JESUS “AGUAJE” RAMOS (born 1951) is a Cuban trombonist,composer, arranger and musical director. He is best known as the original orchestra leader, composer and trombonist of The Buena Vista Social Club. He has also served long stints in world class ensembles Estrellas de Areito and Afro-Cuban Allstars. His musical journey and history is brought into focus throughout the critically acclaimed 1999 documentary “Buena Vista Social Club”

Ramos performed on the World Circuit recordings of The Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban Allstars and the solo albums of Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales and Omara Portuondo. He was Gonzales’s musical director and has been touring extensively since 1997 with various Buena Vista Social Club projects. He was a prominent member and musical director of the renowned Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, which brought the music of the original Buena Vista Social Club back into international prominence during the incredibly successful ‘Adios’ Tour from 2014-2016.

The Buena Vista Orchestra, under the direction of Ramos and featuring key players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club, continued the legacy of the legendary group in 2024 with an exciting new stage production and repertoire pulled from the greatest hits (many of which Ramos composed) and deep-dive cuts. The group embarked on a massive tour across the USA starting in September 2024, spending 3 months on the road and playing for thousands of fans new and old. Their adventure culminated in the release of USA TOUR 2024 – 12 LIVE RECORDINGS on SSK Records, the first time in decades the group’s music will be available on CD and vinyl

Ramos is joined on the 2025 international tour to Canada, The United Kingdom, The EU, Brazil and beyond by an all star ensemble including original BVSC members “Betun” Luis Mariano Valiente Marin (Congas, Bongo) and Fabían Garcia (Bass).

To date, The Buena Vista Social Club and related projects have global sales that stand at over fifty million, making it the biggest-selling Cuban music project in history. As one critic put it, Buena Vista has become “world music’s equivalent of The Dark Side of the Moon.”

THE BUENA VISTA ORCHESTRA 2025

JESUS “AGUAJE” RAMOS – Trombone, Vocals

LORENA RAMOS DIAZ – Trombone, Vocals

GEIDY CHAPMAN – Vocals

YURI TEJADA RODRIGUEZ – Vocals

AMAURY TAMAYO – Trumpet, Vocals

ANDY ABAD ACOSTA – Piano

FABIAN GARCIA – Bass

ANTONIO RUBIO BORAYO – Timbal, Percussion

LUIS “BETUN” MARIANO VALIENTE MARIN – Congas, Bongo

MAIKEL OCHAO – Tres

Join us Wednesday, October 8th from 5:00 until 8:30 for a Signature New London Event!

The Downtown New London Assoc brings back a popular tradition of celebrating New London at its Annual Fall Food Stroll. Participants experience a vibrant downtown New London filled with people, music, good cheer and welcoming businesses.

Stroll through different restaurants, shops, arts and cultural institutions in downtown New London. Bite-size samples of dishes or drinks that range from seafood to sweets, organic to ethnic and everything in between at the District's finest eateries are yours with an advanced purchased wristbands as your ticket to taste! Premiere local talent will perform along the stroll route.

Do not hesitate to get your wristbands early - and save! We only have limited wristbands available.

All purchases are final. Rain or Shine Event. No Refunds.

• Advanced purchased
• Adult
• Military & Student must show ID upon Wristbands pickup at the office.
• Group 6+
• (for group purchases contact Downtown New London Assoc 860.443-3786 or bjneff1369@sbcglobal.net)

You will pick up your wristbands at Neff Productions Office - 2 State St, New London, CT -Call to arrange pickup 860-443-3786

Long before Bridgerton broke the Netflix algorithm, Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) had helped establish classical crossover as a genuine force in contemporary music. Fresh off high-profile placements in Seasons 1 and 2 of the aforementioned streaming smash, VSQ has “reached a mainstream, global audience” (Variety) and “charmed the world with their classical covers” (Nylon). New York Observer wrote, “VSQ’s atmospheric hits have made classical versions of pop music cool.”

On their latest tour, VSQ have created fresh arrangements of the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, performing spellbinding and innovative renditions of Swift’s music, alongside familiar hits from Billie Eilish, BTS, Bridgerton, The Weeknd to Daft Punk.

VSQ are one of the most popular string ensembles in the world with over 2 billion streams and seven albums charting on both Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts.

Celebrate Halloween at New London Waterfront Park: Halloween Town Event on Friday, October 17th from 6pm to 8pm

The City of New London, in collaboration with the Downtown New London Association, invites families to immerse themselves in a spooktacular Halloween experience at Halloween Town, an event set to take place on Friday, October 17th from 6pm to 8pm at the spooky New London Waterfront Park.

Halloween Town promises an enchanting evening of frightful delights and ghoulish fun for all ages. Attendees can look forward to an array of exciting activities:

Trick or Treating for Families: Children and parents alike will have the opportunity to stroll the waterfront, collecting sweet treats and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Costume Contest: A Costume Contest for ages Pre-K to 5th grade will take place at City Pier at 7:00 pm. Show off your creative costumes and stand a chance to win amazing prizes. This event is proudly sponsored by K-Hits 100.9 FM.

Roaming Entertainment: The event will feature lively roaming entertainment by Justine Nicole Entertainment, adding an extra dose of excitement and thrills to the Halloween festivities.

New London Fire Department Safety Trailer: The New London Fire Department will have a safety trailer on-site, providing valuable safety tips and information to ensure a secure and enjoyable Halloween experience.

Performance by Luis Pabon Dance Arts Centre: Enjoy a captivating performance by the talented dancers from Luis Pabon Dance Arts Centre, showcasing their artistry and adding a touch of grace to the Halloween celebration.

Join us at Halloween Town for a night of spooktacular entertainment and community spirit in the heart of New London. Let's come together and make this Halloween a memorable and safe celebration.

Small Business Saturday

This holiday season we hope you'll join us in supporting our small business community as you look for that extra something special for family, friends, loved ones, and maybe even yourself. New London has an eclectic and cool scene of retailers, galleries, artisans, restaurants, and bars that are all run and staffed by folks from our community. We hope you'll swing through and support them early and often!

We're kicking it off right with Small Business Saturday on November 29th. Shops will have specials, sales, and more including some entertainment options. We hope you'll join us.

Stay tuned to this space for more details from some of our shops and restaurants.

Santa Shopping Stroll - Grab a map and explore the charming streets of downtown New London as you shop for holiday gifts. Check out the list of special offers from the businesses participating on that day. Make sure to visit all the locations to collect Christmas stamps on your map. Turn in your completed map to Flavour of Life for a chance to win a fabulous DNLA merchant gift basket. Enjoy this delightful day-long holiday shopping extravaganza!

New London, CT., December 26, 2025- The City of New London and the New London NAACP will have a ceremony tonight starting at 5:00 pm at the Parade Plaza to light the Kinara for the first night of Kwanzaa. We invite the community to come out and enjoy the celebration.

The colors of each candle have symbolic meanings. The black candle represents the African people, the red candles symbolize their struggles, and the green represents hope for the future. The number of candles represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Together, the candles are called the mishumaa saba. The candles are lit according to the numbering of the Principles:

Umoja (1)- (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (2) - (Self-Determination)

Ujima (3) - (Collective Work and Responsibility)

Ujamaa (4)- (Cooperative Economics)

Nia (5) - (Purpose)

Kuumba (6) - (Creativity)

Imani (7) - (Faith)

The word kinara is a Swahili word that means candle holder. The seven candles represent the Seven Principles (or Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa. Red, green, and black are the symbolic colors of the holiday. During the week of Kwanzaa, a new candle is lit on the kinara each day.