Orishas Reunites For 'Beautiful Island,' Tour

Iconic Cuban hip-hop act Orishas is back after seven years off. The trio is releasing a new single with tons of special guests and has a plan to tour 10 cities in the U.S.

“Cuba Isla Bella” is an exploration of the musical soul of the group’s native island and its denizens, featuring Buena Fe, Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona, Issac Delgado, Leoni Torres, Laritza Bacallao and Pedrito Martinez. After releasing the track to Cuban radio stations, Orishas is sharing the tune with the rest of the world Friday via iTunes, Spotify and other digital platforms.

This marks the first time Yotuel, Roldán and Ruzzo will have toured and recorded together since the group split in 2009. The group has previously stated that a new album is coming.

Formed in 1999, Orishas is considered a pioneering act in Afro-Cuban hip-hop.

Time named Orishas in its 2001 list of the “The 10 best bands on planet Earth.” The quality of lyricism and music, which incorporates elements of American hip-hop while preserving many Cuban traditional influences, are undoubtedly the Spanish-rap group’s main attraction, but its cultural significance in Cuba really cannot be overstated.

The tour schedule has the musicians backed by a full live band, beginning in Fort Myers, Fla., Aug. 12 and running until Sept. 4 in Las Vegas. Live Nation is a partner on the tour, so the House of Blues in New Orleans and Las Vegas are both on the docket, as is the Irving Plaza in New York. The group will also be performing at Irving Plaza in Chicago, which one would think effectively makes them a headline act.

Here is the routing:

Aug. 12 – Fort Myers, Fla., Lee Civic Center
Aug. 13 – Chicago, Ill., Riis Park (Festival Cubano)
Aug. 19 – New Orleans, La., House Of Blues
Aug. 20 – Miami Beach, Fla., Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater
Aug. 25 – New York, N.Y., Irving Plaza
Aug. 26 – Washington, DC, The Howard Theatre
Aug. 27 – Tampa, Fla., Scottish Rite Masonic Center
Sept. 2 – San Francisco, Calif., Mezzanine
Sept. 3 – Los Angeles, Calif., The Regent Theater
Sept. 4 – Las Vegas, Nev., House Of Blues

Tickets to Chicago and San Francisco are available now. Fort Myers onsale is scheduled June 20. As for the rest of the dates, tickets go on sale June 24. Visit Orishas’ Facebook and Twitter pages for more details.