• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Show List
    • A-F
      • A to Z Radio Show
      • After Class
      • The Basement
      • Bridging the Gap
      • Campus Connections
      • Evolution of the Revolution
      • First Year Jitters
      • Forward Thinking
      • Francophone Friday’s
    • G-P
      • Gold & Bold
      • The ID
      • In The Margins
      • The Interlude
      • The Lady Grey
      • LCWS After Dark
      • The Morning Show
      • The No Show
      • The Orbit
      • Politics Aren’t Boring, I Promise
    • Q-Z
      • Radio Laurier’s News at Noon
      • Retold
      • Summer Show Series
      • Supporting Act
      • Talk the Hawk
      • The Variety Release
      • Women Versus…
  • Get Involved
    • General Volunteers
    • Management Hiring
  • Advertising
    • Contact
    • Rates
  • Contact
    • Music Submissions
  • More
    • Band Interviews
    • Archived Shows
      • AND1
      • Behind The Music
      • Crimecast
      • The Downbeat
      • The Great Canadian Songbook
      • The Owen Variety Show
      • Hawkey Talk
      • Highly Caffeinated
      • Studio Weeb
      • In Character
      • News
      • In Conversation with Radio Laurier
      • Lighten Up!
      • The Happy Hour Report
      • By The Lyric
      • Pedal to the Metal 2000
      • F*ck The Patriarchy
      • Pearls of Wisdom
      • Press Start To Begin
      • The Political Impact
      • Pass the Aux
      • Hawk Eyes
      • The Bravo Sierra Hour
      • Menschemaking
      • From Venus
      • RadioNerd
      • The Crunch
      • Only Murderers in the Writers’ Room
      • The Scholar’s Podcast
      • SpectruMusic
      • The Back 40
      • Tuned In with Radio Laurier
      • School of Rock
      • Underground Underdogs
    • In Conversation: Pride, Research and Community
    • Broadcast Written Archives
      • Album and Concert Reviews
    • David Suzuki Interview
    • Lindsay Shepherd Interview 2017
    • Students Union Election Coverage
      • Students Union Election Coverage 2022
      • Students’ Union Election Coverage 2021
      • Students Union Election Coverage 2019
      • Students Union Election Coverage 2018
    • WLUSP Election Coverage
      • WLUSP Election Coverage 2023
      • WLUSP Election Coverage 2022
      • WLUSP Election Coverage 2018
  • Shop
    • Radio Laurier Hoodie
Radio Laurier

Radio Laurier

WLU's Campus & Community Radio Station

  • Listen Live
  • Listen on Spotify
  • Programming Schedule
  • Band Interviews
  • Social Media

TANGA ‘Havanaelectro’ Review

November 18, 2013 by Cal Koat

Vancouver is home to a vital Latin music scene. Afro-Cuban rhythms especially have been well represented by an established community of phenomenal players, inter-connecting through a revolving roster of ensembles. But, with the release of their second album, Havanaelectro, TANGA have created the most relevant, most refreshingly contemporary expression of Latin groove music so far, not just in the Pacific Northwest but in the scope of the global genre. That should come as no surprise because it seems most anybody who’s anybody in those circles was recruited in the making of Havanaelectro, which was recorded in both Havana and Vancity. Their manifesto sums up nicely, “TANGA is a west coast collective of musicians, DJs and sound creators dedicated to cross-cultural collaboration and discovering new manifestations of groove.” What’s to love about this record is what makes global music so visionary and forward-thinking. It’s something TANGA refers to as ‘cross-seeding’. Not that collaborations are uncommon across the music spectrum, but global musicians tend to draw from much further a field to create surprising soundscapes, which inherently reflect the mosaic of our urban environment. At the centre of the collective is trumpeter Malcolm Aiken, a staple in Vancouver’s jazz, Latin and pop circles, leader of Mazacote, a New York-savvy style salsa band, and co-founder of Treble 5 Records, a Vancouver-based indie world label. He’s shared the stage with the greatest names in Latin music, explaining how he probably had guys like Grammy-winning trombone man, Jimmy Bosch in his phone favorites for this project. In Havana he recruited Cuban sextet Tante de los Guaracheros for authentic underpinnings. Back inCanada, versatile vocal talents Jesus El Niño from Montreal and David Lopez from Aiken’s own Mazacote add their chops on top. But, the coolest contributions come from more unexpected corners; Pacifika’s Silvana Kane adds her siren’s coos and whispers to ‘Mirala’; ambient and sensual, it’s a captivating moment punctuated by Aiken’s reverb-drenched horn and the Cuban chanting. Another standout, ‘Toto’s Tumbao’ showcases another major upcoming Vancouver talent, award-winning rapper, Kyprios. And, Vancity’s notorious beat poet, C.R. Avery, trades words with El Chulo and Danny Flow in the smoky chill of ‘Dancehall Mambo’. The international stars shine on the opener and video single ‘Dejala’, featuring Jimmy Bosch and Tanta de los Guaracheros. Compelling sound bytes string together the tracks, adding to the travelogue feel of a disc that spans distance and time, and ultimately leads you to what’s next.

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Shows, worldbeatcanada Tagged With: havanaelectro, tanga

Primary Sidebar

Recent Podcast Episodes

  • Francophone Fridays S3 Ep. 9 December 1, 2023
  • LCWS Ep. 5 – There’s No Place Like Home November 30, 2023
  • The Variety Release Ep. 2 – The Greatest Show November 30, 2023

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in