Charangueo at Siboney
19 October 2012

Review and Photos by Bill Tilford
All Rights Reserved

Chicago's new Charanga ensemble, Charangueo, is coming along nicely.  We dropped in after midnight on their recent set at Siboney Cuban Cuisine.  This group uses an interesting blend of old school rhythm and vocal styles (meaning among other things that the percussion still solos and jams, an element of the music that was more common decades ago but all but disappeared for some reason from many later charangas) with new school (a la artists such as Alfredo de la Fe and Eddie Drennon) violin styles (meaning extended, modern violin solos).  

This group has a very  limited performance schedule at the moment because it is focusing on adding to its repertoire, but we expect it to be back out in public more often very soon,  and we recommend them highly when they come back out to play.  True Charanga swings a little differently than "Salsa", but swing it does, and the dancers were into it when we were there.  You will be too if you have a pulse.  

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