Currently led by pianist Norberto Puentes, this second production with Envidia (also Maravilla's 22nd release) showcases a "charanga con timba" repertoire that is much closer to what is happening in Cuba today.

Last year in Havana I was thrilled when I saw that 'Maravilla de Florida' were going to be playing at Teatro America. In the end I managed to see them twice, and they were even better than I had thought they would be. This year, they also played, though I only got to see one very brief set. Compensation comes in the form of this new version (I'll explain later) of 'Luchando Con Fe'; recently released and one of the nominees in the Musica Bailable category at Cubadisco this year (I don't think they minded that they were beaten by Manolito). In recent years they have done some good work, but this is by far the standout.

Before you dismiss charanga as fusty and old-fashioned, let me tell you that this incarnation is nothing of the kind. Maravilla has a sound that is all their own, and it is tough and funky; the melodic strings providing a sweet counterpart to the robust rhythms. I love the traditional charanga sound of flute and violins - also evident in the works of disco band Chic - but generally it is just a little too genteel for me: live, it usually packs a punch that is lacking on record, but even then, as when I saw Orquesta Aragon last year in Milan, the uniformity of the songs can't always hold my attention for more than about 30 minutes. This is why this album - and Maravilla - is different.

Musicians on "Luchando Con Fé" By Maravilla de Florida:

Norberto Puentes	Piano		Orlando Julio Beltrán	Violin
Roberto Vázquez	Bajo		Reicel Pedroso	Violin
Emerson Florat	Conga		Julien Beso	Violin
Juan José Gómez	Timbal		Eduardo A. Nelson	Flauta
José Miguel González	Teclado		Bernando Nash	Voz y coro en 1,2,5,9
Noel E. Pérez	Guiro		José Enrique Queralta	Voz y coro en 3,7,12
Emil Mario Castillo	Violin		Henry Meneses	Voz y coro en 4,6,10

Maravilla de Florida has proved an extraordinary breeding ground for contemporary Cuban music. Alumni include Pupy's Pepito and Charanga Habanera's Leonid, but the most prolific is Manolito, who, when he left the band to form Trabuco, also took half of Maravilla with him, including conguero Lelo, bajista Mora, flautista David Bencomo, tecladista Osiris (now with Pupy), violinist Nicolas and cellist Orestes. The group must have had to rebuild itself from the ground up when Trabuco was formed. But rebuild they did: since then they have released only four albums - 'Vieja, Pero Se Mantiene', 'Levantate y Baila' , '50 y Más Maravillas' and this year's 'Luchando con Fe'.

The opening track features a rap in the intro, flagging the fact that this is no traditional charanga offering. Unfortunately it comes across as a bit try-hard - it's also completely unnecessary: the zestiness of the rest of the album - indeed the rest of the song - would have made that clear soon enough. Never mind. It's one flaw in an album that has very few indeed. And the song goes onto become one of the best in an album packed with great tunes. La bola, which starts with a phat, squiggly synth riff, before the violins enter playing a percussive riff, is another.

As with a lot of timba, Maravilla takes the energy level up and down and right back up again. It's infectious. A recogerse - played this year during the baseball broadcasts apparently - takes even more from timba with the traditional, almost lacklustre cuerpo, before opening up to fire on all cylinders with captivating coros and funky breakdowns. I could have done without the ballad, Por estar contigo, but the rest of the album more than compensates.

--article by Gabriel Wilder (Yemaya's Verse) of www.TIMBA.com

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