Osvaldo Chacon

Osvaldo Chacón was a singer and songwriter who specialized in the "timba" style — a spicy mixture of jazz, salsa, soul, funk, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms unique to Chacón's native Cuba. Originally a music teacher in Havana, Chacón got his start singing with Manuel Gonzalez Hernandez, "El Medico de la Salsa" (aka "The Doctor of Salsa") and moved on to join Pablo Fernandez Gallo and his band Paulito F.G.. In 1996, he appeared on Bamboleo's debut, Te Gusto o Te Caigo Bien, which gave his expressive vocal style and songwriting skills much wider exposure. Chacón then left Bamboleo and moved to the United Kingdom, where he assembled his own fusion outfit. Chacon y su Timba debuted in 2001 with Salsa Afrocubana and featured many Paulito F.G. expats, including Joel Dominguez and Yaniel "El Maja" Matos. The collective returned in 2003 with Voy en Entrar, which expanded on Chacón's timba style with elements of modern U.S. pop and hip-hop.