Bach, J S: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV1049 (1st Movement)

Bach to Cuba

A variant of the classics-goes-Latino concept; but with a "hit" twist: the Brandenburg Concertos fused with a superb Cuban percussion-section This project was conceived and recorded by Emilio Aragón. Born in 1959 in Cuba and now based in Spain, Aragón has a love for Caribbean music and classical music – he studied classical piano since childhood and later set aside a successful Spanish television career in order to study classical composition and conducting in the US Emilio Aragón conducts the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra together with three Cuban percussionists and the acclaimed bassist Alain Pérez. His challenge was to integrate Afro-Cuban rhythms in a classical context – the Brandenburg Concertos. Therefore Alain Pérez (who works with musicians such as Paco de Lucía) replaced traditional bass part with the Cuban “tumbao” bass, providing the appropriate space for the percussion to play guaguancó, conga, danzón, contradanza, son, or bolero rhythms with unrestrained freedom among the violin, oboe, or cello parts originally devised in the 18th century The result is this surprising, fun album – one that can reach a wide audience with this Bach evergreen in an appealing and innovative way.