Maite Hontelé
Maite Hontelé was born in Utrecht, and grew up in a house full of music. Back home they spend most of the time listening to salsa and son cubano. She started playing the trumpet in the local brass band in Haaften, the village where she grew up, but changed direction at the age of 14 when she decided to play latin music in a band in Utrecht. Hontelé then studied Latin and jazz trumpet at the Rotterdam Conservatory (CODARTS). During and after her study she played a lot of salsa, but also crossover projects like Bongomatik, studio work and events with DJs (including DJ Tiesto). One of the highlights in the years after her study was the tour with Musica Cubana (Buena Vista Social Club) and the accompanying DVD recording.
For Maite Hontelé recent years increasingly have been dominated by Colombia. There she has built a career of her own and can no longer cross the streets quietly.
Her love for Colombia started some 10 years ago, because of the tours there with Rumbatá Big Band and Cubop City Big Band.
To be able to play more often in Latin America, she launched her first CD titled "Llegó la Mona”. The accompanying promotional tour was such a success that Hontelé decided that same year to move to Medellin Colombia She was welcomed with open arms.
In 2010 she released her second album "Mujer Sonora" a tribute to Cuban styles as danzón, chachachá, charanga, and son.
Maite Hontelé played with her band at major festivals in Colombia, at the North Sea Jazz Festival, and toured many countries including Peru, South Korea, Malaysia, America, Israel and Mexico.
In addition, from 2011 onwards she is every half year present on Dutch stages.
Maite played as special guest on tours and recordings with Ruben Blades, Oscar D'León, Issac Delgado, Yuri Buenaventura, Grupo Gale and other stars at the Latin firmament.
In May 2013 Maite Hontelé was invited to play as special guest at the very important Cuban music event: the "premios Cubadisco '(Cuban Grammys).
In April 2013 her new album "Dejame Así" was released in Colombia, co-starring one of the most famous salsa singers ever heard: Oscar D'León. He "discovered" Maite in 2012 and took her on a tour through Europe. Next followed the cooperation on her new album.
The latter album was nominated for a Premio Shock ', the main Colombian music award and was released in the Netherlands in March 2014 by the record company V2. The same month Maite Hontelé toured for the first time the Netherlands with her Colombian band
By the end of 2013 Maite was proclaimed "Artist of the Year" by the Colombian public radio
