Expresiones Latinas 97: a Latin sound adventure

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 1997 by Max Salazar

For seven days beginning Monday, July 21, 1997, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall resounded with the sounds of Salsa, Latin jazz, Latin pop, Latin rock and Brazilian music. Ana Araiz and Leticia Montalvo, consultants of AM Productions, coordinated this production by promoting the event via radio announcements, New York dailies, television and a six member panel symposium in which music experts enlightened listeners. As a result, the consultants attracted thousands of aficionados to this Latin Sound Spectacular which emitted Cachao's traditional Cuban sound, the innovative Latin jazz sounds of Cuba's NG (New Generation) La Banda and Bamboleo, the African Salsa sounds of Africando, the Puerto Rican Salsa sounds of Gilberto Santa Rosa and Andy Montañez, the Miami Salsa sounds of Albita, and the Brazilian sounds of Gal Costa and Daniella Mercury, while Ednita Nazario and Franco Di Vita packed the hall with their Latin pop sounds.

On Tuesday, July 22nd, Cuba's Bamboleo and NG La Banda shared the bill and revealed their heavily jazz-influenced music. There were rich melodic bop rifts, scat vocals and visual treats of its vocalists dancing in unison. Then an unexpected pleasant surprise was when NG's director, flutist José Luis Cortes, elicited an enthusiastic applause when he addressed the audience in English. The audience reciprocated by repeating a chorus in Spanish to the tune El Cierro Tiene La Llave. NG was overwhelming every second on stage. Before its final tune for the night, the entire theater was on its feet, screaming almost hysterically its appreciation of the 12 musicians and three vocalists. After its last tune ended at 10:30 p.m., the standing audience which included actor Andy Garcia, Johnny Pacheco, Chico O'Farrill, Larry Harlow, Connie Grossman, DJ Nancy Rodríguez and MC's Chico Alvarez and Paco Navarro, screamed, "Toca" repeatedly until spotlights showed NG's musicians returning to the bandstand. They performed one more tune then segued into a conga rhythm while walking off stage toward the theater's lobby where each musician was embraced by a mob of people.

The following day, two of Puerto Rico's sons, Gilberto Santarosa and Andy Montañez, rocked the theater time after time with arousing performances. On Friday, July 25th, the sold out performance of Africando and Cachao took center stage. The 15 musicians of Africando featured 3 vocalists from Senegal and Benin, Africa. Among the musicians were the well known faces of new York stars, flutist Eddy Zervigon, pianist Oscar Hernández and vocalist Ronnie Baro. Africando performed seven tunes and each resulted in a din of applause and deafening noise. When they ended with La Bamba, an explosion of human voices reverberated throughout the theater. The audience was on its feet, manifesting its enjoyment while Africando left the stage.

After the intermission, Cachao was introduced and was given a deafening hero's welcome for several minutes. He thanked the audience and remarked, "Nueva York es la mata," (New York is where Cuban music developed). He opened his set with Mambo, a tune composed in 1938 when the Mambo rhythm was born while he and brother Orestes were part of Antonio Arcaño's charanga orchestra. Singing chorus was actor Andy Garcia, who danced and also performed on bongos and cowbell. The familiar faces of tres guitarist Nelson González, trombonist Jimmy Bosch, trumpeter Chocolate Armenteros and flutist Nestor Torres were replaced by the cream of Miami musicians. Cachao's repertoire of well known descargas sounded different because of the soloist's individuality.

Expresiones Latinas 97 was a week of infectious music, a learning experience and a Latin sound adventure which exhibited the beginning of new musical trends now fermenting throughout Latin America. When I heard NG's musical director speak to the audience in English, I was overcome with good feelings. I began to believe the United State's political differences with Cuba has a good chance to be resolved some day soon.