A winding concrete path leads to the open air exhibition hall called "El Pabellon Cuba" in La Habana. A wall with the silhouette images of Ernesto Lecuona, Bola De Nieve, Rita Montaner, and Benny More greet you as you walk into a remarkable celebration of a hundred years of recorded music for the island nation. Organized by the Institute of Cuban Music in accord with numerous nationally-based record companies, this first ever exposition in early March was not only a historical acknowledgement of a brilliant past but a hopeful view of an equally viable emerging future.

"There's amazing potential for Cuban music right now," says Helio Orovio, author of the landmark "Diccionario De La Musica Cubana." "There's another golden age coming like the forties and fifties but it needs refining. The texts and orchestrations aren't always good but there's a sound emerging all its own." And that's what many curious journalists came to see. Since the emergence of supergroups like Irakere and Los Van Van, there's been a keen eye on Cuban music to see what comes next. As new stars like Paulito FG, Manolin - "El Medico De La Salsa, David Calzado y Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo, and Jose Luis Cortes y NG La Banda, rise onto the horizon many are hopeful that Cuban music will once again reach world stature.

"I've been saying for a longtime that we're in one of the best periods for Cuban dance music right now," says Juan Formell, bassist and founder of Los Van Van, "and it's being driven by young musicians who are coming out of the schools who are respectful of groups that have paved the way like maestro Elio Reve and our group. But what's great is their sense of competition to play better, to come up with excellent arrangements, and new creative compositions."

The six-day fair was impressive in its scope. The gala inaugural was a musical spectrum of variety that included jazz fusion pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa (formerly of Afro Cuba), "la voz del filin" Omara Portuonda, 90 year-old 'son' pioneer Compay Segundo, Sampling, and Issac Delgado, who demolished the place with a vibrant two-hour set. From there each day was coordinated with talent and presentation by the participating recording companies: Egrem, BIS (a division of ARTEX), Magic Music, RTV Comercial, Caribe Productions, and ARTcolor. By all sources of information, Cuban music is in an interesting state of affairs. According to the Institute for Cuban Music, there are currently close to 12,000 professional musicians registered with the organization. In 1993, the Cuban government backed out of the music business and allowed musical artists and archival entities to pursue and negotiate their own deals with outside interests. To help foster the industry, they dropped musicians to the lowest tax bracket available. As a result, many entrepeneurs have come in to license existing recorded material and sign up and coming bands. Many now believe as a result that unofficially Cuban music ranks second behind tourism as one of the top industries on the island. "Yes, our sales have doubled," says Francis Cabezas, president of Cosmopolitan Caribbean Music of which Magic Music is a part. "But those figures are insignificant. In a normal situation we would be selling a hundred times more with a better distribution and promotional mechanism."

Given the success that this new wave of Cuban Salsa is enjoying in Europe, Latin America, and Japan, many entrepeneurs are hoping that the multi-national recording industry will pick up on this and give the music the boost it needs to propell it to another level. One of the first artists to make that ascencion is Lucretia, whose contract with Magic Music was recently negotiated over to MCA Latin. Similar business ventures are also waiting in the wings for Juan Formell & Los Van Van whose recording company Caribe Productions is currently holding talks with EMI Latino. How this plays into current U.S. embargo laws like Helms - Burton has yet to be determined.

Yet the incentive that this boom has given a new wave of young musicians is great. To see the dimension these groups cover and the hard work they put into their art is examplery. The major groups rehearse daily for up to six hours perfecting not only their musicality but choreography and showmanship as well. A prime example is David Calzado & Charanga Habanera. The nephew of the renown composer and singer Rudy Calzado, this effervescent bandleader is a charismatic visionary who's ensemble is comparable in stage presentation and charisma to Earth, Wind, & Fire. "Charanga Habanero is part of a New Salsa movement," he comments after a blistering afternoon dance concert at La Tropicana. "We've created a style that many groups are trying to imitate and we pride ourselves in the quality of our music. I believe we're one of the pillers of this new sound that has many influences but whose essence is 'la clave Cubana.'"

Alongside Charanga Habanera is Jose Luis Cortes & NG La Banda. The group is known for a raw street sound and has been at the center of controversy for its overt sexually charged lyrical content and dance sensations like "La Cachimba." With an amazing cast that includes singer Tony Cala and trumpeter Jose Miguel Crego (who leads "los metales del terror") their use of elements of 'santeria' and Afro-Cuban folklore in a pop context is exciting. "I've traveled to alot of countries and seen the appeal Cuban music is having abroad right now," says Cortes. "There's profound efforts happening in Cuban popular music but commercially its difficult to market because of the complexity of the rhythms and arrangements. We're also isolated but I think that's been good in a way because we've been able to create what we wanted without external pressures. But once Cuba opens up I believe the music will take off."

At the heart of this growth is an educational system that is turning out an extremely high caliber of musician. The government has supported music in an extraordinary way since the revolution began providing a curriculam based on classical music and traditional Cuban music as well as other musical idioms like jazz, rock, and North American pop. It was a joy to hear children's choirs singing classic's like "Guantanamera" at 'Cubadisco '97' with angelic voices and innocent faces as well as all-woman string ensembles like "Estrellas Cubanas." Then to talk to young musicians about ideas their ideas trying include atonalism concepts into dance charts was amazing!

Yet what the future holds is of concern to pioneers of "La Nueva Trova - The New Song Movement" like Pablo Milanes, who hopes that this wave to invest is not a mask to exploit. "It would delight me to know that the companies arriving here were coming with a cultural criteria in mind," he says,"and not to scrape what remains of a country in ruins. Let it be commercial, but let the creative potential of those artists surface."

For entrepeneurs like Francis Cabezas, there are various things to consider in the business scheme that he sums up as 'las tres B's - Bueno, Bonito, y Barato.' "We've committed ourselves to record and present a wide spectrum of children's music, choral music, classical, traditional, dance, pop, rock, rap and on top of that we've just completed the project "La Isla De La Musica," which includes music from Pinar Del Rio to Guantanamo. We auditioned countless musicians and groups with the help of the Institute of Cuban Music that was done with alot of love. But I make it a point to pay people right. What we have in Cuba is the spectrum of the rainbow in terms of race that I think will lead us into the next century." As the festival was ending with a gala ball that included an awards ceremony and Los Van Van, one cannot ignore the fact that the heart and soul of this music are the Cuban people. "The natural market for Cuban music is Cuba. When the 11 million people on this island have purchasing power it will open up an astonishing world force," says Ned Sublett of QBADISC.

In many ways Cuba is still undeveloped terrain in terms of technology and entrepeneurism but there's a spirit that is comparable to the birth of Rock & Roll when music in the U.S. was an open territory ripe for cultivation. As Alicia Perea, head of the Institute for Cuban Music put it: "Socialism isn't against riches but it's here to distribute the riches fairly. The problem is we Cubans are not good at making money. We don't know how to market but we're learning."

In the meantime "Cubadisco" will open its doors to international record companies next year and given the scope, love, and dedication that went into this years effort it's not to be missed!


Chuy Varela is a freelance journalist who covers the San Francisco Bay Area Latin music scene for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Chronicle, the Eastbay Express, and Latin Beat Magazine as well as being music director at Kpfa Radio (1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, Ca. 94704 - 510 - 848 -6767 x 219) and host of the Latin Jazz Show (Sun. 2 - 6pm) on Jazz 91 KCSM 91.1 FM.

A winding concrete path leads to the open air exhibition hall called "El Pabellon Cuba" in La Habana. A wall with the silhouette images of Ernesto Lecuona, Bola De Nieve, Rita Montaner, and Benny More greet you as you walk into a remarkable celebration of a hundred years of recorded music for the island nation. Organized by the Institute of Cuban Music in accord with numerous nationally-based record companies, this first ever exposition in early March was not only a historical acknowledgement of a brilliant past but a hopeful view of an equally viable emerging future.

"There's amazing potential for Cuban music right now," says Helio Orovio, author of the landmark "Diccionario De La Musica Cubana." "There's another golden age coming like the forties and fifties but it needs refining. The texts and orchestrations aren't always good but there's a sound emerging all its own." And that's what many curious journalists came to see. Since the emergence of supergroups like Irakere and Los Van Van, there's been a keen eye on Cuban music to see what comes next. As new stars like Paulito FG, Manolin - "El Medico De La Salsa, David Calzado y Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo, and Jose Luis Cortes y NG La Banda, rise onto the horizon many are hopeful that Cuban music will once again reach world stature.

"I've been saying for a longtime that we're in one of the best periods for Cuban dance music right now," says Juan Formell, bassist and founder of Los Van Van, "and it's being driven by young musicians who are coming out of the schools who are respectful of groups that have paved the way like maestro Elio Reve and our group. But what's great is their sense of competition to play better, to come up with excellent arrangements, and new creative compositions."

The six-day fair was impressive in its scope. The gala inaugural was a musical spectrum of variety that included jazz fusion pianist Ernan Lopez-Nussa (formerly of Afro Cuba), "la voz del filin" Omara Portuonda, 90 year-old 'son' pioneer Compay Segundo, Sampling, and Issac Delgado, who demolished the place with a vibrant two-hour set. From there each day was coordinated with talent and presentation by the participating recording companies: Egrem, BIS (a division of ARTEX), Magic Music, RTV Comercial, Caribe Productions, and ARTcolor. By all sources of information, Cuban music is in an interesting state of affairs. According to the Institute for Cuban Music, there are currently close to 12,000 professional musicians registered with the organization. In 1993, the Cuban government backed out of the music business and allowed musical artists and archival entities to pursue and negotiate their own deals with outside interests. To help foster the industry, they dropped musicians to the lowest tax bracket available. As a result, many entrepeneurs have come in to license existing recorded material and sign up and coming bands. Many now believe as a result that unofficially Cuban music ranks second behind tourism as one of the top industries on the island. "Yes, our sales have doubled," says Francis Cabezas, president of Cosmopolitan Caribbean Music of which Magic Music is a part. "But those figures are insignificant. In a normal situation we would be selling a hundred times more with a better distribution and promotional mechanism."

Given the success that this new wave of Cuban Salsa is enjoying in Europe, Latin America, and Japan, many entrepeneurs are hoping that the multi-national recording industry will pick up on this and give the music the boost it needs to propell it to another level. One of the first artists to make that ascencion is Lucretia, whose contract with Magic Music was recently negotiated over to MCA Latin. Similar business ventures are also waiting in the wings for Juan Formell & Los Van Van whose recording company Caribe Productions is currently holding talks with EMI Latino. How this plays into current U.S. embargo laws like Helms - Burton has yet to be determined.

Yet the incentive that this boom has given a new wave of young musicians is great. To see the dimension these groups cover and the hard work they put into their art is examplery. The major groups rehearse daily for up to six hours perfecting not only their musicality but choreography and showmanship as well. A prime example is David Calzado & Charanga Habanera. The nephew of the renown composer and singer Rudy Calzado, this effervescent bandleader is a charismatic visionary who's ensemble is comparable in stage presentation and charisma to Earth, Wind, & Fire. "Charanga Habanero is part of a New Salsa movement," he comments after a blistering afternoon dance concert at La Tropicana. "We've created a style that many groups are trying to imitate and we pride ourselves in the quality of our music. I believe we're one of the pillers of this new sound that has many influences but whose essence is 'la clave Cubana.'"

Alongside Charanga Habanera is Jose Luis Cortes & NG La Banda. The group is known for a raw street sound and has been at the center of controversy for its overt sexually charged lyrical content and dance sensations like "La Cachimba." With an amazing cast that includes singer Tony Cala and trumpeter Jose Miguel Crego (who leads "los metales del terror") their use of elements of 'santeria' and Afro-Cuban folklore in a pop context is exciting. "I've traveled to alot of countries and seen the appeal Cuban music is having abroad right now," says Cortes. "There's profound efforts happening in Cuban popular music but commercially its difficult to market because of the complexity of the rhythms and arrangements. We're also isolated but I think that's been good in a way because we've been able to create what we wanted without external pressures. But once Cuba opens up I believe the music will take off."

At the heart of this growth is an educational system that is turning out an extremely high caliber of musician. The government has supported music in an extraordinary way since the revolution began providing a curriculam based on classical music and traditional Cuban music as well as other musical idioms like jazz, rock, and North American pop. It was a joy to hear children's choirs singing classic's like "Guantanamera" at 'Cubadisco '97' with angelic voices and innocent faces as well as all-woman string ensembles like "Estrellas Cubanas." Then to talk to young musicians about ideas their ideas trying include atonalism concepts into dance charts was amazing!

Yet what the future holds is of concern to pioneers of "La Nueva Trova - The New Song Movement" like Pablo Milanes, who hopes that this wave to invest is not a mask to exploit. "It would delight me to know that the companies arriving here were coming with a cultural criteria in mind," he says,"and not to scrape what remains of a country in ruins. Let it be commercial, but let the creative potential of those artists surface."

For entrepeneurs like Francis Cabezas, there are various things to consider in the business scheme that he sums up as 'las tres B's - Bueno, Bonito, y Barato.' "We've committed ourselves to record and present a wide spectrum of children's music, choral music, classical, traditional, dance, pop, rock, rap and on top of that we've just completed the project "La Isla De La Musica," which includes music from Pinar Del Rio to Guantanamo. We auditioned countless musicians and groups with the help of the Institute of Cuban Music that was done with alot of love. But I make it a point to pay people right. What we have in Cuba is the spectrum of the rainbow in terms of race that I think will lead us into the next century." As the festival was ending with a gala ball that included an awards ceremony and Los Van Van, one cannot ignore the fact that the heart and soul of this music are the Cuban people. "The natural market for Cuban music is Cuba. When the 11 million people on this island have purchasing power it will open up an astonishing world force," says Ned Sublett of QBADISC.

In many ways Cuba is still undeveloped terrain in terms of technology and entrepeneurism but there's a spirit that is comparable to the birth of Rock & Roll when music in the U.S. was an open territory ripe for cultivation. As Alicia Perea, head of the Institute for Cuban Music put it: "Socialism isn't against riches but it's here to distribute the riches fairly. The problem is we Cubans are not good at making money. We don't know how to market but we're learning."

In the meantime "Cubadisco" will open its doors to international record companies next year and given the scope, love, and dedication that went into this years effort it's not to be missed!


Chuy Varela is a freelance journalist who covers the San Francisco Bay Area Latin music scene for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Chronicle, the Eastbay Express, and Latin Beat Magazine as well as being music director at Kpfa Radio (1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, Ca. 94704 - 510 - 848 -6767 x 219) and host of the Latin Jazz Show (Sun. 2 - 6pm) on Jazz 91 KCSM 91.1 FM.