Artist: La Sonera Calaveras (www.lasonera.com)
Title: Numero Uno!
Label: Greentrax (www.greentrax.com)
The aptly named debut Numero Uno! from La Sonera Calaveras is a moving (literally) tribute to the Cuban Son style that was created in Havana in the 1920's. Though amazingly this group was formed in Glasgow! in the autumn of 1999. That they won the Danny Kyle Open Stage Award at Celtic Connections in 2001 may seem impossible, but only from a genre standpoint. Musically, this is a salsa-stepped release that deserves all the awards that are around.
The regular heroes:
Gerardo Ballesteros (vocals, bongos)
Tina Clarke (percussion, vocals)
Johnny Beaver (tres guitar, vocals)
Robert Henderson (trumpet)
Bob Thomson (bass, vocals)
Richard Manning (guitar, vocals).
with guest musicians
David 'Chimp' Robertson (congas, percussion)
Ricardo Fernandez Pompa (vocals, percussion)
Javier Chernicoff (vocals, percussion)
Donald Shaw (accordion)
Lino Rocha (vocals)
Michael Deans (clarinet)
create a sound that is as enchanting as it is energetic in statement. Every tune - and
we're talking tunes here, not a random collection of beats and noises - is labored with
belief. Belief in having fun with the music god gave 'em. Which is:
Muevela
Rumba Del Pueblo
Se Va La Marea
Un Jardinero De Amor
Que Seria
Me Voy Pal Baile
Fuerza Montuno
Por Ti
Lagrimas Negras
Mi Buenos Aires Querido
One For Carlos
One of the best of these must be the family-oriented sound of 'Mi Buenos Aires
Querido.' The accordion plus larger than life voices seemingly raised in drunken
splendor is too happy an occasion to frown upon. Whatever the words mean, the music
is saying 'come here, little brother, I haven't seen you in eons, here, have some more
cider.'
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