Playing various guitars, bass and percussion, Kiki Valera sizzles with sweaty Cuban sounds with a percolating team of Pedro Vargas/cong, Steve Guasch/coro, vocalists Francisco Freeman, Joshua De Jesus and Raquel Zozaya and a rotating trumpet team of Alex Baro’, Steve Mostovoy, Michael Rodriguez, Jonathan Powell, Peter Nater, Dennis Hernadnez, Brian Lynch, Thomas Marriott and Leon Q Allen, sometimes mixed and sometimes matched.
Cascante is bold and romantic around the horns on”Este Vacilon” and glides over the peppy strings for “El Penquito E Coleto” Freeman is Old World earthy on Dos Gardenas” and “El Aji De Cocina”. Zozaya gives a passionate aria with Baro and Mostovoy on “La Guajira” while the percussion sizzles, andDe Jesus saunters on “Munequita Feliz”. All of the songs fit like a pleated Guayabera.