Customer Reviews

En La Calle

5 star:		(4)
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Despite NG's recent decline (pretty much after "Cabaret Panoramico," another great album), I still think it fair to label this as the most influential Cuban album of the last decade. It is a must for any collector of modern Cuban music, although someone only familiar with Buena Vista and the folkloric music that has been so heavily promoted recently may not enjoy it.

If you like to get down, though, it's pretty hard to do better than this CD. Not a single track is a throw away and the first song, a homage to La Habana's different barrios, is practically legend in Cuba. Get it -- you'll probably play it repeatedly for years without getting sick of it, like I do.

NG La Banda is widely considered the original Timba band. It was NG and their founder/leader, Jose Luis Cortes "El Tosco," that really originated the Timba style of Cuban salsa (with influences from Irakere and Los Van Van, whom Tosco had played with prior to forming NG). This CD is actually a compilation of their top hits from their first two releases in Cuba, and features the original band members, including vocalist Isaac Delgado, drummer Giraldo Piloto, conguero Juan "Wickly" Nogueras, and the rest of the amazing NG cast. Every cut on this CD absolutely smokes! The compositions and arrangements are dynamic and sophisticated, with strong jazz, funk, and other influences. The vocals are great, the percussion intense, and the horns (known as "los metales del terror" - the terror horns) are phenomenal. This band is still arguably one of Cuba's best, although they have fallen a bit behind with the development of the Timba style from the younger bands. However, they are still top notch and I'm quite sure that they have some surprises in store for the future. If you really want to hear the origins of Timba and what NG La Banda is capable of, this CD is the place to start. It is simply awsome!

Buena vista was not the golden age of Cuban music. The golden age is now, ushered in by NG and Timba.

If you're not familiar with cuban music, and a song starts out slow, stick with it and wait for the "Mambo", which in modern parlance is the frenetic jam session of the song that usually starts about 2/3 way to the end. Thats when the flames erupt and the smoke billows. I dare you to try to sit still in your chair cuando suenan los metales del terror. Ataca Chico.

Also see timba dot com, extensive article on NG la banda.

Actually, I don't think Tosco uses that phrase until later in his career. It is unfortunate that some of these reviews were written in the early 2,000s with the expectation of a NG La Banda rebound that never happened and probably never will happen, with the artistic decline of Tosco (Jose Luis Cortes) and the physical collapse of Tony Calá (who is the only original member remaining with the group). Also, these reviewers at the time had every right to insist that the Golden Age of Cuba is "now". But these Golden Ages are short lived. Cuba has in fact enjoyed several musical Golden Ages, and the awesome creative explosion of the '90s should not take away from the equally awesome eras of the 70s, the 40s through the 50s, or the late 20s and 30's. All of these eras were distinct, but the truth is that apart from the years immediately following the Communist Usurpation, Cuba has scarcely had a Non-Golden Age.

Regardless, NG La Banda remains the first and greatest Timba group that has ever existed, and this is amongst their 2 best efforts. It's really a selection from their 2 earliest albums a distinct "En La Calle" and "No Se Puede Tapar El Sol", but since those are very difficult to find, this is pretty much their de-facto debut, and it's glorious. My personal favorite is "Lo Que Siento Es Le-Lo-Ley", but every track is very good and I would venture to say that as much as 6 of the 9 are downright genius-level masterpieces. (I do not put "Necesito Una Amiga", "Un Tipo Como Yo", or "Sufres con lo que Yo Gozo" in that highest echelon, though you very well might.) Other groups might have a more aggressive sound and a more intense and furious beat, but for arranging, songwriting, gorgeous hooks and riffs, and moments of simple inspiration, sheer instrumental skill, and perfect execution, NG is unbeatable.