About Son Del Llano

Son del Llano revives the classic songs of 1950's and 60's Havana, mingled with original salsa and elegant boleros. The group has been turning heads on the Lincoln, NE music scene since its debut performance at the 2007 Celebrate Lincoln festival. Fresh and authentic, drawing inevitable comparisons to the Buena Vista Social Club, Son del Llano presents the sounds of Cuba and Latin America with soul and style.

Click here to hear selected Son Del Llano recordings at our MySpace page

Son del Llano grew out of a series of jam sessions held at the home of Marcelo Arevalo in Lincoln, Nebraska. In recent years, Lincoln has earned the nickname "the Middle of Everywhere," unique among mid-sized Midwestern towns as a destination point for people of a wide range of nationalities and ethnicities. Marcelo, a recent arrival from Chile, hosted these sessions which formed the nucleus of the group, including Arevalo, Rene Paula from Cuba, and Justin G. Jones. The three were eager to contribute to a Latin music scene in Lincoln, and to create a forum for Rene's vast son repertoire and Marcelo's original salsa compositions. With the recruiting of Brian Morrow on bass and Mike Brownson on trumpet, the group took its curRenet form as a classic son conjunto.

 

Rene Paula (lead vocals, tres cubano)

Rene, a native of Havana, is a master of the tres cubano. For many years he was a mainstay on the Cuban music scene, performing with legendary artists such as Beny More, Felix Chappot’n, Los Pap’nes, and Miguelito Cun’. Since moving to the US in 1981, he has led groups in Miami, Chicago, Seattle, and New Orleans.

Marcelo Arevalo (lead vocals, congas, percussion, guitar)

Marcelo Arevalo comes from Vi–a del Mar, Chile, where he was a regular performer on the salsa circuit and fronted his own band performing original compositions influenced by reggae, pop, and the music of Chile and Brazil. This multi-talented artist plays drums, bass, guitar, and piano in addition to his singing and percussion duties with Son del Llano.

Justin G. Jones (timbales, bongos, percussion, and coros)

Justin G. Jones has had a lifelong fascination with Caribbean and African music. As a teenager in Santa Fe, NM, he played for West African drum and dance ensembles. Later he moved to California, studying Latin music, and jazz with Ray Charles' drummer Paul Kreibich. Justin has performed across the U.S. and internationally, most recently as a member of the notorious Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs.

Mike Brownson (trumpet)

Mike Brownson, known as Lincoln's high note specialist, is equally adept at sensitive delivery of romantic boleros. Former lead trumpeter in the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and UNL marching band, he has performed as a sideman with a impressive array of artists including Melissa Manchester, George Jones, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Brian Morrow (bass and coros)

Brian Morrow may be the busiest musician in Nebraska. Besides his rock-solid bass playing, Brian is a multi-instrumentalist at home performing on saxophone, clarinet, flute, piano, guitar, and vocals. Brian is an accomplished songwriter who has fronted his own bands as well as appearing with top blues, soul, funk, jazz, and rock n roll acts across the Midwest.