Latin Beat Magazine,
CD Review
>>
TITO Y SU SON: One ofllie highlights of this year's San Francisco Fillmore Festival took place on Saturday July 19 with Tito y su Son deC\lba. Kicking down authentic son montuno, as pioneered by icoris"iike Arsenio Rodriguez, Heriberto "Tito" Gonzalez turned it out with singer Fito Reinoso as special guest. Now based in Richmond, California, Gonzalez is a seasoned singer and veteran tres guitarist.
Gonzalez and his band, celebrating two years together, have a self-titled debut album out of largely original material. Rooted in the old-school Cuban styles of Reve and Rumbavana, the band blasted off with five horns leading the charge. They involved the audience by pulling girls up to the stage to dance and getting everybody clapping and singing.
Highlights of his two hour-long sets included Si Tu Supieras, a nice bolero that featured the trumpet of Miguel Govea. Tito has a raw grainy voice seasoned by rum and cigars that, coupled with his expressive playful nature make listening to his improvised verses a delight. "Soy soltero y no tengo com- promiso," he sang out, and used it as a theme about finding the perfect mate, Mulata Rumbera was my favorite tune and featured Tito and Fito going at it in a soneros' free-for-all. Nice solos were offered throughout the after- noon by Ruben Hurtado, who played an acoustic grand piano supplied by the festival. Flutist Miguel Angel Martinez Vasquez, who leads the group Corazon Sur, also sat in. Props to David Frazier (congas), Livon Montoya (bass), Sandor Moss (drums) and the rest of the young energetic players. 09/15/05
>> go there
|