Photo courtesy of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
Cuban music always seems to carry a hint of celebration. Their sounds give the impression that there’s a party going on, and Mumbai recently got a taste of this exuberance and merriment.
When the Buena Vista All Stars band played at the NMACC on Saturday night, it was a good bet that not many in the packed audience had been exposed to this flavor of music from the island country of Cuba before. There was a pre-concert buzz of anticipation for a lively Latin music evening, but few would have been familiar with what was to come. The music and dance on stage was lively and infectious. The acoustics at NMACC’s Grand Theatre were perfect. By the end of the show, a large part of the audience was dancing in the aisles and anywhere they could get a foothold. The music did it all.
Where has this happy music been hiding all these years? Why have we not been exposed to these sounds from Cuba all these years?
The reason is that music in Cuba was dormant for close to half a century during the regime of Fidel Castro. After the Cuban Revolution in 1958-59 and the installation of a stern and strict government in the country, the rulers decided to promote official pro-revolutionary music and ban sounds that were seen as “capitalist.” Jazz was one victim of this diktat, but the local folk and street music in Cuba gradually lost favour and languished, with their musicians losing their livelihoods.
The music that was denied airtime for four decades has now, fortunately, made a comeback. The Buena Vista Social Club ushered in this return in 1997, when musicians from the 1950s and 1960s — by then well into their eighties — came together to form the band. Their performance at Carnegie Hall in New York marked a triumphant return of their cultural heritage and music.
The Buena Vista All Stars (BVAS), which played in Mumbai, are taking forward the legacy of this folk music from Cuba. The 12-member BVAS band consisted of 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, a guitar, a piano, 3 percussionists, and 3 vocalists, all of whom consistently played throughout the set.
While most of the music — though lively with persuasive percussion — was unfamiliar to the audience, three numbers they chose to play were quite well known: “Bésame Mucho,” “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” and “Guantanamera.” The band also played a Coldplay number, but in their own style, using the popular Cuban rhythm called the clave.
Two songs made famous by Compay Segundo and Ibrahim Ferrer (of Buena Vista Social Club fame), “Chan Chan” and “Dos Gardenias,” were played by the BVAS band as a tribute to the revival of this Cuban music.
The musicians of BVAS were helmed by director Demetrio Munez and featured some outstanding performers — Manuel Machado on trumpet, Sergio Fernandez on piano, Julian Garvayo on trombone, and Angel Aguilar on vocals — each enriching the music with their solos. But the most striking aspect of the performance was the way the band played as a cohesive unit.
The music flowed effortlessly from the stage to the audience. The rhythm was basic yet universal. The Cubans must be a happy people if the fare on display is any indication.
We are certain that Mumbai would be well served with more music from Cuba.
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