Pancho Amat y El Cabildo del Son / RootsWorld Recording Review

Pancho Amat y El Cabildo del Son
De San Antonio a Mais�
Resistencia RESCD104

Francisco "Pancho" Amat, an acknowledged master of the Cuban tres, invariably provokes comparison with such tres legends as El Ni�o Rivera and Arsenio Rodrigu�z. Born in Havana province in 1950, Amat studied music formally, founded the group Manguar� in 1971 and led it for 17 years, during which time he and his compatriots served as international cultural ambassadors. In Manguar�'s early days Amat studied in Chile and collaborated with nueva canci�n stalwarts V�ctor Jara, Inti-Illimani, Isabel Parra and Quilapay�n. He went on to study arrangement with Orquesta Arag�n leader Rafael Lay, and elevated tres playing to a new level by applying theory and technique gleaned from his mastery of classical, jazz and trova forms. Amat is also a record and television producer, and he has played with a diverse list of musical luminaries at home and abroad, including Adalberto �lvarez, the Chieftains, Ry Cooder, Cuban�smo, Alfredo de la F�, Oscar D'Leon, Cesaria Evora, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mongo Santamaria, Yomo Toro, Barbarito Torres and Dave Valent�n.

The album title aspires to encompass the sweep of traditional Cuban music, from Cabo San Antonio (at the western end of the island) to Punta Mais� (the furthest point east), and the recording delivers on its promise, serving up a tasteful array of contemporary reworkings of Cuban classics, plus three Amat originals. Among the high notes are two Miguel Matamoros compositions, "Reclamo M�stico" (the writer's first recorded bolero-son, a classic that Amat transforms into a descarga vehicle for guest singer Alejandro Sequeda), and "La Cocain�mana" (wherein trovador Silvio Rodr�guez revives an obscure son). The bolero "Anda Y Dime" fronts D�o Evocaci�n, a first-rate female vocal duo (recently heard on Compay Segundo's Calle Salud) whose crystal-clear tonalities mark them as coming artists in their own right. El Vaiv�n De Mi Carreta features the lead of Spanish singer Santiago Auser�n, with a freshly expressive interpretation of �ico Saquito's classic guajira-son. At the recording's heart is the Afro-son, Fan�a, featuring Candito Zayas, Ballet Folkl�rico Nacional singer, whose rock-solid Abaku� vocals power the album's most compelling guest spot. Ringing throughout is Amat's tres and cuatro artistry, and the arranger's finely honed sense for creating a vibrant ensemble effect in which no single artist stands apart. To palpate the contemporary pulse of traditional Cuban music today, start here. - Michael Stone

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