Vol. 1-Si Para Usted-Funky Beats Of Revolutionary Cuba CD

Post-revolutionary Cuba isn't the first place to look for the influence of American funk and psychedelic experimentation, but Dan Zacks of the Waxing Deep radio show makes the case -- with the music he selects here and his informed liner notes -- that Cuba produced its fair share of free-form music in the '70s and '80s. Zacks sets the story in a Cuba that subsidized music schools and paid all proficient musicians a stable salary, then watched as they demonstrated their new smarts on releases for EGREM, Cuba's sole record label. From the sound of it, nothing was verboten musically, from the usual funk staples (wah-wah and fuzztone guitars and chunky electric bass) to heavy electronics to freewheeling instrumental passages (although, of course, Cuban and Afro-Cuban is the backbone of everything heard here). Cuba's most famous bands, Orquesta Riverside, Irakere and Los Van Van, appear here, but some of the best tracks come from producer Juan Pablo Torres and his Algo Nuevo band. (The title track from Grupo Monumental is another one to check out.) While Zacks seems to admit that this type of music was recorded only rarely, the tracks that appear here have to be heard by the fans of Palmieri, Colón, Harlem River Drive, Ocho, and Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino -- and, best of all, the title seems to point to further volumes. ~ John Bush

Waxing Deep Records is pleased to announce the first ever compilation of Cuban funk: Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Volume One. An unprecedented combination of socialism and artistic freedom flourished during the mid-years of Castro’s Cuba, enabling musicians to create an innovative body of music based on traditional styles like those made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club. Si, Para Usted captures the spirit of this time. The music ranges from son, beat, jazz, and funk, and abounds with psychedelic influences, electronic experimentation, and a heavy dose of soul. Communist funk may seem unlikely, but here it is. Si, Para Usted was lovingly compiled by Dan Zacks of Waxing Deep Radio in response to massive listener demand for the Cuban music played on the show. Outside of the Waxing Deep archive, the bulk of funky Cuban music is virtually unobtainable. Cuban recordings were never widely distributed and few have been reissued. Utterly committed to sharing good music, Dan took it upon himself to make these fantastic tracks more widely accessible. Almost all of the tracks were re-mastered from the original tapes kept by the Cuban government in a dusty Havana warehouse. Given the poor quality of Cuban vinyl, this means the music on Si, Para Usted has a quality of sound previously unavailable. Quite simply, the music has never sounded this good.