Latin Perspective

A government-owned bar named Yellow Submarine has recently opened in Havana. Its Beatles-themed interior – porthole windows, blue-and-yellow interior, Beatles lyrics on the walls – is the latest addition to the self-consciously progressive 21st century Cuba. In one of life’s more serendipitous twists, this new collaborative album, Latin Perspective, features a re-working of ‘Beatlerianas’ – songs by Lennon and McCartney arranged by Leo Brouwer, currently CEO of the Cuban National Philharmonic Institute, and a Fab Four fan if ever there was one. Here, seven tracks ranging from ‘Yesterday’ to ‘Penny Lane’ are transformed by London-based Santiago String Quartet and the Cuban guitar virtuoso Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas into lush homages to the likes of Bartók and Stravinsky.

Indeed, it was these last two maestros who inspired Brouwer’s 1957 work ‘Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet’, which is also here – its Afro Cuban rhythms and melodies framed by the classical sonata form and freshened and brightened by the young artists involved. Grammy¬nominated Uruguayan composer Miguel del Aguila is represented by the quirky, playful ‘Presto II’, a Latin dance piece flecked with elements of 20s jazz and boasting the sort of irregular time signatures and unusual playing techniques that would floor lesser musicians than the five talents involved here. There’s also the pretty, fragmented ‘Metro Chabacanco’ by legendary Mexican composer Javier Álvarez. All the pieces on Latin Perspective require both stellar ability and the sort of musical intuition that makes a good ensemble great. The Santiago Quartet is on a mission to celebrate Latin America’s rich concert repertoire. With Dickinson at their side they sound positively joyous.