Sierra Maestra (Cuba)

Wednesday March 5, Lula Lounge

Doors 7:30, show 8:30

$30 adv / $40 door

Dinner reservations guarantee seating - call 416 588-0307

Sierra Maestra are the guardians of the Cuban son music tradition. Named after the mountain range in the eastern part of the country where the music originated, they have creatively preserved this infectious ancestor of salsa dating back to the 1930s. They have gone on to become its finest performers, playing at clubs and festivals around the world to huge acclaim from listeners and dancers.

'The band are revivalists... but constantly changing styles, from fifties pop to forties big-band and thirties jazz styles, through to percussive, African-influenced songs from the last century. All performed with passion, enthusiasm and enormous energy.' —The Guardian

The band have played a pivotal role in the global explosion in popularity of Cuban music. The influence of their ex-leader, Juan de Marcos González, extended well beyond his band, as he was a key player in the creation of the Buena Vista Social Club, bringing this rich tradition to a new worldwide audience. But prior to that, it was his Sierra Maestra group that held the torch for a rich tradition harkening back to previous generations of music lovers.

Starting with their 1994 release Dundunbanza!, Sierra Maestra's recordings soon became available to international audiences. Their discography grew significantly throughout the '90s and 2000s, including better than a dozen titles by 2006's Son: Soul of a Nation. The musicians' commitment to the repertoire of artists such as Arsenio Rodríguez and the compositions of their own members earned them a reputation as both artful custodians of a tradition and brilliant innovators as well.