Cuban funk: Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Volume One

San Francisco (California), USA – An unprecedented combination of socialism and artistic freedom flourished during the mid-years of Castro’s Cuba, enabling musicians to create an innovative body of music based on traditional styles like those made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club. Si, Para Usted captures the spirit of this time. The music ranges from son, beat, jazz, and funk, and abounds with psychedelic influences, electronic experimentation, and a heavy dose of soul. Communist funk may seem unlikely, but here it is. Si, Para Usted was compiled by Dan Zacks of Waxing Deep Radio in response to massive listener demand for the Cuban music played on the show. Outside of the Waxing Deep archive, the bulk of funky Cuban music is virtually unobtainable. Cuban recordings were never widely distributed and few have been reissued. Utterly committed to sharing good music, Dan took it upon himself to make these fantastic tracks more widely accessible.

 

Almost all of the tracks were re-mastered from the original tapes kept by the Cuban government in a dusty Havana warehouse. Given the poor quality of Cuban vinyl, this means the music on Si, Para Usted has a quality of sound previously unavailable. Quite simply, the music has never sounded this good.

Highlights include the brilliant El Fino by Grupo Los Yoyi, a mesmerising jazz-funk workout that would be a dance floor classic were it not so exceptionally rare; En Casa Del Trompo No Bailes, a Latin funk bomb from the venerable Orquesta Riverside; and De La Fiesta La Mejor, absurdly unlikely party music from teenaged members of the Communist Youth Militia.

Track Listing:

1. Juan Pablo Torres Son A Propulsión

2. Irakere Bacalao Con Pan

3. Los Van Van Y no le conviene

4. Los Reyes ’73 Adeoey

5. Combo Tiempos Nuevos De La Fiesta La Mejor

6. Grupo Monumental Si, Para Usted

7. Los Tainos Amor Mio

8. Ricardo Eddy Martinez Tambo Iya

9. Orquesta Riverside En Casa Del Trompo No Bailes

10. Juan Pablo Torres Y Viva La Felicidad

11. Juan Pablo Torres Rompe Cocorioco

12. Los 5-U-4 Baila, Ven Y Baila

13. Síntesis Con La Luz De La Mañana

14. Jorge Reyes Pocito 11

15. Grupo Los Yoyi El Fino

16. Grupo De Experimentación Sonora Del ICAIC Sondeando

17. Mirtha Y Raul Casina Y Epidecus