Search - Various Artists :: Baile Tropical: Cuban Originals

The 1950s were when Cuban music went crazy modern. It was a move away from the status quo as seismic as rock & roll, but the bandleaders down Havana way were experimenting with rhythmic complexity, jazzy playfulness, and orchestral textures you could almost feel on your tongue. Beny Moré's band whips up the frothy mambo "Francisco Guayabal," Conjunto Casino's "Yo Soy Guajiro" flaunts an out-there piano solo in the Rubén González mold, and an explosive timbale breakout jolts the usually staid Orquesta Aragon on "Sabrosona." Pérez Prado's day-glo mambos are startling enough to warrant three songs from his band, and Xiomara Alfaro's "Amor de Verano" could melt your CD player's laser as the octave-spanning diva lets loose with yearning that curdles the soul. An occasional cut, like Enrique Jorrin y Su Orquesta's syrupy "Chango," may sound a bit dated even in the light of the Buena Vista Social Club's retro revival, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Next to rhythm, Cuban big band music is all about atmosphere, and this collection is as smoky and night-scented as they come. Want romantic ballads to accompany these rumbas and mambos? Check out the sister disc Nights in Havana in the Cuban Originals series. --Bob Tarte.