Juan de Marcos González is the bandleader and producer who helped make global superstars of some of Cuba’s most soulful, if overlooked, veterans. In 1996, he was recruited by Ry Cooder as a vital fixer, headhunting local talent for the original Havana recording sessions that would give birth to the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon.
More than two decades later, González is keeping the flame of Cuba’s melting-pot music traditions alive with his own globetrotting ensemble. While the average age skews a little lower thanks to his two young daughters on clarinet and vibraphone, the result is just as transportive, bringing a blast of sun-baked sultriness to Celtic Connections festival.
It is an experience that seems tailor-made for Strictly fans. Roaming the stage with guiro in hand, the dreadlocked González leads his dapper band – including a trio of hot brass and a gaggle of tireless percussionists – through a mellifluous set of bolero, rumba and salsa-infused classics, paying particular tribute to Cuban songwriters Miguel Matamoros and Arsenio Rodriguez.
The band also put their own spin on the popular Buena Vista Social Club hit Chan Chan by foregrounding some rather mournful bass clarinet, and throw in a few González originals, including Laura en el Paraiso, a rhythmically roaming tribute to his youngest.
If the concert hall aisles don’t immediately lend themselves to dancing, González and singer Emilio Suárez latterly abandon the stage to encourage audience members on to their feet. Impressively, the smooth Suárez never misses a note even while twirling starstruck patrons. It chimes with the overall sensation of being safe in the hands of polished professionals.
• Celtic Connections festival continues until 4 February.
