Pedrito Calvo Y La Justicia Vengo Con La Justicia - Reseña

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 2002 by Jesse Varela

(Envidia)

Renowned for his broad black mustache and wide-brimmed hat, Pedro Calvo has been making inroads as a solo artist since his departure from Los Van Van a couple of years ago. Touring in recent years as special guest with Juan de Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars, he is truly one of the last of the Benny Moré-inspired soneros in Cuban popular song. Vengo Con La Justicia is Calvo's debut recording and shows the versatility and spirited energy this Havana-born singer possesses. With a band he calls La Justicia, this sheriff of son draws from traditional vehicles such as Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba to wail his inspired, improvised verses. He includes some of the big hits he popularized during his 26-year tenure with Juan Formell y Los Van Van: El Negro Está Cocinando, Que Le Den Candela and Que No, Que No. From start to finish this is a monster dance record with brassy straight-ahead textures that lets Calvo sing with unbridled passion. Documented in the liner notes is the fact that Pedrito has fathered 13 children by 13 different women, so needless to say, many of the themes are about women. Check out his lone original Te La Tenia Escondida.

Calvo's story-telling abilities draw from the 1940s guarachas, which thematically were very topical. The metaphors are playful, fresh and charismatic. Overall, his blue-smoked gritty tenor voice is a sound that now identifies an era in Cuban music. As exemplified by his works with Los Jovenes del Filing, Pancho El Bravo, Ritmo Oriental and Los Van Van, Pedro Calvo is a giant who shows that he's just getting started.