Fast on the heels of the turn-of-the-millennium Cuban music craze spawned by the Afro-Cuban All Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club's reappearance, Rough Guides released a book detailing the complexity and variety of the Cuban music scene, and an accompanying album. Admittedly, the album leaves out a huge amount of the variety present in Cuban music (the Cuba Classics series might not be a bad choice for that end), and primarily ignore the African-based Santeria works as well, though the influence of African rhythm is ever present in some aspect of the music. The album opens up with the master of mambo singing (and more), Beny Moré, and a signature number. A nice piece from an old tres master precedes works from the outstanding (but only once recorded) Afro-Cuban Jazz Project and the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The old masters have their time with works from Mario Bauza and Bebo Valdés (Chucho's father), both from the early '90s. A nice guajira is followed by an Eliades Ochoa bolero that includes some sax work from Manu Dibango, and ex-Irakere member Orlando Valle shows off his flute work with his newest group, Maraca. Another tres piece precedes an Orquesta Aragón cover of a Senegalese Wolof tune, and Jesus Alemany's two groups are presented serially with ¡Cubanismo! and Sierra Maestra. The album finishes with some electrolatino from German Azúcar Letal and a piece from the venerable pianist Peruchin to bring the album full circle to the early years of Cuban greatness on the world scene. There are countless albums of Cuban music to be had out there, and a huge number are certainly worth hearing. This album is certainly among the ranks of the best, as it collects some of the standouts over time in the slightly narrowed field of Cuban dance music (leaving out a good deal of jazz, Santeria, and rock in the process, but making a much more coherent and enjoyable whole). by Adam Greenberg
Tracklist:
1 Beny Moré – Bonito Y Sabroso 2:55
2 Niño Rivera – El Jamaiquino 4:24
3 Afro Cuban Jazz Project – Campina 5:59
4 Afro Cuban All Stars – Al Vaivén De Mi Carreta 7:41
5 Mario Bauzá – Chucho 3:51
6 Bebo Valdés – To Mario Bauzá 6:02
7 Guillermo Portabales – El Carretero 3:08
8 Cuarteto Patria & Manu Dibango – Quizás Quizás 6:33
9 Maraca – Quiero A Mi Guajira 5:05
10 Pancho Amat – Fania 4:34
11 Orquesta Aragón – Yaye Boy 3:49
12 ¡Cubanismo! – Aprovecha 4:48
13 Sierra Maestra – Tibiri Tábara 3:35
14 Azúcar Letal – Somos Lo Maximo 5:38
15 Peruchín – Laura 2:40
