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View Past ArticlesEn Clave con Cartaya ** L.A. Street Report **October 18, 2006By Katherine Bonalos
It takes two (times four) to Tango, más o menos, give or take a guest musician or two, according to the musical calculus of Cartayas Enclave, the alternative and ultra funky Latin jazz fusion band that performed at Tango's in Hollywood last Thursday night.
by Kathy Bonalos - Los Angeles LPM Correspondent
For starters, Cartaya'sEnclave (a bilingual double-entendre) wins the prize for most clever Latin band name in town (Yes Cartaya, you had me at Enclave). Left to less creative devices, Oskar (the band s fearless bassist leader) could have easily opted for more familiar naming configurations, such as Oskar y Su Orquesta, or Orquesta Cartaya or even Cartaya Caliente!,a sizzling alliteration, though far less original.
But enough raving about the band s name. So what of Cartaya'sEnclave s signature fusion sound? According to Webster s definition (the myspace 2006 edition), Cartaya's Enclave is a mixture of Latin fire with jazz harmony rock attitude and a hip hop freshness . Hmmm, a pretty accurate summation. It also sounds like an inspiration for a complete clothing line as well. Or perhaps a new fragrance step aside J. Lo.
The not-so-secret secret behind the band s unique and tight sound is the refreshingly original arrangements of Oskar s compositions, and the amazing versatility of each musician (i.e. Fausto Cuevas on percussion, Quetzal Guerrero on violin, Frank Fontaine on sax/flute, Arturo Solar on trumpet, Alejandro Carballo on trombone, Paul A. González on drums, sitting in for Raul Pineda, and pianista Marco Godoy , newcomer to LA s music scene straight from Berklee College of Music and sitting in for Bryan Velasco).
My favorite tune of the night (though the closing number was a close runner up) was a Cartaya composition inspired by his father entitled Danzón Pa Mi Viejo, not to be confused with Danzón For My Father (also composed by a Boricua), or Horace Silver s Song For My Father (not a Boricua). Just like Tina and Ike s Proud Mary, Cartaya'sDanzón
It is often said that music isn t just about the notes, but the silence in between the notes. By extension, Cartaya's songs aren t just about the songs, but also the space in between the songs, the time in which Cartaya doubles as standup comic with his natural witticisms and playful banter with the audience and fellow musicians. He s hysterical and scarily smart, and definitely knows how to work a crowd. It s one of the reasons I love watching Cartaya's Enclave - concerts come and go, but we always remember bands that are funny. That s all we (i.e. live music lovers) want. A nice decent band that is authentic, genuine, musically athletic, looks good, dresses well (or as Heidi Klum might say, is "fashion forward" ) and yeah, makes us laugh. A band that mom would love as her very own.
Intrigued? I hope so. To find out more about upcoming gigs and learn other fun musical facts, explore the band s myspace site here. After loving what you hear, you will feel a strong urge to check them out en vivo (hopefully with a gang load of friends). Chances are I ll be there as well. I ll be the one with the big smile on her face, though I might not say hello right away, since I ll be too entranced by the music (or the jokes).
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