The Descarga Review - February 06, 2007 (reviews)

Tue Feb 6 14:37:31 EST 2007

The Descarga Review • February 06, 2007

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Here are some noteworthy new and reissued titles...
Fills in *lots* of previously promised reviews

MANNIX MARTINEZ
Estoy Aqui
Mucaro Records
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA; PUERTO RICO
EditorsPick: Here's the debut release from Mannix Martinez, former  
singer with Puerto Rico's legendary Sonora Ponceña. Astute listeners  
will also recognize Mannix from La Terrifica as well. Mr. Martinez  
has released a powerful little salsa project that clearly establishes  
him as a contender. It's well done, but not over-produced. These are  
solid arrangements that highlight the singer best. He's got a big  
voice with a similar timbre as, say, Oscar D'Leon. And on Estoy Aquí,  
it fits just right.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Estoy Aqui Now!

JESUSITO EL GIGANTE DEL TIMBAL
Jesusito - El Gigante Del Timbal
Envidia / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Damn, why aren't more sessions as graced as this with  
swing? Jesusito, a timbalero with a long resume dating back to Havana  
in the late '50s and early '60s has put together a charanga/descarga  
that rocks from the first note, the violins cranking out repeated  
figures, fat and steady as flutists and violinists solo over it all.  
Rare to hear such impressive solos, also; check out the rhythmic  
fooling around on the first track by one of the violinists; then the  
band locks into some strange rhythms, the pianist breaking out of the  
montuno. Very, very cool. Poor guy this Jesusito; the band calls him  
a dwarf over and over. Doesn't matter. He's got plenty of ideas to  
keep him out of range of the loving insult, and the band keeps up  
with him. This is charanga that traffics in beauty, but it never  
relies on being pretty. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Jesusito - El Gigante Del Timbal Now!

MEL MARTINEZ
Pa' La Calle
Envidia / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA; PUERTO RICO
EditorsPick: In the vein of, say, Los Protagonistas, La Sindicata or  
La Puertorriqueña, "Pa La Calle" is a power-punch of danceclub salsa  
that should be played loud for full effect. Produced by Willie Sotelo  
- the centerpiece of the aforementioned bands - whose thumbprint is  
all over this project. He's pianist here, as well as author and  
arranger of many of the tracks including the opening gem "Como Tú No  
Hay Dos." Other arrangement muscle belongs to Pedro Pérez, Tito  
Rivera, Georgie Padilla, and Ricky Zayas. Mel Martinez, formerly  
simply "Mel," has grown more than a last name on "Pa' La Calle." He's  
also acquired a new level of chops and respect for handling this  
rocket ship band with apparent ease and and equal amount of bravado.  
Listen to his rendition of "Amor De Aquella Noche." But there's a lot  
to like about Pa La Calle. Rigoberto Diaz' timbal punching on  
Martinez' own "El Comentario" for example.
With trumpeter Rolando "Rolo" Alejandro, conguero William "Cachiro"  
Thompson, bongocero Carmelo Alvarez and bassist Pedro Pérez. And,  
like all of Willie Sotelo productions, there's a killer coro section.  
This one is filled with Henry Santiago, Jerry Medina and Rei Pena. A  
force to be reckoned with.
Salsa the way it ought to be. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Pa' La Calle Now!

JAVIER COLINA
Si Te Contara
Resistencia / original import
Category: LATIN JAZZ; AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ; CUBA
EditorsPick: Here's a gem, a perfect little piece of work that mines  
Cuban acoustic classicism. The Spanish bassist has surrounded himself  
with the best Cuban musicians possible, including Pancho Amat,  
Osdalgia, Julito Padrón, Joaquin Oliveros and more; Tatá Güines and  
Changuito show up on a few tunes. And in two shockingly beautiful  
pieces, the Spanish Gypsy singer Duquende sings "Dos Gardenias" and  
"He Perdido Contigo." The album opens up on "Softly" as in a morning  
sunrise, with Amat pulling off astonishing harmonic and rhythmic  
tricks. The band then goes through Nicholas Guillen's "Quirino con su  
Tres", a version of "Night and Day", with a fine alto solo by the  
heavyweight Spanish saxophonist Perico Sambeat, along with Sindo  
Garay's "La Tarde". It's all naturalistic, recorded as if live; the  
music is conversational, almost offhanded, a merging of the descarga  
and the son. It's hard to imagine a better project like this; it's as  
good as it gets.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $19.98
• Click here to Order Si Te Contara Now!

HATUEY
Llego, El Momento
Neptuno Records / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA INTERNATIONAL; SWEDEN
EditorsPick: Here's a great Blindfold Test album. The record starts  
out totally in the Cuban timba mold, the singer doing the whole  
Charanga thing with a granite rhythm section churning behind him; the  
singer even throws in the "Que?" that graces so many timba records.  
Where's this from? Sweden. Go figure, but Hatuey's been doing it  
since 1987; they've put out four recordings, so they're good at the  
music. Then they break into "Salsa de Puerto Rico," which is what it  
says it is, things keeps boiling.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Llego, El Momento Now!

LOUIE ROMERO Y SU GRUPO MAZACOTE
Timbalero
Stefrecords
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Timbale master Louie Romero made a mark for himself  
playing with Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades and  
other legendary Fania figures. He can be heard on the Colón classics  
Asalto Navideño, El Juicio and many others. These days, Romero  
resides in Northern California playing hard-core New York salsa with  
his band Grupo Mazacote. Timbalero is the first album under his own  
name, and it's about time. It's a rock solid old-school jazzy salsa- 
mambo project with Romero driving his timbales hard. Features  
conguero Silvestre Martinez, Hector Lugo on bongo and percussion,  
Peter Meredith on piano, bassist Jorge Pomar, trumpeter Steffen  
Kuehn, Derek James on trombone, Pete Cornell on sax and flute, Carlos  
Aldama Pérez plays batá, and, finally, lead vocals by Manny Martinez  
(Jesus Diaz & QBA, Azabache etc.).
Nice, deep dance grooves and...
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Timbalero Now!

N' KLABE
A Punto De Estallar
Sony Norte
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: The Puerto Rican boy band is back - N'Klabe/'N Sync, get  
it? Kind of a strange little group in that it's clear the boys can  
sing hard salsa, and when they get to it watch out; there's little in  
the pop salsa world that's as good as this. It helps that the band on  
the record features some of the best musicians salsa can offer,  
including Pedro Pérez, Kachiro Thompson, Tito de Gracia and more.  
Songs by Jorge Luis Piloto and Héctor Torres rev things up. Still  
there's a bit of the boy band corniness to the proceedings that can  
bog things down in that weird old world sentimentality. Check out  
"Zoom Zoom" for high speed, thrilling salsa; it's what they should do  
nonstop. There's even some, uh, singing in English.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order A Punto De Estallar Now!

WALFREDO REYES, JR.
Global Beats For Drumset & Percussion - DVD
Hal Leonard
Category: DVD; AFRO-LATIN PERCUSSION
EditorsPick: Walfredo, son of the legendary Cuban percussionist,  
offers his well-earned insights to performing world music percussion  
rhythms on the drumset, and how to play percussion rhythms and  
drumset beats simultaneously. This is a terrific DVD for durmset  
players. If you're a beginner, start with the section entitled  
Coordination Exercises. The balance of the DVD would benefit players  
of all levels. A must-have if you are an aspiring professional.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Description: In this information-packed DVD, virtuoso drummer  
Walfredo Reyes, Jr. Shows you how to combone rock drumming techniques  
with a wide range of African, Caribbean and South American percussion  
sounds to create an integrated global drumming style. Through  
inspirational live performances and detailed, step-by-step analysis,  
Walfredo shows you how to:
* Develop a "split brain" style combining right-hand rock beats with  
left-hand global percussion.
* Understand and play a variety of intricate global beats including  
Mangambe, Arequita, Zouk, Maracatu, Reggae, Cha Cha and more.
* Integrate drumset with pecussion instruments such as timbales,  
bongo and agogo bells, and guiro, and use the standard drumset to  
emulate the sounds of clave, bomba, surdo, tambourin, shakers and more.
Walfredo's down-to-earth teaching style offers easy-to-understand  
explanations and methodical demonstrations of each rhythm, and the  
accompanying booklet includes notated versions for added clarity.
Price: $24.95
• Click here to Order Global Beats - DVD Now!

OSCAR HERNANDEZ
Salsa Piano Featuring Oscar Hernandez - DVD
Hal Leonard
Category: INSTRUCTIONAL; PIANO/KEYBOARDS
EditorsPick: Here's a wonderful primer for pianists who want to  
sharpen their skills playing tropical Latin dance music. Legendary  
pianist, composer, arranger and arranger (and Grammy award winning)  
Oscar Hernandez teaches piano for salsa and Latin jazz. Includes  
improvisation theory as well. Here, he plays five of his own  
compositions of salsa and Latin jazz. Includes a complete rhythm  
section that features George Delgado on congas, bassist Ray Martinez,  
Willy Torres on vocals and percussion, Pablo "Chino" Nuñez on  
timbales, Mitch Frohman on sax and flute.
In English with option for Spanish subtitles. Includes an interview  
with Mr. Hernandez.
43 minutes. Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $24.95
• Click here to Order Salsa Piano Featuring Oscar Hernandez - DVD Now!

ALEX ACUÑA
The Rhythm Collector DVD
DW DVD
Category: INSTRUCTIONAL; AFRO-LATIN PERCUSSION
EditorsPick: The life of master percussionist Alex Acuña is well  
documented on this high definition - surround sound DVD. Not simply a  
documentary, The Rhythm Collector is also a tour-de force of  
percussion playing. Acuña plays congas, bongoes, cajón, djembe,  
tambora, timbales and drumset on this biographic document. Mr. Acuña  
details a selection of global rhythms, so this hybrid DVD is also an  
instructional of sorts, Includes some classic live performances as  
well. Makes a terrific gift for any drummer or percussionist. More  
than one hour of percussive pleasure. Highly Recommended. (BP)
Description: Alex Acuna's legendary status as one of the most  
respected pecussionists and drummers in music is brought to life in  
this highly anticipated performance DVD. The story, as told by Alex  
himself, details the rise of an impoverished aspiring musician in a  
small South American village to a first-call studio master and  
concert showman with some of the notable names in the industry. Join  
Alex on a journey that is sure to inspire you with performances  
featuring Latin alt-rockers Kinky, his very own Jazz project with  
Patrice Rushen, Abe Laboriel Sr. And Justo Almario, a demonstration  
of some of his most cherished Latin rhythms andd so much more. All  
beautifully shot in high-definition with 5.1 surround, The Rhythm  
Collector is a must-have DVD for any passionate drummer or  
percussionist.
Scene Selection: 1. Pop Cajon Rhythm 2. Creole Rhythm 3. Cuban  
Intricate Rhythm 4. Caitro Soto 5. Ronaldo Campos 6. Alex Hybrid 7.  
Cajon 8. Cowbell 9. Quijada 10. Bongo - Idea for Improvisation 11.  
Candombe 12. Bomba 13. Plena Rhythm with Three Penderetas 14.  
Merengue 15. Brazilian Capoeira 16. Samba Raggae 17. Merengue 18.  
Festejo
Price: $39.95
• Click here to Order The Rhythm Collector DVD Now!

CHRIS WASHBURNE AND THE SYOTOS BAND
Land Of Nod
Jazzheads
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ
EditorsPick: The land of nod, referring to Swift's poem of the same  
name, is, like the poem, political, decrying the sonambulance of our  
country in the face of, well just read the paper or Washburne's liner  
notes. The music works, with dissonance in the opening piano figure;  
the tune, "Pink", then moves into a groove that could have been  
lifted from Horace Silver. A three horn line, including Washburne on  
trombone, John Walsh on trumpet and Ole Mathisen (see Afro Mantra) on  
saxophone, moves through a bunch of Washburne originals, working over  
highly funky drums by Vince Cherico and Chembo Corniel on congas.  
Washburne, who's impressive as both an academic and a trombonist,  
plays patiently - listen his solo on "Off-White" - and knows his  
drummers well enough to have plenty of interaction with them. The  
band, which has had a long time residency at Smoke in Manhattan,  
sounds like it, tight and cool and measured. It's some of the best  
music New York can offer, which is say a bunch. And he has the sense  
to put Ornette Coleman's "Peace" next to Horace Silver's "Peace",  
both some of the great compositions of the jazz world, second half  
the of the 20th century, a long forgotten era.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Land Of Nod Now!

HILARIO DURAN
Havana Remembered
Avalon Music
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA/SON DESCARGA
EditorsPick: What a nice find! With a full rich orchestra including  
violins and cello, viola, acoustic bass, tres, flute, guitar, and  
full percussion section, pianist Hilario Durán offers a gorgeous  
presentation of Cuban dance music: son, guaracha, and cha-cha-chá.  
With vocalists Alberto Alberto, Yailen Durán, and Luis Mario  
"Cimarrón." Four original tracks by Mr. Durán are also included.  
Features an all-too-short "Homenaje a Cachao." Luckily there's a  
reprise of the tune as well. Havana Remembered is beautifully  
executed - crafted with care and reverence. Listen to the string  
arrangement of "Amigo." This one's a keeper.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Havana Remembered Now!

TOMAS EINARSSON
Romm Tomm Tomm
Blanótt / original import
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ INTERNATIONAL; ICELAND
EditorsPick: Another beautiful, weird hybrid out of the Cuban  
diaspora. Einarsson, a bassist from Iceland (and he can play; check  
out "Melancholy"), pulled together a band of Cubans in Cuba and  
people from Iceland, producing a music that lets waft all sorts of  
implications. '50s styled guitars merge with mambo horns and  
percussion, all jumped up. There's some scratching (over which re- 
scratch some guitar and tres), and it's all weirdly old and new at  
the same time. It's happy music without being stupid, happy without  
being a cliché for tourists - one tune's called "Orgy", another's  
called "The One-Eyed Cat". Ah, let the imagination win all battles,  
let innovation reduce to dust those with no sense of humor. It's in  
the damn cd player all the time.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $18.98
• Click here to Order Romm Tomm Tomm Now!

RICARDO PONS
Plena Del Sol
Pons / Musaboricua
Category: FOLKLORIC; PLENA/BOMBA; PUERTO RICO
EditorsPick: Pons brought together his horn arrangements along with a  
plena group, Plena del Sol to play traditional plenas; it's a great  
idea. His clarinet adds color to the percussion and coro, floating  
easily above the swells of the music. Good singing and playing.  
Another good project by Pons.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Plena Del Sol Now!

RICARDO PONS
Segundapiel
Pons / Musaboricua
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ; PUERTO RICO
EditorsPick: The Puerto Rican saxophonist Pons put together a quartet  
and made a record of absolutely modern, hard Latin jazz. The  
guitarist Raul Romero works somewhat in the vein of John Scofield,  
and Pons really knows his jazz language, ranging from bebop to a more  
pentatonic approach; it's pretty thrilling at times. Funk and Latin  
rhythms bubble around with odd time signatures; melodies move in and  
out of diatonic harmony. I want to play in a group like this.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Segundapiel Now!

SONIC LIBERATION FRONT
Change Over Time
High Two
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ
EditorsPick: Here's an idea that hasn't really taken off, which is  
surprising: the group, from Philadelphia, mix Afro Cuban religious  
percussion with a sort of free/post/bop jazz approach. At times it  
could be related to the Art Ensemble of Chicago, let's say, with some  
electronica thrown in. Whatever the references, it's good, the eight  
piece group (with four guests), rocking in rhythm, the music big and  
broad and open, another innovation in the rapidly growing field of  
Latin jazz, Santeria meets the avant guard.
Highly good and highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Change Over Time Now!

AFROMANTRA
Uplifting Spirit / Espiritu Optimista
Afromantra
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ
EditorsPick: Another great, serious Latin jazz project from Alex  
Garcia, a drummer originally from Chile, via Havana and New York. The  
music, furious at times, sounds as if it were only possible with a  
foundation in New York. Garcia's a tremendously intelligent composer,  
one who brings modern classical ideas of composition into a bed of  
Afro Cuban rhythmic impulses, all blended with jazz practice. The  
group, mostly a sextet or quintet, just sounds new, with two horns  
working over an intensely interactive rhythm section of piano, bass,  
drums and percussion. The dynamic variety jumps on you, moving from  
almost gentle danzón to group improvisations that roar, verging on  
free improvisation. Manuel Valera, the gifted Cuban pianist shows up  
on several tunes, playing Fender Rhodes. The saxophonist Ole Mathisen  
tears up the pieces; this is modern Latin jazz at it's intelligent,  
driving best.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Uplifting Spirit / Espiritu Optimista Now!

JULIO CESAR
Vida
Julio Cesar
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Romantic salsa, with Yomo Toro and Eddie Gua Gua Rivera.  
There's a lot of flying, eternal life and stuff like that in the  
lyrics. Cesar (Marc Anthony/Julio Cesar, get it?) can sing well. It's  
smooth and radio ready, and very well done for what it is. Wasn't  
reggaeton invented to put this stuff out of its misery?
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Vida Now!

CARLOS FEDERICO
To A Mambo King! The Carlos Federico Memorial Album
JCV
Category: DANCE TRADITIONS; DESCARGAS/MAMBO
EditorsPick: Seismic 1985 Berkeley sessions of steamy mambo jazz led  
by pianist composer-arranger and respected teacher Carlos Federico.  
Federico was born in Panama. He settled in San Francisco's bay. In  
the '50s he was play with, or adjacent to the likes of Beny Velarde,  
Cal Tjader, George Shearing, and Armando Peraza. Later in the '60s he  
played with Pete Escovedo and his brothers. Later he collaborated  
with Malo and Chepito Areas. He died in 1996. This project, produced  
by Jake Aguirre and Jesse "Chuy" Varela is a gorgeous, fiery extended  
jam session that includes Nerio DeGarcia on vibes and bongo, Teddy  
Strong on timbales, congas and batá, David Frazier, also on congas,  
bongo and batá, and bassist David Belove. This would turn out to be  
the first record under Federico's own name. Super hot vibes-based  
mambo descarga jams with one of the longest timbale solos on record.  
Watch out for the track "Federico's Descarga." It's a 15-1/2 minute  
killer.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order To A Mambo King! Now!

AMAURY GUTIERREZ
Pedazos De Mí
Universal
Category: POP/OTHER; POP LATIN
EditorsPick: Guiterrez is another talented Cuban singer in exile, a  
songwriter with a rock edge that sounds real. The whole production is  
high level, expensive and ready for the radio, any radio that plays  
mainstream rock en Español. It's sophisticated and modern pop music,  
guitar based and not too heavy on the tropics.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Pedazos De Mí Now!

MARTIN RICHARD LEHNER "EL ZORRO"
Volando - Featuring Mayito Rivera, Angel Bonne, Osdalgia, Nelson  
Manuel Y Roberto Pulido
Envidia / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA
EditorsPick: We Are The World of Cuban timba; you can almost hear  
people snickering. Great players, and singers, included Mayito, Angel  
Bonne and Osdalgia. This is a Swiss-Cuban project where people sing  
about extending their hands etc. The compositions sounds a bit  
strange, as if they were written by a composer used to writing for  
kid T.V. shows. Then the timba kicks in, and it's really good, the  
real deal Cuban timba. So:
Recommended, but a bit weird. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Volando Now!

MARKOZ
Ahora Vengo Yo!!!
Sabrosura Records
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: New pop salsa release from singer Markoz, who fuses the  
genre with aspects of reggaetón and other Caribbean flavors. I liked  
his modern interpretation of the classics "Guararé" and Rubén Baldes'  
"Pedro Navaja." With Roberto Quintero, Raul Agraz, Mauricio Smith,  
Eddy Venegas, Manny Mieles, Willie Torres and others. Would make a  
fine party CD. Markoz get points for thinking outside the box.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Ahora Vengo Yo!!! Now!

ISMAEL MIRANDA
Con Sabor Y Sentimiento
Univision / La Calle
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Ismael Quintana's tenor cuts though these salsa  
arrangements with a clarity and strength that could only have evolved  
over years of performing and refinement. While Con Sabor Y  
Sentimiento should be considered a romantic salsa project, Miranda  
maintains an uptempo feel throughout - even on the strings-based  
tracks featuring the Miami Symphony. There are harder tracks, too -  
like the fiery number "Tú Me Abandonaste" - one of the best numbers  
on the CD. Produced by Sergio George, with arrangements by Alberto  
Barros, Ramón Sánchez, and Juan Salazar. And a beast of a coro  
section with Domingo Quiñones, Luisito Carrión, and Johnny Rivera.  
Recommended.
(BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Con Sabor Y Sentimiento Now!

EL REY CARLOS Y SU CORTE
Aguel Lugar
Salsa International
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA: CLASSIC 1960s or 1970s NEW YORK
EditorsPick: Gritty horn based salsa from New York in the late '70s  
(guestimate, as no dates or credits are listed). We're told that the  
conguero was Miguel "El Pollo" Torres who later joined El Gran Combo.  
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Aguel Lugar Now!

ORQUESTA ARAGÓN
The Best - Live DVD
Traditional Cuban Records
Category: DVD; CHARANGA, CHA CHA CHA; CUBA
EditorsPick: The first half of this DVD features the legendary Cuban  
dance band's live 65th Anniversary concert performance in Cuba. With  
guests vocalist Tiburón. The second half of the DVD features vintage  
footage, progressively going further back in time. A must-have for  
the collectors. Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $19.98
• Click here to Order The Best - Live DVD Now!

BOBBY QUESADA "EL DURO" Y SU ORQUESTA
Vuelve La Mafía Del Guaguancó
Salsa International
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: What a terrific salsa reissue from "El Duro" Bobby  
Quesada. Quesada, a former Fania All Star arranger, lives in NYC. No  
original release date listed. With "Bailadores," "Arrimate Pa'Ca,"  
"La Llave De La Ciudad," "Mulata De Fuego" and many others.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Vuelve La Mafía Del Guaguancó Now!

ORQUESTA ESTRELLAS CUBANAS
Danza Charanguero - Popular Dances Of Cuba: Danzón - Son - Mambo -  
Cha cha chá - Casino DVD
Boogalu Productions
Category: DVD; CHARANGA, CHA CHA CHA; CUBA
EditorsPick: 'Danza Charanguero' is an informative and charming  
presentation of the various styles of traditional dance music from  
Cuba. Top Charanga band Estrellas Cubanas play music in styles such  
as contradanza, danzón, mambo, chachachá, son, bolero and casino  
accompanied by professional dancers from the Conjunto Folklórico  
Nacional de Cuba amongst others and also by amateur dance enthusiasts  
from the Asociación Cubana de Amigos del Danzón. Musically the styles  
are exemplified by classic compositions by Félix Reina (a famous  
violinist and previous director of Estrellas Cubanas), Ernesto  
Lecuona, Pablo O' Farrill, José Urfé and Arsenio Rodriguez. The  
string section is one of Havana's finest with players such as  
Wenceslao Rodriguez, Arsel Depestre, Ricardo Cortés and Santiago  
Linares and the rhythm section swings to the impressive timbale  
playing of Zenen Arrascaeta who is great to watch and whose rim shots  
and 'abanico' figures are to die for! The Thelonius Monk style  
playing of pianist Marco Jorrín is crisp and melodic and his solo on  
Lecuona's Comparsa is quite simply beautiful.
A stand out on this DVD is the singing of Ernesto Oviedo de la  
Portilla, who introduces all the numbers and also gives interviews  
about the history of Estrellas Cubanas, his own musical background  
and about Cuban dance music today and before the revolution. His  
rendition of the bolero 'Si Te Contara' is both passionate and  
elegant - a dignified and moving performance that clearly illustrates  
why he is one of Cuba's finest singers of traditional Cuban music.  
There is also an in-depth interview with Juan Garcia Fernández,  
former director of the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, who outlines the  
development of Cuban dance music from the contradanza to the danzón  
and the influence of the son on the charanga formation.
This DVD will be of great interest to all musicians and dancers  
interested in Cuba's popular music dance styles - highly recommended!  
73 minutes. (Sue Miller)
Price: $32.00
• Click here to Order Danza Charanguero DVD Now!

THREE BORICUAS
Salsa Trilogy
Three Boricuas
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA; PUERTO RICO
EditorsPick: Salsa, old-school style, with some english tracks as  
well ("Groovin'," "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" and "Best of My Love").  
(BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Salsa Trilogy Now!

TUMBA FRANCESA LA CARIDAD DE ORIENTE
Afro-Cuba: Tumba Francesa - Afro-Cuban Music From The Roots
Soul Jazz Records / original import
Category: FOLKLORIC; FOLKLORIC: VARIOUS; CUBA
EditorsPick: A recording that captures the Haitian influence in  
Caridad de Oriente. It's a folklore recording, and beautiful, and  
important addition to the vital, if often overlooked music from  
French descendants in the area. It's like rumba but with different  
rhythms, and it's sung in Spanish and French. Another detail in the  
larger picture of what is the Caribbean, and Cuba. Well recorded, and  
with good notes.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order Afro-Cuba: Tumba Francesa Now!

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