Adalberto Alvarez

Jugando Con Candela Adalberto Alvarez

Adalberto Alvarez has been a leading force in the revival of son, the Cuban dance music that reached it's peak in popularity in the '50s. The former leader of Adalberto Alvarez & Conjunto Son 14, Alvarez has continued to pay homage, as well as expand, the son tradition with Adalberto Alvarez y Su Son, the band that he formed in 1984. According to The New York Times, '(Adalberto Alvarez y Su Son) is one of Cuba's great bands, one that has had an enormous influence on Salsa; it's modern and unstoppable and it doesn't sound like the Havana-based dance music called timba. While many of Adalberto Alvarez y Su Son's songs reflect on the usual son themes of everyday life, several tunes deal with Santeria, the religion in which Alvarez is a babalao, or priest. Adalberto Alvarez blends past and present musical influences, including son and salsa, into his stylish and sensual works. On his album 'Jugando Con Condela' ('playing with fire') he lives up to his own musical tradition as well as that of his homeland, leading his orchestra through intense and graceful works like 'Estas Como Villegas' and 'Una Mulata en la Habana.' Alvarez's musical territory balances past and present, and promises a beautiful future for Cuban music.