gained success well beyond its musical interest, perhaps on account of the promotional video. A simple theme, a number of pretty girls and women got on the back of a lorry and gyrated on the lorry’s way through town. With Timbantón, however, Bakuleyé showed the world another side. The songs are in a number of styles. Some seem designed to please a foreign audience and not all work for me, but there’s some serious Timba here.
Jazz permeates most of the songs, from the gently harmonic to those that jar and discomfort with dissonance. Keyboards, courtesy of Michael Estrada Torres, are exceptional, even by Cuban standards. The songs are arranged well and some of the material is also exceptional in my view. Stand outs for me are Que Culpa Tengo Yo and Algo Más. Both are great Casino dancers, but if harmonically aggressive Timba suits you, you’ll find a lot more. The sound mixing doesn’t really do this justice, particularly when you compare it to modern recordings, but it’s more than passable. Last copy, this is highly recommended for Timba heads.
