|
The hot and hip place of the moment for contemporary fusion music —mainly jazz-based, but also including rock and trova-based influences— is undoubtedly Quinta y 16 in the Miramar district of Havana. There, every Wednesday to Sunday night (see below for all details) at about the witching hour, and without even making the slightest effort, you’ll be brushing shoulders, hips, and maybe more, with anyone who is absolutely anyone in this young and extremely talented scene.
|
|||
For the punter it’s equally fab. You can hear your favourite musicians as if you were in your own front room, even go up and chat to them if you feel like it, and, again, its somewhere hip and hot to go when almost all else in the capitol is closed or closed down. Well, at least for the kind of music that this crowd likes to see. We rolled out at 5am after one of the Friday night sessions and that’s no mean feat in Havana. As we go to press, Wednesdays are a gap to be filled as the former hosts —the all-girl a capella group Sexto Sentido— no longer play there. For the most up-to-date information, best to visit Cuba Absolutely’s website at www.cubaabsolutely.com and ring the venue itself when you’re in town. So let’s start with one of the hottest sessions, Thursdays, which features the charismatic and very-funny—indeed singer—songwriter, David Torrens, camping it up with his tremendous blend of rock/pop/trova. Torrens has been based in Mexico, but spends lots of time in Havana. His work is so fusioned that it’s almost impossible to classify, but its safe to say that the pop, rock and trova that thread though his excellent songs also blend Caribbean rhythms such as mambo, cha cha chá, bomba, samba, and reggae. Collaborations include Amaury Gutierrez, Roberto Carcasés, Kelvis Ochoa and, most recently, the very talented Aldo Lopez Gavilán. With at least two albums to his name (Mi poquita fé (1998) and Ni de Aquí ni de Allá (2001)), this very popular and dynamic artist ‘’…irreverently mixes tradition and innovation and gives you great songs about the sweet and more savoury sides of daily life.’’ Unmissable for his slot and for the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the other nights just by being there. For those in the know The fine young jazz/fusion pianist Harold López Nussa heads Friday`s line up. This prodigy is part of the famous López Nussa family and the night we caught him his dad —prominent jazz drummer/percussionist, Rui,— played the first set and then passed over to his younger percussionist son who had the place alight with his passionate performance. Harold has been touring recently in Mexico with Haydée Milanés and is presently ………….This is the more jazzy night of the lot— often starting a little more traditionally with standards, and the like, but really hotting up as the night goes on and as other musicians arrive from their own gigs. Saturdays is hosted by one of Cuba's very finest, young, fusion guitarists, Elmer Ferrer. He is one of the most prolific studio musicians on the island and is particularly known, and greatly admired, for his harmonic brilliance and his fast and furious finger work. He’s also an accomplished composer, arranger, producer, teacher and leader of the excellent Elmer Ferrer band. In the early 90’s, he hooked up with Roberto Carcasés and Descemer Bueno to form the Estado de Ánimo band, touring extensively in Spain, Bolivia, Uruguay, Germany and Argentina. Elmer has performed at numerous and prestigious guitar and jazz festivals, recorded with Cuba’s undisputable top salsa/timba band, Los Van Van, written music for film and was one of the few artists invited to play with Sting when the British musician visited Havana. He’s also collaborated and recorded with many of Cuba’s best, and you can find his 2002 solo album ‘’Metrópoli’’ on the Unicornio label. To give you some idea of the flavour of this night, Elmer is often compared to Jimmi Hendrix. So, full volume, this night is when you rock and blues your socks right off. Finally, one of the finest young trumpeters around —in Cuba or outside— plays here on Sundays. Yasek Manzano has won numerous prizes, worked and studied with US trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis, attended New York’s prestigious Julliard School and been invited to play at festivals the world over. Still only 27, he’s a real rising star, is presently recording his second album (which he sees as his first) and, well, you’d be crazy to miss him. He’s a thinking persons musician but also modest, charming and accessible. So, if he’s playing lot of standards when you see him, make sure to ask him to play his own compositions which are much more him — innovative and experimental. His young band is outstanding and they all work together with such joy that their seamless, tight and exuberant performances are very hard indeed to fault. Its definitely the quietest evening of the week so if you’re looking for something much more laid—back and intimate, this is the one. You can also find him every Saturday at Havana`s more famous jazz club, La Zorra y el Cuervo. The very bright idea of Quinta y 16 is part of a bigger initiative by the Cuban corporation, Cubalse, to fix up a large number of existing music/cultural venues and then to "up" what’s on. The Quinta venue is actually a specialist cigar house/shop (Casa del Habano) but in December 2006 they started putting on these jazz—based music concerts in their adjoining bar/restaurant, Carlos Varela opened the proceedings and the rest is history. Our only 3 criticisms - and shared by quite a few punters —are the very late start, the often too— loud and distorted music while you wait, and the smoking. First, could the acts really not begin at 11pm, say, instead of more like 12.30pm? If you get there for 10.30pm to get the table, then it usually means over an hour and a half wait and with the over—loud music to boot. Not fun. Then please, oh please, can you do something, anything, about the smoke. Apart from there being no air conditioning —which is really no huge problem at all— much rather a bit on the warm side than the almost artic conditions of other clubs —the amount of people smoking is often excessive. It’s bad for our health (remember secondary smoking?), bad news for the musicians and simply unpleasant for the regular non—smoking punter. Even seasoned smokers I know were complaining last time we were there. Come on, Quinta y 16, don’t spoil Havana’s most wonderful—ever music venue. Despite all this, the sheer quality of the performers, the joy at finally having a late-night fusion bolt-hole, a great DJ and the general cool ambience of the place, still earns Quinta y 16 five shiny gold stars from us. And whatever, for the punters and musicians, no one really cares too much about anything as long as the music is good and the joint is jumpin’ —and both are.
So, listen to the punters…
|
|||
|
