''A Toda Cuba le Gusta'' is the first studio album by the Afro-Cuban All Stars, produced by Cuban bandleader and musician

Juan de Marcos González Juan de Marcos González (born Juan de Marcos González-Cárdenas; January 29, 1954) is a Cuban bandleader, musician and actor, best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club and in the 2021 Sony Pictures Animation film '' Vivo'' as the ...

and Nick Gold, and released on April 9, 1997 on World Circuit Records. This album was the first in a series of three consecutive recordings that took place in early 1996, the subsequent albums being ''

Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble of Cuban musicians established in 1996. The project was organized by World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and directed by Juan de Marcos González. They named the gr ...

'' and '' Introducing...Rubén González''.

Recording

In March 1996,Sleeve notes from ''A Toda Cuba le Gusta – Afro-Cuban All Stars'', World Circuit Records WCD 047, 1997. Nick Gold and Juan de Marcos González (previously the

tres Tres may refer to: * Tres (instrument), a Cuban musical instrument * Tres, Trentino, municipality in Italy * "Tres" (song) by Juanes * "Tres", a song by Líbido from their album ''Hembra'' * TrES, the ''Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey'' * Templi ...

player of

Sierra Maestra The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...

) produced ''A Toda Cuba le Gusta'', the first album by the Afro-Cuban All Stars, recorded at the EGREM Studios in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

and featuring Rubén González (piano),

Orlando "Cachaíto" López Candelario Orlando López Vergara (February 2, 1933 – February 9, 2009), better known as Cachaíto, was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. He was nick ...

(bass), along with a big band of veteran Cuban musicians and singers, most of whom had careers that went back to the 1950s

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

scene:

Ibrahim Ferrer Ibrahim Ferrer (February 20, 1927 – August 6, 2005) was a Cuban singer who played with Los Bocucos for nearly forty years. He also performed with Conjunto Sorpresa, Chepín y su Orquesta Oriental and Mario Patterson. After his retirement in ...

Pío Leyva Pío Leiva (May 5, 1917 – March 22, 2006) was a Cuban singer and the author of the guaracha ''El Mentiroso'' ("The Liar"). Leyva was part of the Buena Vista Social Club, and composed some of Cuba’s best known standards. Biography Leyva was bor ...

Manuel "Puntillita" Licea Puntillita (Manuel Licea Lamouth; January 4, 1921 in Yareyal, Holguín – December 4, 2000 in Havana) was a Cuban popular singer. Puntillita was active in the 1940s and 1950s, and later gained notice when he joined other elderly Cuban musicians ...

, Raúl Planas, Félix Baloy, and José Antonio "Maceo" Rodríguez. Ry Cooder played slide guitar on "Alto Songo". In the sleeve notes, Juan de Marcos González, who directed the project and played tres, wrote: "This album is dedicated to Rubén González, genius of Cuban piano".

Critical reception

The album was reviewed in ''

Folk Roots ''fRoots'' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally ''Folk Roots'') was a specialist music magazine published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in folk and world music, and featured regular compilation downloadable albums, with occa ...

'' magazine, issue 169, in July 1997, and by Gary S. Mattingly at ''amelor.com'' on August 24, 1998. In his review at ''AllMusic'', Daniel Gioffre stated: "A lively, spontaneous record that manages to sound both relaxed and forceful at the same time, ''A Toda Cuba Le Gusta'' shows off the talents of many of Cuba's elder statesmen of Afro-Cuban jazz. Over gently pulsating conga grooves and low-register ostinatos, such luminaries as pianist Rubén González and singer Manuel "Puntillita" Licea float dramatic melodies, as their solo contributions are answered by brass section chords as thick and sweet as cane syrup." The album was mentioned by Jim Macnie in ''Artists & Music - Jazz Blue Notes'', in ''Billboard'' (December 27, 1997 - January 3, 1998), and also during a 2000 interview with Juan de Marcos González. The album reached #9 in the

Top World Music Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

charts (''Billboard'', January 31, 1998) and was nominated for Best Tropical Latin Performance at the

40th Annual Grammy Awards The 40th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and R. Kelly were the ...

in 1998, but was overshadowed by the ''Buena Vista Social Club'' album. In 2009, it was awarded a gold certification from the

Independent Music Companies Association The Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA), originally the Independent Music Publishers and Labels Association, is a non-profit trade association established in 2000 to help European independent record labels represent their agenda a ...

, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.

Overview

"Amor Verdadero" is a ''

guajira-son Guajira is a music genre derived from the punto cubano. According to some specialists, the punto cubano was known in Spain since the 18th century, where it was called "punto de La Habana", and by the second half of the 19th century it was adopt ...

'' written by José "Cheo" Marquetti and arranged following the classical style of the Afro-Cuban Jazz bands from the 1950s such as Riverside and Casino de la Playa. Manuel "Puntillita" Licea is lead vocalist. "Alto Songo" is a ''son montuno'' composed by Luis "Lilí" Martínez and arranged by de Marcos González, bringing together elements of the ''son montuno'' and ''cha-cha-cha''. Four generations of singers are represented in Raúl Planas, Pío Leyva, Manuel "Puntillita" Licea and José Antonio "Maceo" Rodriguez. Rubén González delivers a piano solo and Cooder plays slide guitar. "Habana del Este" is a ''danzonete-chá'' written by de Marcos González in homage to Havana's region along the east coast from Matanzas. The ''danzonete'' form was created by Matancero composer Aniceto Díaz as a variation on the ''danzón''. The flute is played by

Richard Egües Richard Egües, nicknamed "la flauta mágica" (the magic flute), (October 26, 1923 - September 1, 2006) was a Cuban flautist and musician, one of the country's most famous artists. Egües was a member of the Orquesta Aragón band which he joined i ...

, ex-soloist with the

Orquesta Aragón Orquesta Aragón is a Cuban musical band formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name ''Ritmica 39'', then ''Ritmica Aragón'' before settling on its final form. Though they did not ...

, and de Marcos González plays a tres solo. "A Toda Cuba le Gusta" is a ''son'' composed by Remberto Becquer and arranged by de Marcos González in a new version blending elements of ''son'', ''mambo'' and ''mozambique''. Lead vocalist is Raúl Planas, who sang in the 1950s with

Sonora Matancera La Sonora Matancera is a Cuban band that played Latin American urban popular dance music. Founded in 1924 and led for more than five decades by guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Rogelio Martínez, musicologists consider it an icon of ...

, Conjunto Rumbavana, Celia Cruz, and others. "Fiesta de la Rumba" is a collage of various traditional Cuban ''guaguancós'' with the tres taking the lead as a homage to

Arsenio Rodríguez Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4 p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader ...

. Lead vocalist is Félix Baloy and backing vocals from all the other singers and musicians. "Los Sitio' Asere" is a ''guaguancó-son'' written by Silvio Pino in homage to Los Sitio', a barrio in Havana famous for its nightlife and fiestas in the 1940s and '50s. The orchestration follows the school of Luis "Lilí" Martínez and Arsenio Rodríguez. Lead vocalist is Félix Baloy, who sang with Cuban ''son'' bands such as Conjunto Chappottín,

Orquesta Revé Timba is a Cuban genre of music based on Cuban ''son'' with ''salsa'', American Funk/R&B and the strong influence of Afro-Cuban folkloric music. Timba rhythm sections differ from their salsa counterparts, because timba emphasizes the bass dru ...

Adalberto Álvarez Adalberto Álvarez (22 November 1948 – 1 September 2021) was a Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and ...

and Miguelito Cuní. Sharing the lead is José Antonio "Maceo" Rodriguez, lead singer in

since the 1980s. "Pío Mentiroso" is a ''guaracha'' composed by Miguel Ojeda and re-arranged by de Marcos González, who added new material in the form of two ''montunos'' and two ''mambos'', written for three trumpets. Pío Leyva is lead vocalist and Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal plays a trumpet solo. "Maria Caracoles" is a new version of the well-known 1950s ''mozambique'', written by Pío Leyva & Pedro "Pello El Afrokán" Izquierdo, and arranged by José Manuel Ceruto. Lead vocals are by Ibrahim Ferrer. "Clasiqueando con Rubén" was composed by de Marcos González as an experiment mixing baroque with tropical dance music, following the principles of Haydn and Bach and arranged to the canons of ''son''. Rubén González leads on piano, with participation from the brass and rhythm section, and a Cuban crescendo with contributions from trombone and congas. "Elube Changó" is a ''son-afro'' composed by Alberto Rivero as a praise song to the Santería gods. It is sung in the

Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. '; Ajami: ) is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in Southwestern and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speakers is roughly 50 million, plus about 2 million second-languag ...

by de Marcos González, who also plays tres solos. Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal (trumpet), Demetrio Muñiz (trombone) and Miguel "Angá" Díaz (congas) also deliver solos. The tempo is upbeat, within the rhythm known in Cuba as ''

timba Timba is a Cuban genre of music based on Cuban ''son'' with ''salsa'', American Funk/R&B and the strong influence of Afro-Cuban folkloric music. Timba rhythm sections differ from their salsa counterparts, because timba emphasizes the bass dru ...

''.

Track listing

#"Amor Verdadero" (José "Cheo" Marquetti) – 6:38 #"Alto Songo" (Luis "Lilí" Martínez) – 6:46 #"Habana del Este" (Juan de Marcos González) – 6:39 #"A Toda Cuba le Gusta" (Remberto Becquer/Juan de Marcos González) – 5:48 #"Fiesta de la Rumba" (Traditional) – 5:53 #"Los Sitio' Asere" (Silvio Pino, arr. Juan de Marcos González) – 5:20 #"Pío Mentiroso" (Miguel Ojeda) – 4:37 #"Maria Caracoles" (Pío Leyva) – 4:48 #"Clasiqueando con Rubén" (Juan de Marcos González) – 5:12 #"Elube Changó" (Alberto Rivero) – 4:02

Personnel

Musicians

*Juan de Marcos González – leader,

claves Claves (; ) are a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of short, wooden sticks about 20–25 centimeters (8–10 inches) long and about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Although traditionally made of wood (typically rosewood, ebony o ...

, vocals *Rubén González – piano *Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez – bass *Manuel "El Guajiro" Mirabal – trumpet *Luis Alemañy – trumpet *Daniel Ramos – trumpet *Carlos "El Afrokán" Álvarez – trombone *Demetrio Muñiz – arranger, trombone *Javier Zalba – flute, sax (baritone) * Miguel "Angá" Díaz – congas *Julienne Oviedo Sánchez –

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...

*Carlos González –

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

*Alberto Virgilio Valdés – chorus,

maracas A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...

*Carlos Puisseaux – güiro

Guest musicians

*Ry Cooder – slide guitar on "Alto Songo" *Richard Egües – flute on "Habana del Este" *

Barbarito Torres Bárbaro Alberto Torres Delgado (born 1956), better known as Barbarito Torres, is a Cuban musician best known for his work with the Afro-Cuban All Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club since 1996.

–

laúd Laúd ( es, "lute") is a plectrum-plucked chordophone from Spain, played also in diaspora countries such as Cuba and the Philippines. The laúd belongs to the cittern family of instruments. The Spanish and Cuban instruments have six double c ...

on "Amor Verdadero"

Singers

*Ibrahim Ferrer – vocals *Pío Leyva – composer, vocals *Manuel "Puntillita" Licea – vocals, chorus *Raúl Planas – vocals *Félix Baloy – vocals *José Antonio "Maceo" Rodríguez – vocals *Luis Barzaga – chorus

Production

*Juan de Marcos González – producer, composer, arranger, director, lyrics transcription, song notes *Nick Gold – producer *Jerry Boys – engineer, mixing *Dave Bernez – mastering *Duncan Cowell – mastering *Jenny Adlington – translation *Francesca Clarke – translation *Cristina Piza – photography *Kathryn Samson – cover design

References

Bibliography

External links

''A Toda Cuba le Gusta''
''allmusic.com''. {{DEFAULTSORT:A Toda Cuba le Gusta 1997 debut albums Afro-Cuban All Stars albums World Circuit (record label) albums Spanish-language albums