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Pupy Santiago serves up a plateful of Cuban flavors
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Cover art of Pupy Santiago's album.
On “Pupy Santiago y la Descarga Cubana,” Cuban percussionist, arranger and singer Pupy Santiago combines old musical traditions from Cuba’s countryside with contemporary arrangements to make a superbly crafted and well-balanced set full of ‘sabor’ and swinging rhythms.
Produced by Santiago and Puerto Rican trumpeter and former Fania All-Star member Luis “Perico” Ortiz for AJ Records, the album was recorded live under the musical direction of Santiago, with the collaboration of Ortiz and accordion player Eduardo Reyes as soloists on several tracks.
By blending Cuba’s old sounds, such as cha cha cha, son montuno and guajiro styles with modern and playful arrangements, Santiago returns to his roots after releasing six salsa albums where he also fused Afro-Caribbean beats and other Latin American rhythms.
A native of a small town on the outskirts of Havana, Santiago has Cuban music pulsating through his veins, but since his 1990 debut release, “Estando contigo,” until “Auténtico,” he had been recording salsa as well as playing percussion for several artists like Melina León, Taba Co. and Argentine pianist Raúl Di Blasio.
As a composer, Santiago penned “Báilalo,” a spicy piece recorded by Puerto Rican tropical music singer Gilberto Santa Rosa.
While he’s a skilled salsa performer, Santiago clearly dominates more the sounds of his native country.
And on this production — whose genres range from son and pregones to rumba — Santiago leads tres player Eduardo Saborit, conga player José Ramírez, flutist Nicolás Santiago and bassist Javier Ocasio into a refreshing musical journey that will likely be enjoyed by the new generation of Cuban music fans.
The album’s non-traditional instrumentation — timbales, bass, congas, tres, trumpet, flute and accordion — coupled with fiery trumpet and flute solos, provide a solid foundation for the string of Cuban standards interpreted by the musicians, offering listeners a fresh side of old-style Cuban music.
Songs like “Harina de maíz,” “ El platanal de Bartolo” and his rollicking version of Compay Segundo’s “Mayarí,” have been recorded on numerous occasions, as well as “Yo soy el punto Cubano” and the bolero medley that includes Pedro Flores’ “Obsesión” and “Dos almas.”
On Santiago’s set, these songs are presented in a new light, with dynamic arrangements, and through the powerful and unmistakable vocals of Santiago, who boasts a high-pitched, energetic vocals and a lively singing style that brings about the vitality and country-feeling essence of each tune.
All in all, “Pupy Santiago y la Descarga Cubana” is for both, lovers of traditional and updated Cuban music styles, for it features the best of both worlds.
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