KUMAR, DIANA FUENTES and DJ ERICK GONZALEZ
Havana Cultura in Ibiza
Any good party in Cuba is likely to turn into a descarga — an impromptu jam session where musicians suddenly appear and play through the night, allowing the music take them where it may. A bit more planning went into organizing the first Havana Cultura Tour, but the descarga spirit came through loud and clear as three young Cuban musicians gave Ibiza crowds a taste of the "urban groove" percolating in Havana. Sharing the same stage were Kumar, one of Cuba’s best rappers; Diana Fuentes, a graceful r&b stylist; and DJ Erick González, laying the sonic groundwork assisted by a percussionist and by a trumpet-player who brought a jazzy feel into the mix.
"I had never worked with a DJ before," says Fuentes in the film chronicling the Tour, "so, sure, it was a challenge, but it was great to discover all these new sounds and possibilities." Audiences seemed to concur. Hands were in the air at Kronoss, Guarana and Las Dalias, the Ibiza clubs that hosted the Cubans, and if anyone needed reassurance about the exportability of contemporary Cuban music, one look at the dancefloor would have resolved the issue.
Putting new Cuban music into words is an entirely different matter, however. Kumar gives it his best shot: "Well, ’urban groove’ is a…concept of bringing together… perhaps a fusion…hip hop or funk, even jazz, blending with different Cuban musical styles, a little rumba, a little son…"
When they weren’t on a stage or on the bus, the musicians hit the beach for a taste of home. Ibiza’s weather and island vibe felt more than a little like Havana. And for a few months last summer, those Ibiza clubs felt like Havana, too.
Linette
