I stumbled across a piece on Manolito's latest on Juventud Rebelde. It starts off as a review but there are some quotes from Manolito about the new album further down. I wrote quite a long post about this then scrapped it. It's a subject that's too complicated; too emotional; too subjective and too likely to give a whole bunch of people the shits. So I'll keep it simple and say two things: I love the Marcanda la distancia album - I think it contains a bunch of bonafide classics. And I think the new album Control is a marked and disappointing change in style for the group, containing a bunch of mostly second-rate (and worse) songs not worthy of a band of the primera linea. So I was very surprised to read that Manolito thinks Control is a return to the style of that venerable recording:
Pienso que Control tiene muchas posibilidades entre el público porque retornamos a la cadencia apreciada en Marcando la distancia, lo que definió el estilo de la orquesta y decidimos regresar a ello, explica Simonet.
The blog timbaporsiempre has a post saying that Pepito, formerly of Pupy, is already recording in Miami with a producer, Luis "Papo" Marquez, who has apparently produced Willie Chirino and Jerry Rivera, among others. Even more pertinent - on the blog there is an audio clip from what sounds like a new recording of Un poquitico al revés, a song that Pupy recorded with Pepito, first as a demo, then on the album, which now looks like it won't see the light of day until Pepito's vocals have been replaced. (I'm speculating - I know nothing official. But given that it was supposed to be released in May and it wasn't, and members of his own group don't even have copies, well ...) Anyway, this is a really beautiful song, written by Pepito, kind of in the style of another great song he wrote and recorded with Pupy, Del trabajo a casa from the Mi timba "cerra" album. Can't say I'm mad about this new recording - apart from Pepito's voice, which sounds great as always. Go to the blog and check it out for yourself.
One Wednesday afternoon in May, after torrential rain and a long wait for some crucial integrantes of the group (see the original report here) Orquesta Revé finally hit the stage (well, the passageway, actually) to play for the students of the Faculty of Medical Science on the outskirts of Havana. A spontaneous rueda broke out during the first song - Fresquecito - but as I was down the front, grooving with the band, I didn't realise it until the last 30 seconds of the song. So here, instead, is the band doing El jonrón. Apologies for the sound, and the jiggling - just couldn't resist moving a little bit.
Any locals reading this - I'm DJing my first gig since getting back into town tomorrow night at the Watershed. I have only a few new tunes, as Cuba, ironically, is not the best place to source new music. But the ones I have, yea verily, do kick arse. Hope to see you there. Details are here.
As well as processing video, I have started going through the photos I took - I pretty much didn't go to a gig without taking it, and became well-known for it – my camera and I even getting a mention in one of Pavel's guias, which made Maikel look up from his keyboard and laugh.
Salsa Mayor's Pavel, Pepitin and Yasser
Last year I had one of the worst compacts on the market for lowlight pics - this year, I sought out one that was rumoured to be among the best. The result was that I spent less time snapping but wound up with many more pleasing pics. It's going to take me a while to get through them all, but the first slideshow is at flickr.
Alaín Daniel, Salón Rojo, May 1, 2008
This set has no theme - they were just taken during the first 10 days or so - you can see I had a busy schedule (it included Havana D'Primera, both Charangas, Manolito, as well as the three represented above) and not all the gigs I went to are represented (I didn't get any great shots from the Ritmo Oriental gig at La Tropical, nor at Pupy at Cotorro).
In a holiday of memorable gigs, this was probably the most memorable. With the right number of people - not too many; not too few – Miramar can become like a private party: it's small enough for a nice intimate vibe, and with guests like Tirso and Alexander Abreu in attendance, this matinee really fired. In hindsight, of course, it also became memorable for being Pepito's last gig with Pupy in Cuba. I'm glad we didn't know - it would have put a bit of a damper on the party vibe. In this clip Tirso, who, we should not forget, once sang with Los Que Son Son (though it seems like a long time ago now) comes out swinging like a heavyweight champ. Alexander, who follows, does the opposite, offering an elegant, breath-taking solo on his trumpet, that commanded attention even in that raucous atmosphere. Later on, Alexander joined the joyous crowd on the floor, and grabbed the microphone from Pepito for an impromptu coro. The night ended with the battle between Tirso and Mandy, which saw everyone stop dancing, put down their drinks and turn their eyes to the stage. Unfortunately I had already been told to stop filming once, so I don't have a record of it. But it was fierce. Use your imagination.
As I have already noted, Manolito wasn't playing many songs from the new album while I was in Havana, which was slightly perplexing. Instead of playing the cover of the Mexican group Camila's Coleccionista de canciones that they recorded on Control, they were doing the title track from that group's album, Todo cambió (which has sold about 800,000 copies apparently). There were two other new songs - not on the album - also being played, one sung by Mayami, with a coro of Cual es tu mala leche, and another sung by Noro. This song sounded very under-arranged, and at times, under-rehearsed, but having said that, there was something quite appealing about it. Bajista El Chino told me it just came out of a jam - and it sounded like it, but it built nicely, the band slowly amping up the tension behind Noro's enthusiastic vocals. The coro apparently comes from a reggaeton song - which explains why the crowd already knows it. In this clip Maikel Blanco is sitting in on piano. Watch Manolito boot him off at what he obviously thinks is a crucial moment.
Well it's 9.16pm on a Tuesday night in Havana. If I were still there, I would be walking away from Casa de la Musica in Miramar right now, towards 31 to get a máquina back to Centro. I would have a spring in my step after just having seen Havana D'Primera, who have taken over Pupy's regular Tuesday matinee while they are in Europe (and preparing for Europe, obviously, as they haven't left yet). Instead I'm in bed in Sydney. It's cold, and I've got a cold. But I have the video I took to console me. Here is one of the new parts that has been added to Mi Música, which Alexander previously recorded with Grupo Dansón, and which Havana D'Primera are making their own, recorded at the Capri's Salon Rojo on May 28.
Listen to the beautiful coro at 2:54:
Tumba la caña Anda ligero Mira que viene mayoral Sonando el cuero
Alexander's gorgeous coros are one of the many delightful things about his live gigs (I hope they also make it onto the disc).
More video and photo galleries of the various gigs I went to will be going up over the next week or so.
My last day in Havana (Saturday, June 7) found me fighting off the unpleasant side effects from the antibiotics prescribed by the nice ear, nose & throat guy (which, incidentally, worked), I was almost paralysed by the amount of things I had to do before I left at midnight - one thing, though, was definitely not negotiable: La Revé at a Miramar matinee. Unfortunately Duni had to leave to play a gig at Cotorro with Pupy that night which meant a) I couldn’t see Los Que Son Son (they were playing too late) and b) Duni couldn’t hang with me before he left (he had to get the guagua out there too early).So about 6.30-ish I walked down the 57 stairs that lead down to my street (for the second last time) on my own and flagged down a cab to take me to Miramar. Martin had said he would go too, but inside there was no sign of him. Well I’m pretty sure he wasn’t there but the incessant strobe lighting (and the accompanying reggaeton) did interfere with my senses somewhat, so I can’t be sure. There was an excellent crowd, mostly Cuban, out for a nice Saturday arvo with Revé, having a tipple and a dance. Reynario, their charming Indian fast bowler singer (if he gets tired of playing with Revé, maybe he could have a successful career in Bollywood) greeted me warmly, after which I sat down with bajista Aisar and put my hands over my ears to try and shut out the racket. After what seemed like an eternity (about 30 minutes), the band went on stage, kicking off with Fresquecito - it sounded awesome (I love that song). I immediately skipped down the front, but it was a bit lonely down there - just me and one other couple - everyone else was still sitting down. The band was swinging and there was no sign of Elito, and I thought maybe he wasn’t going to show, and how obviously they didn’t really need him anyway, but of course he was just waiting to make his grand entrance.He came out and said OK, OK, everybody get up and come to the front. And I couldn’t believe it, that’s exactly what everybody did. (And he only said it once!) The only other person I’ve seen get that kind of compliance is Tanya, and hey, she used to work in a childcare centre. La madrugada, which sounded great, and El dinero, just about the only song Disco Fiesta ever plays from the album, which was too long (as usual), were followed by Boniato which, thanks to singer Alexander, was also long - but not too long, as I can’t really get enough of that song. The others in the band could though - each time the band tried to wrap it up Alexander would come back in with another exhortation for the audience to sing along with him, until the musos behind him were rolling their eyes, and cantante Dagoberto was hysterical with laughter. Finally they did a big stadium rock band finish, with much crashing of cymbols, and the song came to a close. I thought it was all good really. Then Sinsonte came to the front for Mi salsa tiene - can’t get enough of that song either - I have had some of the best casino/rueda dances of my life to that song. Not tonight though. Tonight I was just dancing sola. Just me and the rest of the crowd. Pretty much wore me out for Jonrón - holy crap that song is fast. Not so keen on it making an appearance so late in the set - I need to be a bit fresher to take that one on.
Next was a lovely surprise - Ya no te doy más na’, which I hadn’t seen them play on this trip, sung by Reynario. He struggled a bit with the high notes in the beginning but he quickly settled into it. It was heaps good. I had moved up the back, but scampered down the front as soon as I heard the opening notes.One of the problems when you know some of the band members is that you know that they are watching you too, so they see you when you’re dancing you’re ass off, and when they do a song that makes you think, 'now’s a good time to get some water/sit down ...' I always feel really guilty that they’re thinking: 'what’s wrong with this song? Why isn’t she dancing?' Of course they're probably really thinking: "Gee, I hope she's gone to get me a beer." The room was in full party mode - everyone was drinking and dancing. Really nice vibe. Then they finished with Se sigue comentando - the full version, not just the start-from-the-end-of-the-cuerpo-to-finish-off-the-gig version. But the house lights came on a couple of minutes in, even though it was still about 10 minutes shy of closing. They always do that - god forbid that there should still be people in there at 9pm. Then as soon as the band came off they were booting everyone out - the band included. I walked with Aisar, his beautiful girlfriend, a mate from Camaguey and his girlfriend, a Russian girl who has lived in Cuba since she was nine, down to 31, where we got a máquina to Vedado. It was one of those classic pre-revolution máquinas - rusty old body, creaking suspension, but it had a brand new CD player (claro) and Aisar got the driver to play some songs from the new project he is working on (more about that in the forthcoming weeks).We ate pizza in the cafe next to the Yarra cinema while the russa grilled me about Australia which, it turns out, is kind of an obsession of hers. All this made me forget that I had to get on a plane and I hadn’t yet finished packing. Oops. I had to leave the charming company and bust up the convivial conversation being enjoyed by the taxi drivers outside Coppelia, so one of them could take me back to Centro Habana.
You see the same people at Alexander’s Thursday gig every week - beautiful, luminous Ana Luisa; the tall, lanky black dude; the tall, rotund black dude; the effervescent older chick with the bleached cropped hair ... it reminds me of the residencies bands had when I was younger (oh, I remember back when I were a lass...), when an unknown band was really cooking but had yet to break through; and the same people would go every week. As well as the pleasure provided by the actual show there was that deliciousness of knowing you were in on something that others hadn’t yet cottoned onto. Of course Alexander and his band of superestrellas are hardly unknowns, but as a band, they have yet to be proven. There was a lot of promotion for this gig - maybe because it was the first week they hadn’t done the Wednesday night at the Capri in a while. There were leaflets on the tables yesterday during Salsa Mayor - unusually professional, promoting the band in Spanish on one side and in very good English on the other. (Bit of a downer for everyone who relies on those flyers for notepaper.) Then Alexander turned up on Disco Fiesta spruiking the gig. They didn’t give him a chance to say much. Just that it was on and get there early and that was about it really. Various Pupy musos turned up after their actividad privada earlier in the day - Jannier, of course, had to play two gigs in one day. In the crowd, beering on, were Duni, Osiris and timbalero Miguelito. Van Van’s Pavel was there again too, and again commandeered the bass for the Mi música. Klimax’s Yandy, who is still filling in for Cristobal on bass, was really getting into it, wandering into the centre of the stage to get down - unlike Cristobal, who lurks in the shadows (too many years in Paulito’s, perhaps...). I’m still working on the interview I did with Alexander a few weeks back. I’m doing versions in both Engish and Spanish (hence the delay) and needed to ask Alexander a couple of more questions to finish it off (I will upload it the moment I get back, early next week). I had been phoning his house during the week without encountering him, so one of his representantes arranged for me to go back stage after the show to talk to him. And when he said after the show, he meant immediately after - the curtain had just come down and the musos were still on the stage when he led me up the stairs to Alexander, dripping with sweat and trying to catch his breath. Boy did I feel mean. I tried to make it as painless as possible and get the hell out, without tripping in an ungainly fashion on one of the many leads lying on the ground. Funny to be on the other side of the stage though. I have been there before (can’t remember with who or why), but each time you think, well, here I am. Jajaja. On the other side of the stage door was a scrum of musos with their mobiles out, all swapping numbers. Osiris and Duni were keen to go to Cafe Cantante to catch the end of Manolito’s show. The problem with that, is that sometimes it’s a matinee larga (ie it goes till 10) and sometimes it finishes an hour earlier, and it was already 9.30. And anyway, I had some business to wrap up before leaving the country, so I wasn’t really free to race off (Duni told me later that they only caught the last song).
And later on I had Alaín Daniel, back for his Thursday night gig at the Capri. I got there early-ish (about midnight) and it was probably only about half full; but by the time he came on half an hour later the place had filled up with tourists and their Cuban dates. He began by apologising for starting so early, because “ I know that the farandula always arrives late, but,” he said, “you have to comply with the rules of the house”. Obviously he would have liked to have started later but I, for one, was glad he didn’t. If only we could get the other venues to fall in line with this one... As usual, there was no room to dance, or even anywhere to stand, that wasn’t in the way of the roving, red-jacketed waiters (what a horrible job those guys have) or in the sightline of someone sitting down behind you. It really is an incredibly frustrating venue, the superb sound notwithstanding. And now Van Van play there every Saturday when they are in town instead of Galiano, like they used to. I wonder how that worked out. Alaín was doing a bunch of new songs in the set, including the one I heard at the recording studio, called Un amigo en Madrid. And either I was completely spaced out that day or the song has been radically reworked, because it is nothing like a cha-cha-cha. Another new one was played at least three times - I always wondered how everyone in the audience always knows all the words to his unreleased songs - see him play one gig and by the end of the night you’ve already heard the estreno so much you can sing it by heart. That’s one way to create a hit. There was a funny bit where they came to do the Puerto Rican cover that is a part of their set (don’t know what it’s called, but you would all know it for sure): the pianist played a very flowery and elaborate intro, after which the male corista attempted the coro while the female corista just stood there with an agonised look on her face. Alaín then sang: “the pianista forgot what key the song was in”; and laughed, and they started afresh, in a lower key. I was really dead: I must be a lightweight because doing a matinee and a night gig in one day just about finishes me off. It was a great show (two great shows, claro) but I couldn’t wait to get home and into bed.
I spent an hour coughing myself to sleep last night, or rather, coughing myself out of sleep, so today I thought a return visit to the Cira Garcia clinic and the very nice ear, nose and throat doctor was in order. I was asked why the bacterial infection had come back and he said it was because I was floja. Jaja. Well he used a more technical term, but that was the gist. Back at the house, Duni stopped by to report back on the Pupy rehearsals, which he says are going well, though they are long (five hours today and yesterday); there is no air conditioning in the theatre they are recording in, and everyone is a little tetchy. Still, he says, it’s sounding good. Today I had one last chance to see Salsa Mayor, who seem mostly to have been playing el campo rather than the city while I’ve been here. A Cuban friend of mine asked what time I was leaving for the gig (6.45 for a 7pm start) and said he would meet me at the house. By 6.55 he wasn’t here and I’m afraid I didn’t wait, cause I didn’t want to miss too much of the set. When I arrived 10 minutes later, Anda pégate was in its last coros (it’s possible I also missed Recogete y vete, as I didn’t hear them do it). The place was reasonably busy and about 20 minutes in a young chap asked me to dance. Well, it was Ricardito, formerly of Salsa Mayor, and sorely missed in the group’s front line (by me). He has cut off his bleached ringlets and now has closely cropped hair, so it took me a little while to recognise him. And, it turns out, he is a kickarse casino dancer, with an armoury of moves. He sang all the words to the song, so I guess it was one of the old ones (though I didn’t recognise it), unless he has been following them around since he left (doubtful). I told him I thought the band wasn’t the same as when he and Noro and Norberto sang with it. That didn’t get much of a reaction. It might have had a bigger impact if I’d stopped before “Noro”. I was left with the same feeling as the other SM concerts this year: that the singers put in a big effort without achieving the same lofty heights of those of yesteryear (though I was pretty bloody impressed when Pavel did the splits). They are good showmen, but their vocal shortcomings are very obvious on the old songs. I guess as more songs are introduced, less comparisons will be able to be made, so that will be good for them. One of the new songs, sung by Pepitin is really great - very catchy, and as good as Anda pégate or Recoge. The others haven’t really grabbed me so far. Maikel is so funny the way he tries to direct the orquesta’s every move - it’s clear he would like to be doing everything. Pero no puede ser, men. The entrada was a bit odd - at the Miramar matinee it had been $80MN and $10CUC. Here it was $80MN and $5CUC. That seems a bit rough on the Cubans. Still, there were people there, so I guess it was OK. I don’t know why the Casas de la Musica are less busy on Mondays and Tuesdays - the foreigners have to work then or what? Or do they all head off to Trinidad or Viñales for the weekend and come back Wednesday? I need to try and get an early night - if everything pans out, I have my last Alexander gig tomorrow, matinee, followed by my last chance to see Alaín tomorrow night. Then Friday Vania is playing Habanaciendo, which is the new piano bar above Galiano. I thought I had blown my chance to see her and even though I know it won’t be salsa, I’m kind of in love her, so I’m pretty keen to go. The only thing that would stop me is if Alexander is playing somewhere... (that’s not actually a joke).
There’s not much on this week. Duni asked me who was playing, and I said, no one, only bands of the décima linea. The Varadero festival starts next week and everyone is playing at that. He reckons that’s why no one is playing Havana, cause all the audio is already there. I have been asked mil veces by various musos if I’m going, and I have to say, a little shamefacedly, that no, I’m leaving on the seventh, a few days before it starts. Actually I didn’t even know about it. Honestly, why didn’t one of you timba geeks tell me? I could easily have put my trip back by a week. Not that I haven’t seen some great stuff; and hopefully Duni is wrong, and there is still some good stuff to come. Pupy is rehearsing all week and has two concerts before I go, but they are both private affairs that I’m pretty certain I won’t be able to crash. Alaín Daniel is on the cartelera for Thursday night at the Capri, but then so are Bamboleo, and they are in Peru, so I don’t know what means. Salsa Mayor are sitting in for their regular Wednesday matinee at Galiano, I will definitely be at that. Los Angeles de La Habana are at the Capri tomorrow night instead of Alexander. Pretty sure I won’t be at that. Actually I almost went to see them last Friday at an awesome venue in Vieja - Rosalita de Castro, a beautiful colonial building. But they weren’t going on till really late and I was tired and not really that interested. (I also completely forgot that Haila was playing Teatro Karl Marx on the same night - they hadn’t said anything at all about it on the radio for some reason, though it was all over the TV apparently.) As well as having regular salsa concerts at La Tropical again, they also announced on the radio that Charanga Forever would be playing a matinee Los Jardines de la Tropical this Sunday. Los Jardines has an even worse reputation than La Tropical, but if I weren’t leaving at 3am that same day I’d be there with bells on. I love me some timba in an outdoor setting.
With MFF gone, I spent a lacklustre day doing some boring tasks, choking on the pollution of Centro Habana and noting with dejection, but not surprise, that my sore throat and cough seemed to be returning. A call to La Tropical revealed that Aragon were the replacement for Pupy, and after a bit of prevaricating, I made it up to 41. I got there late - about 6.30 - and there was no one on the door, so I just walked in. Aragon were in full swing and the place was jumping. Those dudes might be old but they really know how to bring it. I’m always surprised by the strength of the charanga sound - those delicate violins kicking so much ass. Also the band isn’t that big either - bass, teclados, a couple of percussionists and that’s about it really. They had a totally state of the art sound system - the speakers were these thin upright slivers that pumped out a crystal clear sound at high volume. A stark contrast to the slightly dilapidated stage. Some young boys got me talking, which was pleasant enough, but meant I couldn’t really concentrate on how the band sounded, so after the requisite chat about kangaroos and the Olympics, I sidled away to dance a bit near the railings of the mezzanine. About 40 minutes after I arrived it started to spit; then it started to piss down. The band packed up but plenty of people kept dancing. I stayed for a while, then thought I would walk down the road and check out Bamboleo’s Sunday matinee, for no other reason than I was in the neighbourhood and at a loose end. But as I neared the Casa I decided that no, I didn’t really want to see Bamboleo after all. Jajaja. Oh I know I should have. But instead I came home and Duni came around with a mate for a chat. Much nicer. Today Pupy was “playing” for a new TV show called A bailar es algo más. Well not playing exactly - that might have presented a problem given that he was short a singer and trumpeter just a week ago - it was to be doblado (ie mimed) so that didn’t really present many problems. It was filmed at Teatro America, and after the usual musos’ wait (90 minutes or so) they went in the back door and I joined a small audience in the stalls. There were eight couples and two perky hosts; and Los Que Son Son filed on and off the stage as required, miming to four songs from the new album, which was enough in itself, because it’s the first time I have heard the recording. One is the final version of one they were trialling last year - then it was little more than a groove - it’s interesting to hear what it has become. Sounded great. As did the other two (the last one was the re-recording of La Machucadera). As well as the parejas there was a very spiffy rueda to Nadie puedo contra eso (como me gusta esta canción), and a real improvised rueda led by the show’s choreographer and featuring the competing couples. Well, it seemed improvised anyway - one guy lost his partner during a dame and it took him ages to figure out where he should be. Poor sod. Osiris was wearing a backwards baseball cap. I remember when that used to be the very definition of a wanker. But I thought it suited him. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Along with Jannier, replacing Pepito, they have found a trumpeter - his name is Osmil (really not sure about the spelling). Apparently he was a founding member of Charanga Habanera, then he played with Carlos Manuel, but he has spent the last few years playing the Tropicana and doing other things like that. The funny thing is that now the trumpeters are two little short guys and the trombone players are two big tall guys. They look like a set. Or two sets. Tomorrow they are rehearsing, making the necessary changes to the repertoire. I will report back. The bad news for me is that Jannier told me that Havana D’Primera aren’t playing Salon Rojo any more, so now I only have one more chance to see them. Sob. After it was over, Duni and I walked to Chinatown for dinner. Out on Galiano, the enormous neon sign of the brand new ferreteria glowed in the dusk. There are three buildings in a row that have recently been painted in startling colours - looks like Galiano has started to be restored to its former glory as a shopper’s paradise. But a ferreteria, though the most practical thing for local residents, most of whom are constantly rebuilding their houses, probably isn’t quite as glamorous as the stores of yesteryear. Never mind, the shoe shop is still there, a few doors up.
For MFF’s last day in Havana, we had the possibility of seeing Ricardito, formerly of Salsa Mayor, with Papa Angorica y Son Yoruba, if she could could get everything that she needed done, and if we could figure out where it was and what time it was on. We discovered it was at a place called Ola Ola on the Malecon, just before Calle 23, but we couldn’t get a time (we rang, but they weren’t answering). Las 6 probably meant the doors opened at 6 and they would be on sometime after - how long after was anyone’s guess. In the end, as we had another engagement in Havana Vieja, we decided to check out a Latin jazz gig put together by Klimax pianist Dayramir in the lovely theatre of the Cuban Museum of Art. We arrived late - it was free to get in, and packed - people were sitting on the stairs and the band was in full swing. Soon after we got there, the instrumental number the smallish group was playing ended and a pretty perky host came out and introduced the next guests, a female vocal group called Melisma, which just happened to feature Dayramir’s girlfriend. There were seven or eight of them, obviously used to singing a capella, but here backed by piano, drums, bass and percussion. They did a very beautiful song, that sounded like it might have been Brazilian, but was also very gospelly - the harmonies were excellent; tightly woven and spot on. It was quite glorious. Their next tune was not quite as good - the lead was taken by a soprano with a thin voice, and I quickly lost interest. The show was slickly put together, which suited the theatre, which was also a classy little affair - recently fitted out, with carpet, aircon and excellent acoustics. It was a relief to be somewhere where the air wasn’t filled with smoke and tables weren't covered with crushed Buccanero cans. After the chicas left, the songs were mainly Latin jazz, wandering through danzón, mambo and cha-cha-cha, with elements of funk. Guests included Dayramir’s father on trumpet, which was very touching. I’m not much of a fan of Latin jazz in general, and it doesn’t hold my attention like timba does, but this was quite pleasant, and only let down by the last guest of the evening. He was obviously someone well-known - possibly from a rock or “fusion” group here. He walked out from the behind the curtain, almost falling flat on his face, but whether this was because he was wearing Bono-style fly glasses in the already dark theatre, or because he was already drunk, or both, I’m not sure. While the other songs were slickly performed, this guy improvised without giving anyone direction leaving everyone at a loss; then wouldn’t shut up: he just kept on going, even after all the instruments had finished. He loved the sound of his own voice. Just as well, cause no one else seemed to. Anyway, that’s a minor gripe, overall, it was quite an impressive show. It’s funny how the instant you get away from salsa, you see the audiences here show their appreciation: this lot not only applauded at the end of the songs but for all the solos too.
One of the trumpet players was on loan from Alexander (Dayramir often sits in with the band) - I saw him later that night when I went to see the band play at Galiano. I hadn’t had to choose between them and Trabuco after all, because it turned out Trabuco weren’t playing Cantante, but somewhere else, quite far away (La Lisa actually), which I didn’t know about, so keeping it local seemed like the logical thing to do. With Van Van at the Capri, I worried that there might be almost no one there, but there wasn’t a bad crowd at all, and of course all the regulars who love the band were there - we are becoming quite the tight little group, all of us wearing huge grins while the band plays. It’s going to break my heart to leave them! There were no surprises: it was as wonderful as every other Havana D’Primera gig I have been too. Kept me flying from 1am-3am. As they pumped out Historia Verdadera, the show’s closer, I thought how odd it was to be going “Hey! Ho! Gozalo! Hey! Ho! Bailalo! Hey! Ho!” along with Alexander at three o’clock in the morning. Fucking great. On the way home I wondered how often I would have to see the band before the appeal palled - I’m not going to get the answer to that question this trip, that’s for sure. Only two more gigs of theirs to go. Trabuco’s El Chino was on the phone the other day calling me “traiconera” because I no longer go to Cantante on Thursdays. I said, yeah but I know you understand cause you love Alexander too! (And he’d be at Galiano too, if he didn’t have to work!)
One of the great things about going to see Alexander and Havana D’Primera, apart from the beautiful songs and the lovely ambience, is the fun of seeing who will be in his band this week. With Cristóbal still away with Paulito, there was another new face on bass - the jazzier style of last week had been replaced by the funkier sounds from Klimax’s bajista, which suited D’Primera better, I thought. The chica who started singing coros about four weeks ago and sang with them on Wednesday at Salon Rojo wasn’t there this week at Galiano. And of course next week is Jannier’s last week as corista, as he then returns to Pupy. Not sure who Alexander has in mind as his replacement. I hope to speak to him again before I go next week. It’s pretty hard to catch him at the gigs as he is (quite rightly) surrounded by admirers. Van Van’s Pavel jumped up to play some bass on Mi música, and the horn section was augmented by assorted vistors. One of Alaín Daniel’s coristas also popped up for a sing.Sometime timba.com correspondent Martin turned up, looking every inch the Cuban with his sunnies on his head, saying that it was a very 90s’ sound, and he loved it. This fits in with the slogan on the poster outside Havana D’Primera’s gigs: Regresa la generación de la 90s con la música más chévere del momento ... ¡pa’ que tú lo bailes!It was completely glorious, as usual. Don’t know what I’m going to do when I go back to Oz. Sure will miss them. I had given a miss to the Trabuco peña to be there, as usual. Trabuco are also playing Cantante on Saturday nights as well and I had thought I would go to that this week, but when I arrived at Galiano guess what the cartelera said? Saturday night: Havana D’Primera. How ironic. Not sure, what I’ll do now. Van Van are at Salon Rojo too, but I won’t be going there. I did go there later, though, after Alexander. I was planning to go there anyway, to see Alaín at his regular night, but for some reason he wasn’t on, and instead it was Revé. Not a bad substitute. Although the guys in Revé had known they would be playing there, when we saw Alexander there the night before, the club still had not put them on the cartelera, and Elito made an appearance on Disco Fiesta, spruiking the gig. It wasn’t enough though: there were disappointed glammed up faranduleras standing at the door with their extranjeros, obviously hoping for Alaín instead of Revé, and trying to decide whether to go in or not. There were far less people than for Alaín, who usually packs the joint, but the band, who were all dressed in their Sunday best - lots of black; shirts with the collars turned up - worked very hard to get the audience out of their seats and, for the most part, succeeded. Lele turned up, and Elito demanded that he get up and sing 1999, which he sang on their Se sigue comentandoalbum. He delayed a little, and when he finally started to sing, it became clear why: he couldn’t remember the lyrics. Revé’s lead singer (oops, don’t know his name!) helped him out a bit, and soon, luckily for Lele, they arrived at the guias, which he could improvise. He did a nice monologue about how important el Charangón are in the history of Cuban music, about how Formell and Pupy had come from the band, and some nice guias. He also asked - mid-song - where Aisar was, and on being told, went over and they shook hands, meeting, I guess, for the first time. It was all very nice. And good to hear the song too - even with the forgotten words, cause I get the feeling they don’t play it much any more. Arriving late was Alaín - I don’t know what he was doing there - if he was unable to play, how come he had the time to just pop in, eh? Elito asked him to come up at the end of A sancochar boniato and I thought: this is never gonna work - a tremendo timbero with that slow traditional rhythm. But he put in a great turn - some great improv about Revé playing in “la casa mia” (a reference to his longstanding residency on Thursday nights) and a funny moment when he got the age of the orquesta wrong saying first 45 years, then raising it bit by bit, as Revé’s singer held up the corresponding fingers. He was very entertaining. I’m so used to him doing his own thing, which is quite fixed in cintura timba, I didn’t realise he could also work quite well out of it. I wish I had got it on video (I didn’t). Revé’s set was pretty much the same as the one we have been seeing - and it’s a pretty good one, though they have good songs I would like to see them play, and some they do play that I would prefer to have seen only once, but as long as they do Boniato, I’m satisfied. Such an awesome song.
Afterwards, I had a chat to the new singers, Alexander (el bajito) and Reynerio, who looks like an Indian fast bowler. Alexander has an extensive history which has seen him sing with a bunch of groups (including Chispa and La Forever) and even took him to Australia with the Havana Nights production (the one that also had Leo Vera among its musos). He is a very over-the-top personality. Reynario has sung with Charanga Latina and Son Yoruba, among others. As we left, Elito saw me and told me that on June 8 - my last day - they are playing the matinee at Miramar. How perfect.
