Juan de Marcos & The Afro-Cuban All Stars Electrifies New York City

By Natalie J. Maniscalco & Photos by Chasi Annexy

Cuban maestro Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars left their mark in New York City on Saturday night while performing for a packed theater on the Upper West side during the high tale of their 2011 U.S. national tour. Juan de Marcos, a strong-minded man, quite comfortable in his own skin and donned in a white linen suit and wool beret took the stage to introduce his beloved band and family including his wife and two daughters.

The band started off with smooth Cuban jazz and lead into spectacular solos by each of the musicians. The music took you to another epic while truly mesmerizing the soul. Every beat could be felt from the tips of your toes to the depths of your bones. By the end of the night, there wasn’t one person not dancing and celebrating along with the unique and addictive sounds of this incredible band.  Whether you dance Salsa, Rumba, Son, Danzon, Cha-Cha-Cha, Guaguanco, Mambo, or Rueda, the style of music and the movement of your body is at the root of the song.

Having played together for years, some part of the original Buenavista Social Club, led by Juan de Marcos, the band emanates a distinctive bond and contagious energy. From 2003 to 2009, performances were halted due to political strife between the United States and Cuba; however the band, back on a national tour to over a dozen major cities throughout the country, brings flight to a new generation of incredibly talented Cuban musicians. “Performing makes me feel happy. The music converts the spirit of Africa mixed in with Western culture, and if you listen closely enough the music follows the syncopation of the way a woman walks,” he says with a wink and a smile.

As New York will experience an influx of Cuban culture over the next months with the ¡Si Cuba! arts festival in addition to other special events, the tour of the Afro Cuban All Stars helps mark an interlude of appreciation and awareness for Cuban music, and perhaps the beginning of the end of the embargo itself.

For tickets, city tours & dates check out: www.rockpaperscissors.biz/go/afro-cuban