Tiempo Libre

Though Miami serves as the base of operations for the timba band Tiempo Libre, every member traces Cuban roots in birth, upbringing, and artistic influence. Pianist Jorge Gomez established the ensemble in 2001 as the initial genuine Cuban timba outfit to form on U.S. soil. The group handled its own release of the debut album Timbiando in 2004, a set of covers captured inside a friend's garage. Shanachie Entertainment secured the band in 2005 and put out Arroz con Mango that year, a title whose Cuban slang meaning translates to "something completely out of the ordinary." By 2006 the lineup featured singer Joaquin Diaz on vocals, Tebelio Fonte on bass, Pavel Diaz on trumpet, Luis Beltran Castillo on sax and flute, Leandro Gonzalez on congas, and Angel Arce on drums, delivering the third album What You've Been Waiting For/Lo Que Esperabas.