Candido Fabre
La Habana Quiere Guarachar Contigo
Tumi Music (www.tumi.music.ndirect.co.uk)

As the U.S embargo of Cuba is slowly eased, a flood of music, pent-up for decades, starts to flow. All tunes in this album are written by Candido Fabre, a gravel voiced star of the current Cuban scene. He has the great phrasing and fire of the great salsa vocalists.

The lyrics of only the title cut are translated. Since this band is so vocal oriented (only one short cut has instrumental solos) it would have helped to have all the lyrics. However it sounds as if the lyrics are the usual "dance pretty woman" type. And this is great dance music, though there is a lack of variety as, with the exception of one bolero, all the tunes are up tempo sons.

His back up group features the flute/violin lineup of classic charanga, though the flute is not up front as is the usual band. The fourteen members of his group swing hard and with elegance through some excellent arrangements, in the finest tradition of charangas playing son . Now that the music can be heard again, can the cigars be far behind? - Stacy Phillips