THE REALITY

..and Manolín had yet to sing a note. For readers unfamiliar with Dr. González' vocal antics, I'm duty-bound to interrupt my reverie to issue the standard disclaimer: Manolín is not a professional singer. His stage presence brims over with charisma and the vocal phrases he attempts, like his songs, are soulful and well thought out, but his execution is always an adventure. He himself explains the situation best in his song Tengo mi mecánica, from his 1997 album "De buena fe".

entono una canción a mi manera
[I "intone" (a very appropriate Spanish cognate) a song in my own way]
aunque algunos me critiquen
[although some criticize me]
pero lo hago con amor
[but I do it with love] [audio example 2]

Or, as an unnamed Cuban musician puts it: "horrible...pero con swing!". To reward those of us who can get past the vocal imperfections, Manolín's loyal nucleus of arrangers and musicians have created an addictive repertoire of pop masterpieces. This band's music is unique within the Timba pantheon -- almost a genre withing a genre -- laced with irresistible hooks, each bearing the indelible stamp of the creative team of Luis Bu, Jeáns Valdés, Chaka Nápoles, Angel and Alexis Arce ("Los Pututi"), and yes -- Manuel González. As a composer and co-arranger, Manolín must be given his just due for playing a major creative role not only in the music of his own band, but in the overall development of Timba. His genius for coro-writing raised the standard for all the other groups. His phrases and melodies dominated Cuban slang and pop culture in the 90's, and musical giants such as Issac Delgado, Charanga Habanera, Bamboleo and many others owe a heavy debt to Manolín's prolific and soulful muse.

Unfortunately, Manolín's other shortcoming is that as a bandleader, he lacks the discipline, perfectionism and vision of a David Calzado, Giraldo Piloto or Manolito Simonet. Witness, for example, the plight of his now essentially defunct Miami group, which nearly never rehearses and has added only a few new arrangements since leaving Cuba in 1999. The majority of the previously-unreleased songs on this album were created in Cuba well before the first of Manolín's "relocations" to Miami. Since this album was recorded, Manolín has signed a new deal with BMG Latin to record "pop music", apparently without his key musical collaborators -- and so, from the Timba perspective, "El puente" appears to be a "bridge" which leads only to the end of the line -- a final celebration of Manolín's Timba legacy.

But what a celebration it is. Manolín has led a charmed life -- surrounded at every stage by the best and most imaginative Cuban musicians -- and the trend has continued in Miami. In addition to keeping the nucleus of his band intact, and in spite of his greatly increased distance from the fertile Havana conservatories, he's added, since his last studio recording, five members who equal or surpass their predecessors: Tomás Cruz (congas), Reinier Guerra (drums), Hamed Barroso (guitar), Andy Gola (bass), and Joaquín "El Kid" Díaz (coro).