WOMAD

Sonora La Calle

From Cuba

Think of Cuba, and you may think of Castro, Havana cigars - or even Graham Greene. But what should spring to mind first and foremost is music. This Caribbean island is the home of scores of dance styles that have crossed over to New York and Miami, and spread right around the world. WOMAD has featured many of the finest Cuban artists at previous festivals, including Sierra Maestra, who keep the flame of old-style son music alive; NG La Banda, one of the most powerful modern Cuban fusion outfits; and Orquesta Revé, the percussive-driven outfit led by Elio Revé, who died earlier this year. Sonora La Calle come from Santiago de Cuba, the island's most southerly city. Their line-up remains true to the original 1940's sonora bands which included a singer, double-bass, tres (three-string guitar), bongos, congas and two trumpets. The sonora line-up is a development of son, the style on which most Cuban music is based. It's heavier on brass, less reliant on guitars, and fuelled, like most Cuban music, by a driving percussion section. It also places a strong emphasis on vocals. Sonora La Calle play son, but they also delve into other rhythms, including guarachas, guajiras and cha-cha-chas. The group's singer, Leonel Duany, is known as "El Principe de Son", and he's an arranger and choreographer as well as a fine vocalist. Carlos Santos is considered to be one of the island's best maracas players and has an interesting academic qualification - he's a graduate of medicine and percussion, which is why they call him "El Doctor de Son". The rest of the band blend youth and experience, and last year they brought their explosive dance sound to the UK for the first time, playing at the Edinburgh Festival and at Latin clubs across the country. You need look no further than this for an authentic taste of Cuban music.