Prepare to be blown away by the passionate melodies, wild harmonies and richly textured arrangements of ten inspiring vocalists. Real World recording artists The Creole Choir of Cuba are an entirely fresh export, easily the most original vocal sound to come out of their island country in many years.
“Desandann” — the Choir’s Cuban name — literally means “descendents,” and with the songs on their new album TANDELA (which translates to “listen”) they tell the stories of their Haitian ancestors who were brought to Cuba to toil in near slave conditions on the sugar and coffee plantations.
The Choir – six women and four men, aged 27 to 61 – hail from beautiful Camagüey, Cuba’s third largest city, an old colonial town designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its iconic architecture. All have studied music to university level in Camagüey and all are members of the Provincial Choir, directed by their leader Emilia Chavez. Desandann emerged out of this choir in 1994, a difficult time for Cubans when the economy collapsed following the end of the USSR and of Soviet support for the Cuban revolution. Food was in short supply, while homes and work places often went dark due to lack of electricity.
The singers decided to re-forge the resistance songs and laments of their forebears, to celebrate the history of their Haitian ancestors enslaved to the Caribbean from West Africa. To the songs that had been passed down in their families since the early 19th century, they added more modern Haitian sounds.
The Choir have just announced their first major U.S. tour, with 23 tour dates in autumn 2011. As anybody who has witnessed the vibrant Choir can attest, this is an experience not to be missed.
The Cuban Choir will be in San Diego on November 1st at the Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD. You can purchase tickets on the web at http://artpwr.com/events/815 or call the UCSD Box Office at 858.534.TIXS (8497) M-F, 10am-4pm.