Machado y Sus Estrellas: Charanga All-Stars - Reseña

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 2002 by Luis Tamargo

Charanga All-Stars (Envidia)

The debut of Machado's all-stars (along with other recent international releases by additional charanga ensembles of a traditional nature) seems to forecast a revival of the abovementioned flute-and-fiddle format, after years of institutionalized neglect in the island's "tenebrous charanga gulag," as a famous Havanese friend of mine would probably say.

Judging from the deep richness of his charangacentric tumbao, the Camagüey-born bassist Jorge Arnaldo Machado Durán is well suited for this project. Furthermore, the 49-year old disciple of the late Félix Reyna (and former musical director of Orquesta América), is in good company, considering (for example), how Joaquin Oliveros' flute evokes the harmonious trilling of an Antillean goldfinch, or how Jesús Rubalcaba's pianistic flights never fail to garner thunderous applause (no matter where or when), or how a couple of Machado's former Orquesta América cohorts--violinist Ronny "El Niño Prodigio" Cabarroca and lead singer Gregorio "El Negrito Cordovés" Laza--manage to faithfully adhere to the present charanga mission.

Despite the aforesaid qualities, there is a fundamental problem that must be publicly identified. In view of Cuba's inexhaustible songbook, as well as the bandleader's proven compositional skills, it is difficult to figure out why this recording consists mostly of 1950s chacha chá classics and other standards.