The world-renowned Afro-Cuban jazz band, ¡Cubanismo! is led by trumpeter Jesús Alemañy, a Cuban expatriate from London who returned to Cuba and recruited some of the best Cuban musicians from Cuba and abroad to create a band that celebrates Afro-Cuban dance rhythms. Alemañy’s fiery trumpet playing and a powerful percussion section create a sound that is uniquely Cuban and totally authentic. As Cuban writer Enrique Fernandez explained it: “Dictators, imperialists, revolutions, embargos, capitalism, socialism, death, no one, no one can stop the music.”¡Cubanismo! is a journey to the dancing heart of Latin music.
A 15-piece orchestra of Cuban all-stars showcases the bright tropical blasts of Cuba’s hottest dance music. Led by Jesús Alemañy, the brilliant young trumpeter formerly of Sierra Maestra, the band features famed conguero “Tata” Güines and several stars from leading Cuban dance bands including Irakere and others. Together, they punch out an irresistible blend of freewheeling dance tunes, traditional rumba, cha-cha, son, and lesser known danzón and pa’ca rhythms, composed by various members of Alemañy’s band and arranged in the descarga (jam) tradition developed by Cuban jazz players of the 1940s.
The expression cubanismo designates something specifically Cuban, or unique to the island and not common to the general Spanish culture of Latin America. Utterly different from the genre known as Latin jazz, ¡Cubanismo! features danceable music from beginning to end, celebrating the legacy of Cuban music in other dance styles from around the world. The Cuban son, which dates back to the early 20th century, is the root of much of the up-tempo international pop music, from African soukous to New York salsa.
The leader of ¡Cubanismo!, Jesús Alemañy, was a trumpeter for Sierra Maestra, one of Cuba’s leading son groups, from the age of 15. Now residing in London, Jesús immerses the listener in sweet dance sessions full of swaggering horn charts and wild polyrhythms that recall the vintage big-band son sound. The orchestra is filled with the likes of Irakere veteran flutist Orlando “Maracas” Vallesaxophonist Yosvany Terry from Los Terry, his family’s Afro-Cuban groupthe great Cuban bassist Carlos del Puertoand tres player Pancho Amat. The all-star percussion lineup boasts the venerable “Tata” Güines and Roberto Vizcaíno on tumbadoras (conga drums), and the always inventive timbalero Emilio del Monte.
Jesús Alemañy’s ¡Cubanismo! began as a recording project for Rykodisc’s Hannibal label. The album was recorded in Havana with British producer Joe Boyd in May of 1995. Breaking sales records in Europe and the US, ¡Cubanismo! became one of the Latin crossover albums of 1996, and made the Top Ten lists of Billboard, Latin Beat and Afropop Woldwide. Alemañy decided to continue with the project and reassembled the band and recorded their second album Malembe, also on Rykodisc’s Hannibal label.Throughout the years, the band has gone through many changes.
Discography:
Cubanismo (Hannibal Records, 1996)
Malembe (Hannibal Records, 1997)
Reencarnación (Hannibal Records, 1998)
Mardi Gras Mambo (Hannibal Records, 2000)
Mucho Gusto (Hannibal Records, 2001)
Greetings From Havana (AIM Records, 2007)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Who plays the piano solo in “Descarga de Hoy”? Fabulous!!