June 11-12 2011

Buena vista The unquenchable thirst for all things Cuban

June 11-12, 2011 04 COVER STORY LONG-DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR

HE Western tourists at the Casa play. Visit the Disneyfied Old or the de la in Santiago de The dance and music of a small Caribbean island beach resort of Varadero and you’ll find can’t believe their luck. Onstage, talented ensembles playing for a pittance in just metres from where they are have infiltrated the world, writes Jane Cornwell, lobbies of hotels they’re forbidden entry into. T sitting around tables strewn with as yet more Cuban artists arrive here to tour Even the Buena Vista crew play Varadero bottles of cola and Havana Club rum, a black- once a month or so when they’re at home. If clad guitarist in a cowboy hat is singing Chan Cuban artists want to play abroad, if they Chan, the song made famous by the Buena solution. Since our love affair with Cuba was Perth next month, then tours nationally. The want to keep cashing in on the BVSC brand, Vista Social Club. That this happens to be the jump-started by the timeless sounds of the Bar at Buena Vista, a savvy take on can blame them? same singer who sang on the Buena Vistas’ more than a decade original concept that features 93-year-old ‘‘Not that [Cuban] musicians are properly bestselling Grammy-winning 1997 album is, ago, Cuba has been coming to us. sonero Reynaldo Creagh and Brisbane-based paid, especially in America,’’ Gonzalez says. for most, fantasy made real. ‘‘Australian audiences connect immedi- Cuban dancer Eric Turro, is touring Australia ‘‘The Obama administration has relaxed the ‘‘The feelings I have for you/ I cannot ately with Cuban music,’’ says Juan de for the third time and is halfway through a previous administration’s draconian restric- deny,’’ 65-year-old Eliades Ochoa croons in Marcos Gonzalez, the bandleader, composer seven-city schedule. (The hit show Lady tions in regards to the cultural exchange but Spanish, singing the words written by his and arranger often described as Cuban Salsa, which toured Australia twice, ran for little else. More than 40 ensembles have been compadre , and strumming music’s most important contemporary fig- three months at the Gold Coast Casino in gigging across America from the end of 2009 the song’s trademark four chords. Inspired ure. ‘‘They seem to understand its authen- 2009.) until now, and they only get a per diem. by its irresistible romanticism a few couples ticity despite the cultural differences. Gonzalez isn’t impressed with the BVSC America doesn’t want to be seen to support take to the dance floor; a middle-aged ‘‘It’s the same everywhere,’’ he adds. hybrids: ‘‘The real Buena Vista Social Club ‘Castro’s dictatorship’.’’ Similarly, some blonde woman in a T-shirt ‘‘I’ve seen people in eastern Europe and ended with the deaths of the original European promoters have been known to stands and sings along loudly. Someone certain parts of Africa, people who’ve never featured artists,’’ the genial but outspoken take advantage of Cuba’s plethora of first- strikes up a Cohiba cigar from a box probably heard the music before, feel compelled to get auteur insists. ‘‘It was great that it re- class musicians, only too aware many will bought in Havana, the sprawling capital on up and follow the rhythm in their own way.’’ introduced Cuban music to the world and accept paltry fees just for the chance to play. the other side of this 1250km-long Caribbean It was Gonzalez, a conservatory-trained brought it to the attention of a wider What, then, of promoters in Australia? island and the first stop for most Cuba tours. musician (and doctor of engineering) who audience. But it also became a middle-class ‘‘The Afro-Cuban Allstars are paid inter- The traditional Cuban son of Ochoa and had the idea for an all-star band of forgotten fashion and a lucrative business for world national rates wherever we play,’’ Gonzalez his band — think a combination of Spanish says. ‘‘But then everyone in our line-up song and guitar and African rhythms and either owns another passport or currently percussion — wafts over the colonial balcony ‘THERE’S MORE TO MY COUNTRY THAN CIGARS AND lives outside the island.’’ and on to the streets, to where similarly RUM, VINTAGE CARS AND BIG-BOTTOMED WOMEN. MY That Cuba has managed to withstand the tight-knit outfits are performing in squares, US blockade for 52 years is, of course, tourist hotels and other music houses. In the GENERATION HAS MORE FLAVOURS THAN THAT’ remarkable. But while Western visitors Casa de La Musica, a band is whipping GEORGES CESPEDES marvel at the population’s resilience Western salseros into a sweat. An Afro- (‘‘Things are getting better step by step and session is going on in the Casa at the end Cuba will recover,’’ Gonzalez del Caribe. The programmed beats of reg- reckons), get on with living their gaeton rule at the outdoor La Claquetta, Cuban masters and, after teaming up with music promoters, who made the sort of lives. For many that involves making art that where young Cubans in lycra and baseball London-based record company World Circuit money they’d never make from touring their exists beyond the tourist gaze. garb gyrate in pairs. and American guitarist Ry Cooder, went usual bands.’’ ‘‘There’s more to my country than cigars Cuba’s rhythms are as diverse as its looking for them. The fad for all things Cuban arguably and rum, vintage cars and big-bottomed melting pot population, most of whom trace A Toda Cuba Le Gusta (Everyone in Cuba reached its peak in July 2000, when 40,000 women,’’ says Georges Cespedes, 31, a their ancestry to African slaves or Spanish Loves It), the 1997 album by Gonzalez’s people turned out to see the original Buena former Danza Contemporanea dancer who settlers, and all of whom love to dance. 13-piece Afro-Cuban Allstars, paved the way Vista Social Club perform in London’s Hyde choreographed Mambo 3XX1, an electro hip- Professional dancers are groomed in state- for the twilight stardom of artists such as Park. ‘‘The bubble has probably burst for hop take on the music of Perez Prado, for the backed ballet schools and folkloric compan- singer and pianist Ruben Cuban music in the UK and Europe,’’ says company’s Brisbane Festival visit last year. ies. Talented musicians pour out of con- Gonzalez, both of whom released albums Andy Wood, director of UK-based Latin ‘‘ has more colours and servatories. Cuba may shudder under its own under the Buena Vista banner. events promoters Como No. flavours than that. We like to make people post-revolutionary weight, its buildings may Gonzalez remained a Buena Vista fixture ‘‘Cuban dance has become hugely popu- think. Otherwise what’s the point?’’ be crumbling and derelict and its people for six years, touring, directing and produc- lar,’’ Wood says. ‘‘The Ballet Nacional His friend Carlos Acosta, with whom struggling, but its artistic spirit is undimini- ing between playing with Sierra Maestra, the hadn’t been to the UK for 20 years when it Cespedes co-choreographed two contempor- shed. Grammy-winning son group he co-founded returned in 2006 and it’s now a regular ary dance pieces performed at the London With a tropical climate and fabulous in 1978 to keep this Cuban alive. visitor. Danza Contemporanea de Cuba is Coliseum last July, agrees. beaches it’s no wonder, really, why tourists The Mexico-based Gonzalez is performing coming back next year. Constructed dance ‘‘There’s an artistic revolution waiting to have been descending on Cuba since Chan again with the Afro-Cuban Allstars, who projects like Havana Rakatan’’ — a crowd happen in Cuba,’’ says the Royal Ballet Chan went stratospheric. Courses in per- played WOMAdelaide in March (on a bill pleaser that tells the history of Cuban music principal, 38, who started his career with cussion, drumming and Spanish are thriving. with the Creole Choir of Cuba, who also and dance and is in Sydney this month — Ballet Nacional de Cuba, another Brisbane A worldwide boom in salsa has seen hordes toured), then entertained Brisbane with their ‘‘do very well. It’s partly down to cycles of Festival headliner last year. taking lessons from loose-limbed locals mix of styles: and guajira, rumba, promotion, and the fact Cuba is one of the ‘‘There are so many different kinds of who’ve been salsa-ing since they could walk. danzon and cha-cha-cha. great cultural centres of the world.’’ dances because of the mestizo [mix] of Marketed as a place of cigars and rum, Last year’s Australian tour by Los Van Havana was America’s playground in the people and because the revolution made arts vintage cars and big-bottomed women, last Van, the sprawling 20-piece orchestra cum first half of the 20th century. Cuban music and sports open to everyone. year this lovely, beleaguered country wel- music academy known as the Rolling Stones soundtracked Hollywood films. Cuban stars ‘‘Dancers in Cuba know ballet, martial comed 2.5 million international visitors. of Cuba, saw audiences out in force. such as Beny More and Celia Cruz played the arts, capoiera, Afro-Cuban rhythms . . . When Many of these were Australian. Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club — featur- New York Palladium and interpreted the you put this all into a Caribbean setting it Getting to Cuba isn’t easy from Australia. ing lesser-known original members — graced American songbook. Musicians including becomes something very special. There is a While there are direct flights to the country the Byron Bay Blues Festival. WOMAdelaide Chano Pozo collaborated with American lot of collaborating going on, which is from Britain, Europe, Canada and Mexico, audiences cheered Eliades Ochoa (at the jazzmen such as . The Buena something that interests me,’’ adds Acosta, anybody wanting to fly there from the helm of World Circuit supergroup AfroCub- Vista Social Club — the Havana members who is in talks for an Australian season in Antipodes has to do so via one of these hubs ism). Buena Vista diva , club after which the band was named — 2013. (He was a guest artist with the as well (as must anybody in the US). But for pianist and buzzed with musical life. Australian Ballet in 2008.) Artists have to those put off by the journey and expense, for godfather Chucho Valdes have all been here. The 1959 revolution closed down venues keep moving forward, wherever they happen Australia’s widespread community of Cuban The boldly titled Ballet Revolucion,an and cut off contact; today’s musicians, while to be.’’ expats — for anyone, basically, with an ambitious extravaganza with Australian pro- well educated, are largely denied access to While Australian reviews for the col- interest in music and dance — there’sa ducers and an all-Cuban cast, premieres in decent instruments, wages and places to laborative Danza Contemporanea were

June 11-12, 2011 glowing, those for the Ballet Nacional’s version of Don Quixote, choreographed by company founder Alicia Alonso in 1988, were less so. The preserved-in-aspic quality of the Buena Vista Social Club isn’t quite as attractive when presented in classical ballet. ‘‘When the Ballet Nacional first returned to the UK everyone was like, ‘Wow, isn’tit great?’’’ Wood says. ‘‘The second time round [last year] reviewers judged the work at an international level. They pointed out that, actually, the sets were clunky and the costumes dowdy, that the dancers are working in a way that nobody else is any more. So while Cuba’s isolation has in many ways been good for its creativity’’ — male dancers command the same respect as football stars, and dance with the same sinewy flair — ‘‘it is also holding it back.’’ The Cuban music that tours the world is probably less representative than its dance. ‘‘Only the established bands get to tour,’’ Gonzalez says. ‘‘But there are a lot of new genres evolving. Street poets and rappers are mixing spoken word with Afro-Cuban jazz. is merging with timba [a more musically complex version of salsa].’’ Tourist haunts resound with Buena Vista-style music — ironically, the BVSC phenomenon by- passed Cuba — and straight-up salsa: ‘‘A lot AFP of this other scene is underground.’’ Eliades Ochoa, on guitar, performing at the Casa de la Trova, is one of Cuba’s many musical drawcards for tourists So what Cuban acts are Australians missing out on, then? Perhaps Los Aldeanos, festival. A combination of these factors has the incendiary cult rap duo that manages to seen Australian producer Mark Brady and get away with singing lines such as ‘‘People Australian choreographer Aaron Cash team would rather die for the American dream/ up with Cuban choreographer Roclan than live through this Cuban nightmare’’? Gonzalez — the man behind, as it were, Lady A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC A pause. ‘‘A Cuban opera,’’ Gonzalez Salsa — for Ballet Revolucion. Auditions in says. ‘‘A Cuban opera based on the history of Havana earlier this year cherrypicked a my generation with all its frustrations and 16-strong cast from hundreds of talented successes, and featuring a symphonic orch- dancers, most of whom were previously IN FLORENCE estra. Cuban symphonic music is wonderful members of respected companies including but almost unknown worldwide. I’m work- Danza Contemporanea de Cuba and Ballet 23 – 29 OCTOBER 2011 ing on it.’’ Nacional de Cuba. Gonzalez, Acosta and Cespedes are in the A sort of Cuban-flavoured version of Rock privileged position of being able to come and the Ballet, the unashamedly commercial go from their birthplace and have forged Ballet Revolucion promises to showcase international reputations as a result. For Cuba’s classical and contemporary dance others it isn’t so easy; five members of the forms, and to get its audience dancing and Ballet Nacional de Cuba defected in Canada swaying along. Musical numbers played by after the company performed there in March. an eight-piece live band include Hips Don’t (‘‘I worry about them [defectors],’’ 89-year- Lie by Shakira, Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky old Alicia Alonso told me last year. ‘‘They are Martin and, naturally, Chan Chan. like kites with their strings cut.’’) The Buena Vista Social Club has a lot to For the dancers and musicians who leave answer for. Back in , gig Cuba for Miami, say, or London or Sydney, over, Ochoa sticks around to sign autographs usually by marrying a Westerner (there are and have his photo taken with smiling ex-members of Lady Salsa and Havana tourists. ‘‘We love Cuba,’’ they tell him. ‘‘We Rakatan dotted across the world, including love Cuban music.’’ in Australia), the options are limited. Many As if on cue, an ensemble on the street end up dancing in nightclubs, playing in local outside strikes up the familiar four chords of bands or teaching salsa. the song that has become the Buena Vista Not that the demand isn’t there. Cuban calling card. ‘‘The feelings I have for you/ I salsa classes in Australia proliferate every- cannot deny,’’ the singer sings, as the tour where from Cairns to Canberra, Marrickville group rushes to the balcony. Ten private concerts in many of the city’s most stunning palaces to Mooroolbark. There are Latin festivals in Ochoa sighs, nods. ‘‘Si,’’ he says, eyes and churches, including Brunelleschi’s Basilica of San Lorenzo, Adelaide, Melbourne, Byron Bay. Bands such twinkling. ‘‘Everybody loves Cuban music.’’ as Sonora Galaxia from Sydney, Havana the grand Villa Medicea at Artimino and the Uffizi. Connection in Melbourne and the Canberra- Havana Rakatan, Sydney until June 19. The performers are musicians of the highest For more information or to book based Mi Tierra are employing Cuban dance Ballet Revolucion opens in Perth on July 1, calibre, leading specialists in their genre, including www.martinrandall.com/ rhythms. then tours to Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne visit I Fagiolini, Modo Antiquo, The Fitzwilliam florence or contact 1300 55 95 95 There are Cuba-themed bars and restaur- and Brisbane. String Quartet, Orlando Consort and others. ants. The Rochford Winery in Victoria’s The Bar at Buena Vista, Tweed Heads, Yarra Valley hosts an annual Cuban jazz June 17; Brisbane, June 18; Perth, June 21. The festival package includes all concerts, accommodation, talks by renowned musicologist Roderick Swanston, dinners and much else besides.

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL June 11-12, 2011