July 5: Scene General Motors

A starless but balmy night--the perfect setting for the main outdoor stage presentation of Ska Cubano, a troupe who effortlessly and entertainingly interlace calypso, reggae and its bouncy predecessor ska with muy caliente aspects of Cuban music. This lot do their hoodoo well, with a fashion best described as Cuban Pete on crank, plenty of uptown-Saturday-night savoir faire, heartening vocals in Spanish and English, and assured, spunky musically--equal parts. They Might Be Giants, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Desi Arnaz (before loving Lucy, he was a hell of a bandleader)--Ska Cubano laid a massive rocksteady cha-cha-cha bex on Montreal which no one wanted to break. Get their new platter Ay Caramba! and make ba-baa-looou while the moon shines.