(Photo by Michael O'Shea)
Venue: Society For Ethical Culture/The Concert Hall, 2 West 64th Street
Text by Jim Hoey
The success of Juan de Marcos González and his Afro-Cuban All Stars is one of music and politics, a story of transcending mundane, outdated border restrictions to bring the traditional music of Cuba around the world. And at the NY Society For Ethical Culture recently, the presentation of this music and spirit was a celebration of the ties, rather than the differences,
that bind Americans from Cuba and the United States.
How did they pull off this concert and multi-city tour at a time when it’s still illegal for most musicians to leave Cuba? Well, Juan de Marcos assembled his crew from musicians who have somehow managed to get passports from other countries, thereby skirting the INS restrictions put in place by Bush in 2003, in effect becoming a model for future musicians ready to do the same and take a risk to challenge the embargo and travel restrictions in place now. (I think the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” (H.R. 874 in the House and S. 428 in the Senate) is still floating around Congress somewhere, just waiting for a little more omentum to catch up to it).
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Indeed, as I walked into the old grey stone building of the Ethical Society I was approached by representatives from groups protesting the embargo, and handing out flyers on ‘How To Travel To Cuba”, all the loopholes easily outlined for any novice. Amid this atmosphere, I walked up the steps into the old auditorium and took my seat in the corner, and soon the 14-piece band came out and took the stage.
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Anyone familiar with the exceptional work of the Buena Vista Social Club will recognize the same lineage, rhythms, and vocals that the Afro-Cuban All Stars share with that seminal group, and of course Juan de Marcos was a key leader in putting that band together. With the All-Stars, you hear similar classic songs, tight musicianship, wailing horns, and body moving percussion.
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One extra with the current All-Stars that NY-ers were able to experience on this tour was the addition of the daughters and wife of Juan de Marcos, on vocals, horns, and keys, respectively. It was nice to see the music literally being passed on in front of our eyes, across 3 generations of musicians, especially since it’s known that Juan de Markos’ father sang with Arsenio Rodriguez, one of the greatest Cuban musicians and ambassadors outside of Castro’s island. The current Afro-Cuban All Stars are here now continuing that tradition as well.
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