Cork Jazz Festival review: Havana ball at the Opera House with Buena Vista All Stars
The Buena Vista All Stars at Cork Opera House on Saturday night for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Picture: Darragh Kane
★★★★★
Cuba may be suffering from widespread powercuts at the moment, but the Buena Vista All Stars lit up the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival with a thrilling gig at the city’s Opera House on Saturday.
The 11-piece ensemble is led by Ibrahim Ferrer Jr, son of the late mainstay of the album and documentary that were such a success in the late 1990s. This touring group does include others associated with that original phenomenon produced by Ry Cooder, but a legal disclaimer on their website is a reminder that others also have a stake in the legacy of a group named after the musically-rich area of Havana: “It is not sponsored, endorsed or in any way affiliated with the brand Buena Vista Social Club.” A bit of a Peoples Front of Buena Vista vibe.
All, however, are drawing from the same deep well of Cuban music. And the Cork Opera House show suggested there are more than enough musicians to go around. Piano, a four-piece brass section, three percussionists, an electric upright bass, a laúd, three people sharing vocal duties. All virtuosos.
The music we associate with Cuba gives us aural hints of a history involving Spanish colonisers and African slaves, as well as a proximity to South America and the USA. It’s futile trying to resist moving to those intricate rhythms, especially when played as well as this. A decent contingent of Cork’s Spanish-speaking population strutted their stuff and sang along to the standards that mostly made up the 90-minute set in the crowded venue.
We got a sprinkle of showbiz too, not least when Buena Vista original Barbarito Torres played his lute-like laúd behind his back. A Cubanised cover of Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’ worked surprisingly well – it could’ve been but was actually quite catchy. It was a particularly appropriate tune on the night of daylight savings changes to our timepieces, giving us a precious extra hour in bed. Other big numbers on the night included album favourites such as ‘El cuarto de Tula’, ‘Candela’ and ‘Chan Chan’, all cheered on by a very appreciative audience.
Buena Vista All Stars play music largely composed in the 20th century, with roots that go back much further, but in their hands it is anything but a museum piece. These tunes sound as fresh and energetic as ever, and the reaction of the Cork crowd suggests there’s plenty life left for its purveyors.
The one gripe was that punters were left with a taste for more by the end of the concert. Not even the by-now Irish chant of ‘Olé, Olé’ could tempt them back for a second encore.
