Cuba’s Sierra Maestra Brings Salsa’s Past to Life

When the nine members of Cuban band Sierra Maestra walked on stage Thursday at the Conga Room, you could not help but wonder if they had the necessary musical equipment to heat things up.

There were no timbales or trap drums. No ominous brass section to speak of. Not even a piano.

The group’s secret, however, is based in soulful tradition, not instrumental exuberance. An orchestra firmly rooted in the past, Sierra Maestra plays classic son, the simple but infectious dance form that after many changes and mutations came to be known as salsa.

Using the omnipresent clave beat (the syncopated pattern that defines Afro-Cuban music) as the main rhythmic conductor of its repertoire, the group served up a sonic feast of maracas, guiros, cowbells and bongos--soaring vocal harmonies, thunderous bass and the sharp sound of the tres (a small, Cuban guitar). It was a rich combination, energetic and caressing at the same time.

Sierra Maestra’s instrumental bravado was aided by its superb choice of material, from the son montuno “Con la Espuela” to the moving Arsenio Rodriguez classic “Semilla” and the Benny More standard “Que Bueno Baila Usted.”

The crowd, exhausted at the end of the second set but still asking for more, seemed inspired by the group’s down-to-earth musicianship. In Sierra Maestra, Cuba has found a solid heir to the formidable son tradition of the Septeto Habanero and the Septeto Nacional Ignacio Pin~eiro.