Reared in Miami's Cuban district but now living in Brooklyn, where he's at the beating heart of the Latin music scene, singer and bandleader Jose Conde has played in many styles. He draws from many of them for his self-titled latest CD. There are Cuban rhythms but also an echo of reggae; sizzling '70s funk with a cool Cuban overtone; the relentless beat of Havana performed by a rock rhythm section; and one tune, with its rootsy Southwest sound and farfisa organ, which sounds like a lost track by Joe “King” Carasco. The band exemplifies the Brooklyn melting pot with members of West African, South American and Caribbean heritage.
