet 28 New Kent Road London SE1 - 8.30pm - 3am - £20 in advance
The story of dance music in New York from the eighties is really a Latin Music story, from Studio 54 to the Palladium the main DJs were of Latin origin and at the pinnacle are the Masters at Work - Louie Vega and Kenny Gonzalez. Eight years ago they broke the mould with Nuyorican Soul a project that brought together Jocelyn Brown and Roy Ayers with Latin greats Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri and La India and which created the link between Dance, Jazz and Latin.

The sequel to Nuyorican Soul in the twenty-first century is Louie’s most ambitious musical venture yet, his Elements Of Life which takes the themes laid down in Nuyorican Soul and develops them further. Louie continues on his mission to break down musical boundaries; exploring, dissecting and fusing genres like Bossanova, Samba, Jazz, Salsa and Afro-groove. Born out of his intense desire to create a culturally unifying project that reflects upon love, family, spiritualism and social awareness. Tonight’s show features an outstanding line-up of guest vocalists and major musicians from both sides of the tracks.

Monday April 10 – Ojos de Brujo + Buena Fé – Barbican Centre – Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS - 7.30 - £12/£18/£22
This is Ojos De Brujo’s first London show for 2 years and with their new album ‘Techari’ out on March 20th this a guaranteed night of flamenco fiesta infused with Buleria Funk, Reggae, Tango, Bhangra and Hip Hop. Ojos De Brujo played the Glastonbury Festival, appeared on Later with Jools Holland, won a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music and their last album “Bari” was universally acclaimed. This is essential urban music from the streets of Barcelona

Support is the UK concert hall debut for Havana’s Buena Fé – right now arguably the most popular musical group in Cuba.

Saturday April 15 - Anga Diaz’ “Echu Mingua” + X Alfonso – Barbican Centre - Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS - 7.30 - £12/£18/£22
The Future Sound of Cuba. Anga Diaz has been the heartbeat of Cuban percussion from Irakere to the Afro Cuban All Stars. Tonight is the UK debut for his project Echu Mingua which unites a host of players including Malian Griot Baba Sissoko, French Hip Hop Don Dee Nasty and the mighty Magic Malik in a journey from the rumba roots of Cuban music to an inspired future jazz sound. Support comes in another UK debut from Havana’s X Alfonso. Winner of a record breaking 8 Cuban Music Awards last year. It’s now time for London to welcome the young Rumbadelica Rebels.

“a magnificently innovative fusion of styles and influences… a modern classic.” The Times on “Echu Mingua”

Wednesday April 19 – Sergio Monroy – Purcell Room – South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX - 7.45 - £10-£15
UK debut for Cadiz born Sergio Monroy who has developed a unique synthesis of flamenco and piano music. His debut album was been acclaimed in the new flamenco community for its freshness and accessibility, wedding flamenco to jazz. Sergio fuses all the components of flamenco; the guitar, the ‘palmas’ and the voice without imitating them bringing all the piano’s melodic resources, rhythm and harmony into play.

Monday April 24 – Buena Vista Social Club presents… Cachaito Lopez, Manuel Galban, Guajiro Mirabal and Jesus ‘Aguaje’ Ramos – Sadler’s Wells - Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN - 7.30 - £15-£20-£25
Please note that the Victoria Abril show previously advertised for 24th April at Sadler’s Wells has been cancelled and that due to popular demand there will now be a second Buena Vista Social Club presents… Cachaito Lopez, Manuel Galban, Guajiro Mirabal and Jesus ‘Aguaje’ Ramos at the same venue on that date in its place.

Tuesday April 25 – Buena Vista Social Club presents…
Cachaito Lopez, Manuel Galban, Guajiro Mirabal and Jesus ‘Aguaje’ Ramos – Sadler’s Wells – Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN - 7.30 - £15-£20-£25
An extraordinary line-up of Buena Vista Social Club™ stalwarts, together with an 11 piece band direct from Havana come to Sadler’s Wells to present some of the finest Cuban music ever made.

This unique concert will take audiences on a musical excursion from the original Buena Vista Social Club™ recordings in 1996 up to the present day. Now after ten years as the backbone of the Buena Vista Social Club™ and as Ibrahim Ferrer’s live band and Grammy winning albums, this esteemed group finally gets their chance to shine.

Friday April 28 – Novalima – Cargo – 83, Rivington St., Shoreditch, EC2 - 7-3 - £12 in advance
For the last few years Novalima have been on a mission to bring Afro-Peruvian music up to date. It’s raw and acoustic but with electronic touches. Dark but soulful. Deep and haunting at times. Killer dub basslines with thumping cajon, quijada and conga percussion. Coming direct from Peru this is the UK debut for the full Novalima band. Their latest album “Afro” was “Top of the World” in Songlines magazine and is available on Mr. Bongo records.

El Mundo Latino brought to your barrio by Como No.

Tickets for all shows available online at www.comono.co.uk or 08703 800 400