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Mathew Scott

Son Xango

(Brown Sounds)

Cuban music has conquered the world since the award-winning exploits of the Buena Vista Social Club breathed life back into the genre in 1997. This taste of Hong Kong's interpretation of the Cuban sound comes from locally based outfit Son Xango who have been wowing audiences at Brown and other venues for the past year or so.

And if this recording - made at Brown's Robinson Road premises last year - is anything to go by, they are an act not to be missed. Sweet-voiced singer and bassman Felix Lopez fronts a four-piece version of Son Xango for this effort and - as the enthusiastic crowd response testifies - they're hot from the outset.

Beginning with a soulful Los Feos Pa'la Cocina, the group build the concerts to an impressive crescendo, taking us on a tour of Cuban son music and its tales of love and loss along the way.

Lopez is joined by Michael Griffe Saunders on flute and sax, David Aguilar on guitar and Mano Mora on bongos (among other things) and they are a tight outfit. Saunders in particular shines and his lilting flute is the perfect foil to the pounding percussive beats.

Their cover of Chan Chan is no doubt a nod to the Buena Vista people but the rest of the CD is made of of lesser-known efforts, highlighted by a stunning version of Carlos Puebla's Hasta Siempre (Che Guevara), in which Lopez's voice is given a full workout. An impressive effort for a local recording which should have the band playing to packed houses.



Son Xango