Navidad Cubana

Cuba L.A. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B00004WFOB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,905 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Danilo Lozano, who heads this outfit, is a flautist, musicologist, educator, and founding member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Unlike Putumayo's holiday compilation, which mostly spotlights local holiday traditions from warm-weather areas, this studio-live set refreshes and galvanizes traditional Eurocentric carols via jazzy, purely Cuban treatments. If the idea of "Let It Snow" switching its saccharine little tale to a clavé beat is somewhat startling, it works surprisingly well here. Such favorites as "Good King Wensaslas," "Silent Night," "The Little Drummer Boy," "Jingle Bells," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (the latter merged with quotations from "A Summer Place"!) swing as never before in elegant son montuno, rumba, Afro-Cuban, and charanga settings. If the concept is mildly tongue-in-cheek, the musicianship is anything but. The arrangements are consistently inventive and the players generate enough heat to convert a howling blizzard into a sultry steam bath. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sabroso y Swinging, December 22, 2000

By 

Richard J. Smith (Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Navidad Cubana (Audio CD)

I was familiar with this all-star group of Cuban expats from the discs Cuba L.A. and Cuba L.A. Dos, both of which I reccomend, without reservation, to anyone interested in Latin music. But I thought the idea of Cubanized arrangements of American Christmas Carols was goofy. After all, Cubanos don't grow up singing these tunes around the arbolito. After 60 seconds of the first cut, Let It Snow, I knew how wrong I was. This group uses these melodies as a basis for some swinging mambos, cha cha chas and guaguancos. You'll be dancing before the first tune is over.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Cubano style, December 5, 2003

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Navidad Cubana (Audio CD)

Usually xmas music is packed away, maybe with the ornaments, to break out but once a year and then there are exceptions. One such exception is Navidad Cubana that you might want to have handy for listening to after the tree has been recycled. Although it is xmas music and all of the songs are traditional xmas songs, this disc swings like no other. The tight musicianship brings Latin sabor( flavor) mostly through the jazzy arrangements of Danny Lozano who is the flautist for this fine band knowna Cuba L.A.. You will literally forget you are listening to xmas music at times as the melodies are extended to the blurring point by Latin jazz . If you like Latin jazz this is an outstanding disc to throw in the rotation. It is refreshing to hear these soulful interpretations. "Silent Night" is an extremely beautiful number that has enough of the melody to keep you in tune and the bass lines and percussion give it a perfect treatment for La Noche Buena(xmas eve) as the violin replaces the voice for the song. "Jingle Bells" is a salsa dancers delight as the song gently provokes the hips and feet to move. "The Little Drummer Boy"features a different violinist taking the lead amidst a counter melody provided by the percussion that sizzles. Eventually the violin wanders off into some exploratory solos that come back to earth for a beautiful ending to a good change of pace xmas disc. If you appreciate top notch musianship and Latin jazz that brings on the cha cha cha, salsa and mambo than this disc is for you. When you have had enough of the usual xmas fare try this for a little spice in your life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Christmas album, December 16, 2006

By 

Gerolsteiner (Park Slope, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Navidad Cubana (Audio CD)

A break from the typical traditional Christmas fare. Spirited & lively, great for a Yuletide party.