WOMAD

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

From United States

It’s a corner of Manhattan Island that’s never been troubled by the tourist buses and, despite being immortalised in song by Aretha Franklin, is rewarded with few words in the guidebooks. We’re talking Spanish Harlem, New York’s largely Puerto Rican enclave whose residents remain fiercely protective of their Hispanic heritage. The defence of the neighbourhood’s musical riches is the task of the aptly named Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the band crammed with the cream of this Latin quarter’s salsa musicians. If supergroups bring to mind crusty has-beens like The Traveling Wilburys, let these chaps redefine things for you. Frequently likened to Cuba’s multi-million-selling Buena Vista Social Club, this all-star aggregation do things rather differently. Where Havana’s octogenarians kept things mellow and undemanding, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra get hard and tough, their music reflecting the urgency of life in El Barrio. Two formidable albums in (one of which featured that great singer – and former Panamanian presidential candidate – Ruben Blades), the name of Spanish Harlem, at least musically, is back within earshot. Time to get into a NuYorican state of mind.In A Few Words… Horn-heavy, top-drawer salsa.