Anga Diaz - Echu Mingua live

Knockout gig last night from conguero Angá Díaz and the live version of Echu Mingua from La Línea 06 at the Barbican. Echu Mingua was my favourite album for a long time (and according to the nice man at World Circuit it was all thanks to my hysterical review in Fly that all the proper papers noticed when he attached the CD and sent it round a second time - the rest is history) and the live set did not disappoint. This was "fusion" at its best - unforced, spontaneous, infused with collective commitment - with a powerful core of Cuban musicians, rhythms and tunes (vocal (El Indio), trumpets, bass (Felipe Cabrera), percussion and of course congas) complemented by the Malian Baba Sissoko on talking drum, ngoni and vocals, French flautist Magic Malik and DJ Dee Nasty (OK, he got a bit irritating at times), with a guest appearance from the phenomenal latin jazz violinist Omar Fuentes (?) - and everyone pretty much mucking in anywhere with vocals and percussion. Impossible to bottle the spirit and energy of the concert, but highlights included a voice-and-bass duet version of Dos Gardenias from Cabrera and El Indio, Fuentes' blinding outing over a phenomenal groove in the rhythm section, some genuinely enjoyable audience participation in the closing set etc. (You'd have had to be there.) One major distinction from the album was the absence of piano, or indeed any harmony instruments at all. I missed it once or twice (Pueblo Nuevo was perhaps so much Rubén González's piece that the late pianist was considered irreplaceable and Cabrera gamely and expertly played the whole tune on the bass - the result was interesting but occasionally thin) and the version of A Love Supreme palled a little at times in the absence of middle. But in general, it made things more interesting. And Magic Malik has a nice line in two-part harmony - I've never heard anyone else sing and play the flute at the same time (with completely different registers, rhythms and notes).

Angá and his merry band were supported by X Alfonso, a long-haired Spanish shouty rock/hip-hop outfit who had very little in common with the main attraction. Vaguely typical of world music promotion. (It's all sort of latin, they're bound to enjoy it....)

Anyway, got to go and make breakfasts for my house guests.