This collection of sounds, voices and music was put together, as the liner notes say, to capture “the soundscape of a small neighborhood that continues to house some of Cuba’s greatest musicians.” The “wandering microphones” weaves around town to record sounds ranging from the weather to the morning rooster, with spoken stories mixing in with traditional vocal choruses and lots of local flavor provided by various drummers and percussionists.
The journey is provided by a group of “Elders” serving as percussionists. Justilian Peladito Urrutia, Pedro Palo Tapanes and Pedro Aballi Torriente play local instrumetns while the Ilu Keke drummers supply the anchor leg and a handful of vocalists work in solo and choir form. The stories are delivered in local languages, and would have been well served with an interpreter. A suite of local Matanzas-style sounds is provided on the 7 part “Revelacion de Matanzas” to give some provincial flavor, making the album feel like a Carribbean version of Alan Lomax’s folk archives.