Fiesta Saturday

The delightful Yarima

Well I dicked around at home - it was clear it would not be another balmy evening like yesterday, but I wasn't exactly what the weather was doing, so I changed my clothes a few times - a long top so that my muffin top wouldn't be exposed to the wind; looser jeans to accommodate my camera and phone (see, strategic Havana dressing comes in handy at home too) so I wouldn't have to take a bag.

Yarima and Fraudy

By the time I got out of the house, I had to practically run to Darling Harbour so I wouldn't miss the Cuban dance show. I got there with about a minute to spare. They only did three songs - it was way too short; less than half an hour. Too bad. Yarima was on song (if a dancer can be on song); the boys were suitably macho and the first set of outfits were very fetching indeed (Fraudy should always dress all in red).

Moro and Alegría

After a typically chaotic rumba, Moro and Alegría came out and performed a showy cha-cha-cha; then Yarima and co returned for a chancleta/conga. Fraudy came to get me off the ground to participate. I wouldn't, so he straddled me (pictured) - not a bad pay off... He's such a cutie!

Fraudy!

After their criminally short show, Watussi came on. They are led by Colombian Oscar, and I had liked what I'd seen them do on The Sideshow the previous week, but ... they didn't start well for me today. The first song took a while to get going, and the cold wind drove me into the food court for sashimi and nigiri and green tea. I came out a bit later for a look, but they still weren't impressing me - too many guitars and too much rock posturing. Why does he put the coristas up the back? Sure he's a fetching chap, but the energetic backing singers would certainly have added more sabor to the show if they had been in the frontline. I was impressed with the use of the metales, one of whom I believe used to play with Son Veneno, who are on tomorrow.

Watussi were followed by the Tropicana dance show - ballroom-style dancing: cha-cha-cha; rumba (the non-Cuban kind) and, I believe, a paso doble, which you don't see everyday. Thankfully. Tis a silly dance. After that was Oliver's Salsa Extravaganza. And it was not misnamed. I don't think I've ever seen so many Swarovski crystals in one place. Oliver and Luda (current world champions in one of the many "international" salsa competitions that are held around the place) danced a couple of numbers together; heads constantly wrenched around to face the front - what are they staring, at, I wondered? - smiles firmly in place. They're great dancers, but I just wonder if they could drop the competition schtick for a performance like this - no one at the festival was going to deduct points if they stopped smiling for a second. Before their show I had seen Oliver sucking face with a redhead in the food court. When he came out to do kizoumba, she was his partner. She had her face so firmly locked into his shoulder for most of it that she was just a mass of red hair punctuated by a fluffy bottom (there were a few feathers in evidence, along with the crystals, too). What an exceedingly strange dance that is. I mean if they really want to have sex, do they have to do it fully clothed in front of an audience and call it dancing? There were also a couple of numbers from Nestor and his Modus Vivendi troupe and ... quite a few other numbers. It was all very polished (apart from one couple whose routine was clearly too advanced for their abilities), but I wish 10 or 15 minutes of this lengthy performance had been given to the Cubans. Of course that's just more my thing. The crowd loved the glitz.

Mi Tierra

After capoeira, Mi Tierra arrived for their first set. Their regular drummer, Giorgio, is in Peru, unfortunately. He is a very good drummer indeed. They had a fill-in, who seemed to do a good job but her late addition meant their set lacked some of my favourite songs - there was no Pupy; no Revé. Oliver and his redhead got up on stage to dance some on-2 mambo to the band's version of Dan Den's Dale campana. Nice one.

The band did Van Van's La buena and Llevala a tu vacilón and when they started Salsa Mayor's Lo bello por dentro, I didn't recognise it, and I thought, another Van Van song? Then it got to the "pon-pon-pontela" coro and I thought "oops" ... and started dancing. Jajaja.

The crowd dances to Lo bello por dentro

There was a capoeira break - time for a small fries and hot apple pie - then back out for the band's second set, with Esto está and Anda ven y quierame, during which I danced with a guy who I thought was Cuban, but was from Martinique, then La raspadura to close - I didn't expect that. I was very happy. There were lots of other happy people there too. I believe a good time was had by all.

Havana Club Band on the Aquashell stage

Fiesta, Day 1

Havana Club Band

Well I forgot to read my own blog and missed their first set cause I thought they were on at 7.40 instead of 7, and I was at home drinking vodka and watching Boston Legal (talk about the power of the subliminal - whenever they drink in that show, it makes me feel like drinking too. At this rate, by the time I get to the end of Season 3, I'll have a "little problem"...)
The weather was spectacular - the strong winds had completely dropped, and it was warm, like summer. For their second set, the band wasn't showcasing the "Havana" part of their name so much - they did Te pone la cabeza mala and Manolito's Soneando el Merengue from Hablando en serio. Really weird choice I thought (of all of his songs to choose), though I spose for a largely non Latino crowd, it's not a bad choice - a simple rhythm that anyone can enjoy.
Although actually there were quite a lot of salseros there. Anyway, the rest of their set included two Barretto songs (one was Indestructible - I forget the other) and Llorarás (which must be the live Latin equivalent of Brown-Eyed Girl) for the closer. They sounded quite good I thought - brass section in particular was great. Last year I whinged that the band played with just a two-piece, and asked: couldn't they put on a couple of extras for a big event like this? Maybe the band's director Lorenzo read it – or maybe he didn't. But they had a five piece last night: two trumpets; one sax and two bones. They sounded great. Overall it was very enjoyable. Very nice vibe in the crowd too.
Afterwards I sat under the fluoro lights in the food hall and caught up with some friends before going to the Watershed for Mani's NY salsa-timba-zouk night. That was quite fun but it would have been better if there had been more casineros there.
We will all be reconvening back at Darling Harbour today at 4pm (it actually kicks off at midday, but as I plan to be there until 10-ish, I don't want to start too early).
See you there.

Osvaldo Chacón y Son Veneno

The former Bamboleo singer and the, er, former Sydney band, Son Veneno, arrived in town on Tuesday. After days and nights of emails trying to set up an interview for the Sydney Morning Herald, I finally arranged a time and place (Wednesday 6.45pm, Oporto, Enmore Road). I had worked three very long full-on days in the office. I crammed in everything I had to do - well almost everything - at the office and raced out into the street to look for a taxi. At Oporto there was J.Lo concert on the DVD player and a group of hungry, jetlagged musos finishing off their chicken burgers. I sat down with Chacón and Veneno members César (bajo), Steve (batería) and Ariel (cantante). We had a very interesting conversation about timba, the live music scene in London and the experience of leaving your home and starting afresh in another country.
I had a limit of 600 words for the newspaper article, and didn't get a chance to put in all the interesting stuff, so I will write a piece for the blog with the full story - probably early next week, after Fiesta finishes.
While you're waiting, you can read the newspaper story here.
In a minute I'm off into the galeforce winds (it's hayfever central out there at the moment - don't forget the Becanase) to go to Fiesta's opening night with the Club Havana Band and Mani's salsa-timba-zouk night after.

¡Agua!

Heaps going on over the next couple of weeks for aficionados of Cuban music and dance, starting this Thursday, September 27 with La Tropical, a performance by big band Mucho Mambo, doing songs from the golden age of Cuban music. It's at the Paddington RSL, from 8pm (and it will start early, so don't dilly-dally). Also on the bill will be Fraudy and Yarima (above) dancing as part of Cuba Caliente. Go to the Mucho Mambo web site for more information.

You can also see Mucho Mambo and Yarima and Fraudy (dancing with the Cuban Folkloric Company) at the annual Fiesta at Darling Harbour. It starts on Friday night, then goes all day and night Saturday and Sunday, and finishes about 6 on Monday. As usual, there is a lot of good stuff on, but here are my picks - pray to the orishas that it doesn't rain...

Friday
Club Havana Band, Aquashell, 7pm
Haven't seen these guys in sometime, and they have had some personnel changes in the interim, but I am sure they are still worth checking out. Specially for free! They will play afterwards at Port Orient.

Saturday
Cuban Folkloric Company, Aquashell, 4pm
This is Yarima and Fraudy, with other Cuba-trained dancers, doing their Afro-Cuban thing. A must-see.

Watussi, Aquashell, 4.50pm
Local Latin hip-hop/funk/rock band. Not usually my thing but I caught a bit of one of their songs on the Sideshow on Saturday night and they sounded pretty good. How do you say: "kick out the jams, motherfucker" in Spanish?

Oliver Piñeda's Salsa Dance Spectacular, Aquashell, 6.30pm
Back when I was first learning casino, it was Oliver who taught me, bless him. Unfortunately, since then, he has gone over the to the dark side (LA-style and mambo on-2 - oh, that's two dark sides), but he is still one of Sydney's best Latin dancers and choreographers. It will be a stark contrast to the Cuban Folkloric Company, but it should be a lot of fun.

Mi Tierra, Aquashell, 7.40pm
Yay! Love these guys and the always get the Fiesta crowd going on a Saturday night. Seeing 1,000 Anglos all screaming "ui-ui-ui" is really a sight to see. Not to mention heaps of fun for yourself.

Afterwards, I'll be going to the Watershed for Mani's wacked-out salsa, timba'n'zouk night.

Sunday
Armandito y so Trovason, Aquashell, 1pm
Armandito and his band no longer play their traditional son every Thursday at La Cita, so it's worth catching them at Fiesta.

Mucho Mambo, Aquashell, 2.45pm
Son, cha-cha-cha, mambo, bolero, all played by a big-ass orchestra.

Osvaldo Chacón and Son Veneno, Aquashell. 7.40pm
Sydney's funkiest Latin outfit return from their London sojourn with Chacón, who sang with Bamboleo before he moved to London. Very much looking forward to seeing what these guys come up with. Should be good solid timba with dashes of funk and hip-hop, I'd imagine. They will also play a bunch of other gigs together, including the following Friday at Watershed.

Monday
Jamie Jesus & Latin Dance Australia, Tumbalong Park, 2.10pm
I've known Jaime forever too - lovely guy and a great dancer.

Watussi, Tumbalong Park, Monday, 5.30pm
See entry for Saturday.

There are probably more good options - it's a packed program. I usually try to take in some flamenco and tango as well. But as I have to work all day Sunday and Monday (I hope to get an early mark so I can get to Chacón and Veneno on Sunday), I'm trying not to look too hard at what I'm missing. You can see the full program here.

After six trips to Havana, I finally got my shit together and wrote a travel piece for the paper I work for - thanks to the editor of the section, who gave me a very specific idea of what she wanted (and a deadline, which always helps). The brief was "An insider's guide to the music of Havana" and it was published last Saturday.
My "Timba geek's guide to Havana" series (see the links in the sidebar) have more detail, but I thought some of you might be interested in seeing how I write for the not-so geeky (be warned: there is a Buena Vista Social Club reference and I call timba "salsa" a lot...). Read it here.

So I went out last night, and saw a local band take all the funkiness out of Con la punta del pie (Kevin Moore informs me that it wasn't originally funky - Alain Perez funkified it when he came to play it with Issac) and also danced with a Japanese chap who danced casino, more or less - it was kind of an odd, fast, hybrid of casino and some other style - once I would have followed him with aplomb, but now, because I rarely dance in a couple (because hardly any guys here dance casino; and because when I go to Havana I'm obsessed with watching the bands do their thing), I ... well I followed; but I didn't do it with the same grace as in the past. Damn! I would like to get that back, but I'm not sure how to do it in this environment where the accomplished casino leader is a rare beast.

And so, to the above video. I know, I know - it has been viewed more than 234,039 times on youtube, so you've probably seen it. But these guys have great Cuban style - both of them, and they're dancing to the only decent song Adalberto Alvarez has done in a while (Déjala mala noche) ... and I needed a video to run with a little piece about another Cuban dancer, Yanek Revilla.

So why didn't I embed a video of Yanek? Well, the one I wanted to use isn't available for embedding, and the one of him dancing to Diablo Colorao in the final of Bailar Casino has been uploaded to youtube at least three times and been viewed more than 334,000 times, collectively. And the others I watched of him ... well, they didn't impress me much - sure, he is technically a very gifted dancer, but from a couple of point of view, he spends an awful lot of time showing what he can do, and not giving his partner very much to do at all - a lot of the time, she just seems like a prop. Which isn't very nice.

And so, to the second pertinent question: why did I even write about him at all, much less want to embed a clip of his? Because three days ago, someone uploaded a video of him teaching a class: it's an awesome move which I am going to try and replicate at next weekend's fiesta; and bonus: this guy really knows how to teach (which is really quite rare).

The embedding code has been withheld, but you can find it at youtube by following this link.

An addendum to my previous post: Pupy's European tour dates are in - they kick off in Madrid on October 11; but there will also be end-of-year and beginning-of-the-year tours by Bamboleo, Charanga Habanera, Salsa Mayor and Manolito, among others. Check timba.com's tours section for details.

¡Con sabor!

Peeps in Europe are in for a treat next month as two great Cuban bands hit the continent: Pupy y Los Que Son Son, who didn't make it there for the summer like they usually do, will arrive on October 16 (concert dates are still to be confirmed); and Maravilla de Florida - who don't often play outside of the Cuban countryside, will be there at the same time. I only got to see Maravilla play for the first time last year (my fifth trip!) - and was lucky that they were in Havana again when I returned this year. They really are great live. I have raved about them many times - click here for a review of their latest album, and here to listen to three songs from it Luchando con fé. The promoter has uploaded two clips to youtube, one of which I have embedded above, neither of which show the band at their best because 1) one of the songs is a ballad; 2) they're miming; and 3) the video and audio are out of sync (I am trying to find an in-sync version).
They will play Vienna on the 22nd; Munich, 23rd; Berlin, 24th; Sevilla, 25th and Marseille, 27th. See the promoter's website for venue details.

The timba geek's guide to Havana

Part VI: Getting around

The Malécon at night.

Getting from one place to another is one of Havana's biggest hurdles. It's a nightmare for anyone without CUCs and can still be a challenge for those who do have them. Once you get there you'll understand why many Cubans hardly leave their barrio if they can help it: it requires a lot of effort and time just to get from A to B (forget about Z).

If you've got money to burn, getting around is a cinch. But if you need to keep an eye on your finances, it's a bit trickier. There are a number of forms of transport that have varying degrees of reliability, frequency, comfort and cost.

Those rolling in it could do worse than hiring a car - I think you can get one for about $US40-50/day (bit hazy on this as I've never done it myself). This means that as well as not having to haggle over the price of a car at 3am when you are leaving Casa de la Música at Miramar; you can easily get out to El ISA in Playa for those gigs during Cubadisco; you have the luxury of driving around looking at carteleras to find out who's playing (one of the most reliable methods); gigs at La Macumba and La Cecilia become more doable, and you can easily get out to the beach if you feel like a dip.

However there are drawbacks - apart from the obvious (the cost), you also have to garage the car at night so bits of it aren't stolen, and pay people to watch it when you're parked in the street when you're out and about (for the same reason). Guide books have details on how to hire one. Or go to the nearest hotel.

Second best, for those who don't care about money, is to get dollar cabs everywhere. There are a number of different kinds, all with different fees in CUCs, and you can almost always get one. They can be scarce during peak hour - both morning and night - and outside La Tropical at about 1am - they just don't seem to go past there very often for some reason. (There is a public phone nearby, so have the number handy [one is 55-5555] and one should come.)

The cheapest of the CUC cabs are the white Panataxis that have "20% cheaper" written across their bonnets in red (though the difference in price between these and the yellow Panataxis appears negligible). These really are a good deal - Centro to Miramar is about $4CUCs. Pretty good.

All taxis will turn the meter off late at night (usually after 12) and want to charge a fixed price like the unofficial cars that hang around outside nightclubs etc. Negotiate the price in advance.
In the last year, these flat prices have escalated dramatically: a trip from Miramar to Havana would never usually incur a price of more than $6CUCs - this year, many drivers routinely asked for $10CUCs. How much to pay depends on how many cars there are and how quickly you want to get to your destination.


The second cheapest option are máquinas - private cars that are licensed to carry locals for 10 pesos. They can be tricky to recognise - they are usually '50s numbers or Ladas, and some have a "taxi" sign in the windscreen, others will just slow down whenever they see someone waiting by the side of the road. (If you're interested, stick your hand out.) It is illegal for them to carry tourists (they can be fined if they are caught doing so) but many do - some happily, some grudgingly; still others will hit a tourist for a much higher fee in dollars on arrival at the destination.
These cars travel set routes - like a bus - and will pick up and set down anywhere along this route, but won't divert from it (unless you want to pay more - it maybe open to negotiation if you have the car to yourself). Like going to the correct bus stop for your route; you will need to find the correct route for your destination. Most start/end their trip at the Capitolio, but other major pick-up/drop-off points in the city are Neptuno, San Lazaro and Reina/Carlos Tercero - that's travelling west. To go east, try the Capitolio.

These are the affordable option for Cubans with a little money, so remember, taking a place in one of these is a place that could have been taken by a Cuban (who wouldn't be able to afford to pay CUCs for the trip), so be considerate. If you can afford to take a CUC taxi, do so.

Insider's view of El Camello. Pic by dogseat.

There a few different kinds of buses - regular passenger buses, some fancy new ones that have a rubber diaphragm connecting two large compartments, and the infamous camello. You've probably heard about this last one: a big-ass truck with an enormous cargo hold for passengers. Cheap as chips to travel on - not sure how much, but we're talking a few centavos. They are generally packed to the gills and if I tell you that they are a regular target of the locals' dry humour, you will have an idea of how much fun they are. I have no idea about the regular routes, so I can't help you there.

Last but not least: walking. I highly recommend it. I stay in Centro from where I can easily walk to Habana Vieja (about 10 minutes) and Vedado (15 minutes). The streets are lively, the scenery is captivating. It's a fun thing to do during the day. Walking late at night around Centro or Vieja is not recommended. Get a cab even short distances, unless you are in a group.

Forgotten &/or undiscovered timba classics

The first in an occasional series

Manolito y su Trabuco: Amar ... y (Hablando en serio); Y ya para que (Marcando la distancia), Respeta (Marcando la distancia)


I think Manolito's Hablando en serio is criminally under-rated. It may seem early to be proclaiming that, as it only came out last year, but judging by the group's sets in Havana, even Manolito doesn't appreciate how good it is: they routinely played only one song from it (Sacude la mate), occasionally accompanying it with one other, usually Sabrosona - Comunicate if you were really lucky. On one occasion they did the title cut. Instead, their sets were filled with loads of old stuff - great tunes to be sure but ... if even Manolito is dismissing this album just a year after it has come out, it doesn't bode well for its longevity in the hearts of peeps. Except mine of course. And hopefully yours, after you read this.

With the exception of Locos por mi Habana and possibly their first album, Directo al corazón, Manolito's albums are generally crammed full of good tunes, unfortunately often bookended with a crappy cumbia (or, these days, the new cumbia, reggaeton), so it's easy to overlook certain gems - among all the other gems (and the detritus). For Hablando en serio, I was so busy playing the title cut 40,000 times a day, followed by Comunicate, El cantor and La Raspadura, that I totally overlooked this little diamond. It sounds like an Amaray composition at first, but on repeated listening has the priceless hallmarks of a Simonet obra - the strings, in particular, are outstanding. "¿Por que me tratas así?" Amaray sings at 1:56, this petulant whine the prelude to an enchanting cascade of violin, viola and cello that doesn't rest until the song closes. A symphonic steam train that is sheer delight.

The album Marcando la distancia, famous for possibly Manolito's most well-known song, not to mention other hugely popular songs Llegó la música cubana (it took me many years to get into that song, but that's another story. I still have complicated feelings about its cuerpo.) and Amor matématica (the first timba track I ever heard - and liked), also has Y ya para que, first recorded by Manolito when he was with Maravilla de Florida. I know this most likely is a favourite with many of you, but its brilliance deserves repeating. It has all the usual Manolito hallmarks, as well as the much-missed El Gallo on voice and an astounding arrangement (really one of Simonet's strong points). Manolito starts with innocuous verses that, at 2:00, give way to a tempest of acid flute and brutal metales. After this brief tropical storm subsides, he brings the mood right down, the focus again on El Gallo's nasal-yet-seductive vocals, before a gradual reamassing of the cyclonic forces. "I took you to the Tropicana, I took you to Coco Keys, I took you to Varadero - you didn't care," laments El Gallo, so heartbroken he repeats it again, with different and affecting phrasing.

Manolito then brings in a series of genius coros punctuated with bloques: he plays with one lyric theme, altering the phrasing and the words slightly (and of course the melodies), then intertwining the different coros: "y yo no sé, yo no sé lo que tú quieres" ("I don't know, I don't know what you want" - tone: observational, slightly perplexed), then, "yo no sééé" (I don't knoooow! tone: peevish, perhaps a little sulky), and finally, the question, "¿que es los que tú quieres?" (What is it that you want? tone: pissed off - "tell me now or I'm gone"). It's a masterful arrangement.

After Mujeres chiquiticas, itself worthy of comment (but not here, not now) and a pleasant danzón, he comes back to kick some arse with Respeta. How is it that I have had this album for more than five years without knowing the wondrousness of this track? It has a kind of cheesy '80s pop intro with Amaray doing his trademark schmaltzy "woah, woah"s and "noah, noah"s over washy synths. (What does it sound like - is it Tears for Fears? I can't quite place it.) Maybe that's why I missed it! But at 1:10 the Afro-Cuban rhythms arrive and it's all good. By 2:14 it has become a fierce dance song with bloques that kick like Jackie Chan. This is classic hardcore música bailable à la Simonet. Put this in your ipod and you'll be off like a rocket.