Tanto
Le Pedí
Danny Lozada y su Timba Cubana
(Caribe Productions, 2000)
CD Reviewed by
It's the coros . . . no,
it's the percussion . . . no, it's the steel pan touches
from the keyboards - whatever "it" is, Danny
Lozada y su Timba Cubana have got it going on in
their first release, Tanto Le Pedí.
Lozada, the lead vocalist and director, was a member
of Charanga Habanera before leaving the
group in 1998 to form his own 15-member band. In
Tanto Le Pedí he has given us an album
for the dancer, especially if you are not afraid to shake
it Cuban style.
Aside from one piece, a bolero, the songs on
this album lean heavily towards the Timba, not surprising given the name of the
band. The music is characterized by the complex interplay of the horns,
keyboards and percussion, creating an interesting and enjoyable
combination. The songs usually start fairly innocuously, with only a hint
at what is to come, but once they warm up, the instinctive reaction to the
controlled energy is to get up - and get down!
I was particularly impressed
by the way Juan Carlos González, the band's musical
director, handles the piano and keyboard. At times
light and playful, at others strong and driving, the
piano montunos flavor each song differently,
while the keyboard accents sometimes amuse, sometimes
startle, but always catch the attention. The steel
pan sound in 'Allá va eso', for example, is really
cool, without being "cute". All together,
Gonzalez' musicianship is one element that elevates the
quality of this album.
Also of note is the timbal
playing of José "Pepe" Espinosa
and the drumming of Raul Hernández which create
a lot of the album's dance energy. Although generally
more understated, Leonid Muñoz on tumbadora and
Carlos Wong on bongó create a firm rhythmic underpinning
for the musical adventures of the others. Their
playing on 'Me voy y bien' stands out.
I
've
always been one to evaluate the quality of a song on
the quality of the coro. If the mambo section is
kickin' it, I don't mind giving the verse section at
the beginning a bit of a listen. But Tanto Le
Pedí moves beyond this simple test on the very first
song. I found the vocals on this album to be arguably
its greatest strength. Aside from one very minor
rough spot at the very beginning of one song, Lozano
belts out or croons, as necessary, the verses and guías
in a way that makes the listener want to laugh, love
and lament with him. The support vocals, provided
by Gilberto Sandino, Yuniel Mantilla and Ianel
Ventura, are spot on, giving tunes such as 'Quien
la tira mas dura que yo' and 'Te voy hacer llorar'
the memorable quality that leaves one singing the refrains
hours after the last playing.
Whatever you decide is the "it" that
makes the CD so good, Tanto Le Pedí is definitely an album worth
having.
- December 2001
Songs:
1. Quién la tira
más dura que yo (4:08)
2. Allá va eso (5:56)
3. Te voy hacer llorar (5:46)
4. Como te tuve yo (3:32)
5. Tanto le pedí (5:02)
6. Me voy y bien (5:05)
7. Estoy hecho (4:28)
8. Que venga lo que venga (4:44)
9. Encima del boom (5:25)
Musicians:
Daniel Lozada Guzmán - Lead vocal, director
Juan Carlos González - Musical director, piano, teclado
Gilberto Sandino - Cantante
Yuniel Mantilla - Cantante
Ianel Ventura - Cantante
Jorge González - Bajo
Raubel Torres - Bajo
Luis Agusto Rodríguez - Saxo
Oslen Ceballo - Trompeta
Alexis Baró - Trompeta
Leonid Muñoz - Tumbadora
Ivan O. Valdés - Trombón
Carlos L. Wong - Bongó
José Espinosa (Pepe La Salsa) - Timbal
Raul Hernández - Drums
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