Caribbean Festival Leaves Important Music Unplayed

The Caribbean Festival at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, which featured Nicaraguan Raymond Myers and the ensemble Conjunto Jardin, was Caribbean in intent more than delivery.

There was plenty of reggae, some calypso and some salsa. But of Cuban and Puerto Rican music, there was virtually none--to mention only two significant absences. And any attempt to illustrate the music of the Caribbean that does not heavily emphasize those arenas leaves something to be desired.

Myers, the former lead singer of Nicaraguan band Soul Vibrations, led a nine-piece group playing a mix of reggae, calypso, soca and salsa. Each style was done well but without the grittiness of the artists who have influenced Myers--Bob Marley and Steel Pulse among them.

The program, mostly devoted to Myers originals such as “Nicaribbean Man” and “Black Culture,” was heavily dedicated to protest lyrics and musical hooks. For the audience, however, the most energizing moments came when Myers dug into salsa rhythms.

Myers was very nearly upstaged by the earlier appearance of Conjunto Jardin, a group that features the son jarocho music of the Gulf of Mexico city of Veracruz. The five-piece ensemble, making its debut, is built around the convincing, traditional-styled singing and playing of sisters Libby and Cindy Harding.

Their music, dominated by traditional numbers such as “La Iguana,” “El Palomo” and “La Bamba,” was almost instantly captivating, generating dancing in the aisles.

When Conjunto Jardin was joined by the elegant, beautifully costumed dancers of Ballet Folk-lorico del Pacifico, the evening reached its peak of visual and aural entertainment. It was a superb example of the manner in which traditional music and dance continue to have the power to reach out and gather in new, receptive audiences.