Search - Frank Emilio :: Ancestral Reflections

The 78-year-old pianist Frank Emilio is a living embodiment of Cuba's rich musical history, embracing the island's intricate formal dance music that has evolved since the 1920s, the complex rhythms of the Afro-Cuban heritage, and its synthesis with jazz. His band, Los Amigos, is an orchestra in miniature, combining bass and flute with a string section of two violins, a chorus of two voices, and three percussionists. Together they work their effortless and lilting way through several hallmarks of the island's musical past, tunes that have helped define the mambo, conga, and rumba. These pieces are bracketed by two of Emilio's originals that reveal the group's skill with extended improvisation. The opening "Guerra de Flautas," more festival than war, is a descarga, or jam, highlighted by a flute duet of Joaquin Olivera Gavilan (on a traditional 13-key wooden instrument) and special guest Orlando "Maraca" Valle. The Afro-Cuban title tune is a feature for the percussionists and Emilio, whose skill in blending block chords with trills, dissonance, and a distinctively bright touch has influenced generations of pianists. From its sonic images of evanescent elegance to its potent cross-rhythms, this Havana recording is another window on Cuba's continuing musical vigor. --Stuart Broomer