- country:United Kingdom
- style(s):Salsa
- artist posted by:Bongo Go Music Works
Like a Huracan blowing across the stage
- was how Birmingham post reviewer Martin Longley described Orquesta Huracan in the CBSO's former home The Adrian Boult Hall. Read on....
The ten – piece Huracan’s recently established itself at the head of the scene’s already lengthy Latin – combo conga – line.
Birmingham Jazz elected to present the Orquesta in a concert hall setting, causing problems for a band that’s not accustomed to a non – drinking, non – dancing, all – seated environment.
Huracan’s percussion trio initiates a fluent timbales – congas – bongos dialogue, with Glyn Phillips’ booming floor bass drum, a judicious addition. Then fretless bass, piano and four – piece horn section built up to the full – on Huracan sound. Doubtless unsettled by a completely flat atmosphere, the Orquesta was going to have to create a heady vibe right from scratch, with no preceding salsa disco to heat up the crowd.
Alek Sapic took centre stage, his authoritative swiping gestures immediately establishing a oneness of rhythmic intent. Alek makes a curious frontman, eschewing any pretence at tiresome crowd – hectoring. This makes a refreshing change. Instead, Sapic gets down to the pure business of crooning, delivering each song with a deeply – enunciated purposefulness, each number tinged by a morose, melancholy glow.
It’s clear that the band is devoted to many song forms, always avoiding the obvious. They covered tunes from the vinyl vaults of Celia Cruz, Oscar D’Leon and Johnny Pacheco, switching suddenly from New York salsa to Cuban son roots, then surprising with an old-fashioned Besame Mucho and Paul Simon’s Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover.
By the time we reached the second half, Huracan had loosened up to play in a totally brazen manner, horns slicing without mercy, Edgar Macias’ piano jabbing hard chords, percussionists putting steam on the walls.
Only a handful of dancers risked exposure down the front, but Hurcan had heroically managed a complete two-hour venue transformation.
Martin Longley, Birmingham Post, 30th January 2001
Orquesta Huracan are looking for bookings in the UK and through-out Europe.