Gracias a la vida
Issac Delgado Live in Los Angeles, September 10, 2001

Listen to the Grammy-nominated La fórmula here

[Kevin's review was written in his hotel room immediately after the concert, several hours before the tragic events of September 11]

Gracias a la vida...and Albert Torres, and Elena Peña, and Bill Martínez. Peña, Issac's U.S. manager, refused to take no for an answer when The Conga Room was unwilling to risk a Monday night Timba show. She called Torres, and the fearless LA concert promoter took a big chance in booking Issac Delgado & Friends on a Monday night at the massive Sportsman's Lodge on such short notice. The risk paid off as LA fans came out in large numbers to hear one of the best bands in world play for almost three straight hours with a powerful dose of pre-Grammy adrenaline coursing through the veins of its 14 members. The visa problems which have resulted in the cancellation of the last six West Coast Timba tours were again an issue as late as 48 hours before the show, but attorney/magician Martínez managed to get things straightened out in time and all band members where present as well as a number of other Grammy-nominated Cuban artists.

The band was very tight, thanks in part to having had only two personnel changes since its last West Coast tour in December of 2000. Saxophonist/arranger Juan Ceruto has stopped touring in order to focus on his arranging/producing career and is replaced by Carlos Averhoff, Jr., the son of Carlos Averhoff of Irakere and NG La Banda fame. The other new member, albeit a temporary one, is Hayla Momprié, of Azúcar Negra, and previously of Bamboleo. In addition to singing coro, she was featured as lead vocalist on two numbers from her upcoming CD, a tribute to Celia Cruz produced by Delgado and Ceruto.

At the core of the searing hot rhythm section are musical director/drummer, Oscar Valdés, Jr., pianist Rolando Luna and bassist Alfredo Echeverría, three musicians who have a Latin Jazz trio of their own which plays regularly in Havana at "La Zorra y El Cuervo" and the Jazz Café. On timbales is the fiery Andrés Cuayo, who with a one leave of absence has played with Delgado since about 1996, and on congas is Denis Savón, considered one of the top young congueros in Havana.

The band played straight through for almost 3 electrifying hours, opening with one of the most devastating Timba tracks of all time, Alain Pérez' "La Sandunguíta". If you've only heard the studio version, you're in for quite a treat. Luna has enhanced the montunos and the live arrangement features one of the greatest coros ever not-recorded: "Ni pica, ni duele, pero tiene su cosita. Se pega, se pega, y no se te quita, La Sandunguíta." At the end the coro is sung a capella in wonderful three-part harmony, slower and slower each time, and the effect is very powerful. Here's the blow by blow on the rest of the evening's festivities: