Cuba: Music and Revolution – Culture Clash in Havana Experiments in Latin Music 1975-85, Vol 2

Soul Jazz continue their excavation of Cuba’s Areito records with a second volume picking up where the first left off. This is Cuban music from the late 70s and early 80s, a time when musicians were state-employed, the nightlife was nonexistent and the labels were subsidised, with no need to turn a profit. This climate led many musicians to push styles like son, songo and guaguancó as far as possible, aided generously by fuzz pedals and synths.

Los Reyes 73’s ‘Finalizo un Amor’ is full of swagger, its lively strings echoing the disco music being made elsewhere. Grupo Los Yoyi rightfully earn their cult status with a psychedelic jam, guitar blazing while drums, organ and shaker keep the rhythm tight; like many of the songs here it’s anchored by virtuosic bass that edges so many of these songs into soul-jazz-funk-disco territory. This is only part of the story though, as ‘Cuba Va!’, with its lead acoustic guitar, distorted solos and singalong verses could easily be a lost tropicália gem, Luis Carbonell represents the percussion and vocal styles of Afro-Cuba, and the iconic Los Van Van and Juan Pablo Torres find a glorious space between Cuban rhythms, jazz and experimentation that will never grow tiresome.