RIP Israel "Cachao" López

Cuban bassist and composer Israel Lopez died Saturday, March 22 at age 89.

The man simply known as Cacao and his late brother, multi-instrumentalist Orestes Lopez, are known for the creation in the late 1930s of the mambo, which emerged from their improvisational work with the danzon, an elegant musical style that lends itself to slow dancing.

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Smile of the Week

Benefitting from the return of his writers, David Letterman provides us with the Smile of the Week

Fidel Castro retires

An ailing Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president on Tuesday, February 19 after nearly a half-century in power, saying he was retiring and will not accept a new term when the new parliament meets on Sunday, February 24.

The announcement effectively ends the rule of the 81-year-old Castro after almost 50 years, positioning his 76-year-old brother Raul for permanent succession to the presidency.

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