PLAYLIST
CUBA-REVOLUTION TO RAP

June 1, 2016 | by Rebeca Mauleón

Juan Formell y Los Van Van

Cuba’s flirtation with the American sound in the post-revolutionary era truly begins with Los Van Van, whose initial instrumentation included the mixture of a Cuban charanga with Soviet keyboards, Farfisa organ, electric guitar, and a cymbal-free drumset. Through illicit recordings, founder Juan Formell and his bandmates listened to everything current in the global pop music scene that remained off limits to the Cuban people: from Elvis Presley, The Beatles and the Monkees early on, to more “extreme” versions of rock-and-roll and hip-hop in later years.

From Los Van Van and groundbreaking group Irakere, to many of Cuba’s best dance bands, here's a chronological sample of American-tinged Cuban music, laden with everything from electric guitars and synthesizers, to drum machines and full-on rap lyrics. Read up on each selected recording below. And catch Los Van Van in San Francisco on June 10.

1. “Marilu” by Los Van Van (The Legendary Los Van Van - 30 Years of Cuba’s Greatest Dance Band, Ashe Records). Were it not for the twangy electric guitar glissandi, this tune still holds fast to its Cuban son roots and was one of Los Van Van’s first hits from 1970.
2. “Dale Dos” by LVV (same anthology). Syncopated bass groove plus choppy quarter-note motif on Farfisa organ and funk-infused drum beats, this song highlights Juan Formell’s love of double entendre (early 70s).
3. “Que Palo es Ese” by LVV (title track, Mango Records). The impact of the Star Wars soundtrack, along with the craze of the Simmons electronic drum sound, were the driving forces that awakened (yes, pun intended!) Cuba’s infatuation with the disco era. 
4. “Bacalao Con Pan” by Irakere (Grupo Irakere, 1974). The unmistakable influence of groups such as Blood, Sweat & Tears and Earth, Wind & Fire combined with sacred Yoruban batá drumming, wah-wah pedal guitar vamp, and classic organ sounds make this tune one of Irakere’s all-time funkiest tunes!
5. “Aguanile” by Irakere (The Best of Irakere, 1979). From Chucho Valdés’ jazzy chord voicings on Fender Rhodes plus that crunchy synth patch, and more ferocious horn lines, this was another showstopper from the mid-70s playbook of Cuba’s most experimental and adventurous ensemble. Tenor saxman Carlos Averhoff takes a KILLER solo on the live version of this (recorded at the Northsea Jazz Festival).
6. “Ilya” by Irakere (The Best of Irakere, 1979). Deep roots Afro-Cuban folklore meets jazz-rock (or disco-funk) in this stunning live recording. Valdés’ use of Rhodes, clavinet and other synthesizers was truly groundbreaking in Cuba. When Irakere played this live at the Northsea Jazz Festival, the audience didn’t know what hit them!
7. “Gira Gira” (The Best of Irakere, 1979). From the opening bluesy guitar solo by Carlos Emilio Morales to the Tower of Power-like horn-lines and disco interlude, this piece could be the perfect soundtrack to a Cuban version of Soul Train.
8. “Asoyín” (Grupo Síntesis, Ancestros). The concept of fusion was a key component of this group’s main premise, and nothing was off the table. In this 1987 release, Síntesis combines synthesizers with sacred Yoruban chants and drums, programmed beats, modern harmony, and the iconic voice of one of Cuba’s most revered folkloric singers, Lázaro Ros.
9. “El Hombre Extraño” by Grupo Síntesis w/ Silvio Rodríguez (title track). A mix of synthesized sounds, Yoruban batá drums, and the indelible voice of Cuba’s most important troubadour, Silvio Rodríguez, much of this album incorporated the use of sequencers and sampled percussion.
10. “Picadillo de Soya” by NG La Banda and José Luis Cortés (Grandes Exitos). Backbeat in clave with bebop horn lines, Cuban rap, pre-timba piano montunos and funky bass tumbaos were the mantra of this beacon of Cuba’s “Special Period.” And the lyrics? They addressed everyday social problems facing ordinary Cubans, and in this particular case, highlighted a meat substitute made from soy that had the island’s population scrambling to find nourishment under the harshest of rationing conditions.
11. “Rap de la Muerta” by NG La Banda (NG en la Calle Otra Vez). A Cuban rap about a sexy ghost who entices the protagonist at a busstop? Yep! NG’s recipe was the band’s trademark piano montunos - each custom tailored to the individual song - coupled with Jaco-inspired bass lines and a persistent backbeat. It was Cuba’s Special Period, and the music was the only thing anyone could rely on during 12-hour blackouts and extreme food shortages. NG mastered the standard use of the “breakdown” in the middle of every tune, a concept taken up by all future timba bands on the island.
12. “Usted Paró” by Issac Delgado (Selección). Synths, virtual handclaps, torrid horn lines, catchy hooks and smooth Cuban salsa fronted by one of Cuba’s most iconic vocalists. Issac Delgado emerged in the mid-90s as a solo artist after a significant tenure with NG La Banda, and virtually all of his songs became dance favorites.
13. “Te Pone La Cabeza Mala” by Los Van Van (title track, 1998). As Cuban dance bands in the late 90s explored the more driving intensity of timba, Los Van Van cemented their status as reigning kings by infusing the ever-relentless groove with their trademark penchant for telling great stories.“La Cabeza Mala” is all at once a testament to the roots of Cuban music, and a response to the more vapid sounds emanating from the island during a period of great turmoil.
14. “Represent” by Orishas (A Lo Cubano, 1999). The underground Cuban Hip-hop movement was transformed when a band formerly known as Amenaza (“threat”) traveled to Paris after being signed to a record deal. The rest, as they say, is history.
15. “Bin Bom” by Clan 537 (Clan 537, 2003). Samples, funky hip-hop beats, Cuban slang and topics ranging from transgender prostitution to the commercialization of Afro-Cuban religion, the first recording by this group was by far their most adventurous and musically diverse. Anything pre-reggaetón by this group is the most indicative of the impact of 90s American hip-hop in Cuba.
16. “Homenaje Al Beny” by Gente de Zona (Oro - Lo Nuevo y Lo Mejor, 2012). Made popular in the foodie-friendly film Chef, this cheesy remake of a classic 50s Cuban classic features the ubiquitous sound of reggaetón as interpreted by one of the island’s most successful producer-songwriter duos. Oh, and they call it “Cubatón” to distinguish it from the Puerto Rican variety.
17. “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias w/ Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno (Sex and Love, 2014). Absolutely the biggest hit in Cuban music history by global and industry standards, this Cuban-penned hit was at first rejected by the Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias until it became a minor hit without him.