Sandy Pérez - Danny Lozada

La farándula: In addition to Shabnam, who came all the way from New York and called it the best concert of her life, Philip Ross was there from Boogalú Productions, with news of his latest dance video, a Roberto Burrell pedagogic masterpiece on danzón and son. Dancing up a storm as usual was Alisa Frohman, Havana tour guide to so many yumas over the years who have lost their minds on trips with Plazacuba and Caribbean Music & Dance. And of course we can't leave out DJs WaltDigz and Rick Washington of Añejo Productions, who co-produced the event and also spun tunes during the breaks, incorporating the patented audience-interactive technique they've perfected over the last two years as they've made Il Pirata the Bay Area's most happening timba dance venue.

Danny with Alisa Frohman

The Man: But the real story of the night was Danny Lozada himself. I knew he was a great writer and singer, but - my God - this guy is a truly electrifying personality. As Juan Carlos González puts it, he has "the angel":

Como capacidad encima del escenario, el tipo es una "FUERZA"., Tiene lo que nosotros llamamos el "ángel" - es capaz de hacer concentrar a cualquier tipo de público en su mundo, con la naturalidad mas increíble. Eso nació con él - el hombre se crea una historia y al final mete a todo el mundo adentro.

As a bandleader and onstage field general, DL is without equal and watching him in action was a revelation for me. I've been to 250 burning hot timba concerts, but always with a full band from Cuba which had been rehearsing for months or years. This was the first time I saw the milagro come together before my eyes. Having spent years rehearsing and performing Latin music in California, I know only too well how long it takes to get any arrangement together in this environment, so I was positively dumbfounded by the ease and efficiency with which Danny transformed those arrangements, and a group of musicians he'd never met into a tight and explosive performing unit which greatly exceeded Bay Area standards for groups that have been together for years. How can I do justice to describing his bandleading prowess? Imagine Reinier Guerra or Roicel Riverón playing the drums - doing five things at once with effortless perfection -- every movement arcing with rhythmic electricity. Now imagine someone doing that with a whole band. Lozada knows every part of every instrument and seems to be "playing" the band as if it were his instrument, somehow being able to galvanize even a pickup band into a throbbing timba machine.

There are many great singers and performers, but I've never seen anyone come close to this level of command over the band, his own voice and movements, and the crowd.