| Name | Los Fakires |
| Lineup | View Lineup |
| Genre | Cuban Music |
| Origin | Cuba |
| Booking | Contact Eli Silvrants at Jazzconexion |
| Press Material | Downloadcenter |
Touring: Contact Jazzconexion
Tour dates: View
By Peter A. Scott
These unique musical time travellers are straight out of the 1940’s and the early 1950’s, five extraordinary Cuban musicians from our grandparents’ world. Their unique sound is liquid velvet, silky smooth, the evocation of an honest, uncomplicated, rural Cuba and their style reflects a repertoire culled mostly from the preceding three decades. This is a Cuban “retro” music performed as if it was written yesterday - and yesterday was 1952.
Dominating their musical personality: the rich, mellifluous sonority of José Bringues’ elderly saxophone and the ‘ron y tabaco’ son voice of their tiny, energetic 70 -year- old lead singer Cascarita. In some countries (as the US), however, it is the group’s second voice, Felo whose warm, laid back honeyed tones has made him Cuba's leading interpreter of “afros”, who is the star.
Cascarita’s impish personality and his skin of deep-ravined ancient leather plus the dignity and generous good looks of the others are the stuff of film-makers’ dreams.
The quintet’s identity owes something to Santa Clara, a stylish town far enough from Havana to retain its own culture. The huge revolutionary importance of Santa Clara - where Ché Guevara's guerillas defeated Batista's forces and panicked him into fleeing Cuba and where Ché's remains have been reverently entombed - has imported pride, self-confidence and cultural freedoms to the poorest of its people.
With warmth, integrity, total authenticity to their roots in provincial Santa Clara, these are musicians to bring joy, to fill lives with meaning, to heal 21st century souls. Their appeal: to anyone with ears, to anyone with a heart.
Los Fakires’ first album (plus eight international tours that would have exhausted 20- let alone 70-somethings) demonstrated to a widening international fandom their total ownership of son and other mainstream Cuban genres. "If you graduated in Cuban music with ‘Buena Vista Social Club’, do your doctorate with Los Fakires" said El Mundo, the leading Spanish newspaper. Their second album, ambitious and wide-ranging, proves that even well into their 70’s, great musicians are capable of breathtaking innovations. Son is still there for their more traditionally minded fans, but “Los Fakires 2” ranges from `50’ s tejano rock to Cuba’s oldest musical rootstocks, such us nengón, changüi, rumba, conga and danzón.
Discography