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The music of David Alvarez, an accomplished songwriter, is deeply rooted in the Caribbean. Whether in cumbia, son or one of his trademark rootsy fusions, Alvarez adds his unique voice to give the song that special dynamic flavour and zest. This recording is already being classified as one of the most exciting Latin music crossover albums of the new millenium. 1. Tambor 2. Cantando una Pena 3. Habanera sola 4. Cuida'o Cuida'o 5. La Cuidad de los Pregones 6. Proposicion enamorada 7. Leovigilda 8. Mundo Loco 9. La Cosita 10. Má nadie que el son 11. Quiéreme un poquito Click here to read a recent review of the album written by Barbara Flaska for the prestigious online cultural journal PopMatters.com. Click here to read the Spanish vertion of David Alvarez y Juego de Manos' biography.

David Alvarez

Born in 1972 in Manzanillo, Oriente, Cuba, David Alvarez studied percussion, guitar and direction in various cities including Manzanillo, Santiago de Cuba and Havana. He began his professional career touring the country with La Nueva Trova Cubana and then joined Pedro Luis Ferrer's legendary group. A few years later he sought newly qualified music graduates and founded Juego de Manos. Today, after just a couple of years, Juego de Manos is one of the most accomplished new groups in Cuba. They toured Europe in 1995 (Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Sweden) and have recorded their new album for Tumi Music entitled Mundo Loco. David Alvarez is also an accomplished songwriter and is the author of the song Bongo, interpreted most famously by the Miami-based international salsa star Willy Chirino. Alvarez's music is deeply rooted in Caribbean music. Whether in cumbia, son or one of his trademark rootsy fusion's, Alvarez adds his unique voice to give the song that special dynamic flavour and zest. His voice has been compared to Carlos Vives' and his music to Chichi Peralta's. By joining highly original arrangements with clever songwriting, Alvarez has managed to create what is already being classified as one of the most exciting Latin music crossover albums of the new millennium.

Review from Songlines Magazine David Alvarez is a serious new talent from Cuba. He handpicked his group of young music graduates, Juego de Manos, and together they offer the freshest sound from Cuba for years. Alvarezís confident arrangements, combining traditional son with rootsy fusion and Colombian cumbia rhythms, have an experimental energy that makes them intriguing. Alvarezís voice, with a Johnny Mathis-like quaver, is bewitching, and his lyrics are those of a major poetic talent. His background with the Nueva Trova Cubana place him firmly in the line of canto-autores (singer-songwriters) such as Pablo Milanes, Carlos Puebla and Silvio Rodriguez. He is capable of powerful, romantic lyrics as well as humour with subtle yet biting social comment. In ëTamborí he sings of hearing a drum weeping in the forest. He gives it some rum and asks it to sing, and the drum responds with a playful son. The deft arrangements and humorous changes of tempo are a delight. ëCantando una penaí and ëProposicion enamoradaí are beautiful and poignant love-poems. In ëHabanera solaí, with its slow tango-like tempo, Alvarez moves into a jazz mode with an electric guitar solo from Elmer Ferrer Orsini and a mellifluous piano performance from the incomparable Chucho ValdÈs. Alvarez does not shy away from making his own statements through his songs. In ëMundo locoí, a ëcrazy world has a symbolic conversation with ëjusticeí, who recommends freedom and laughter as an antidote and ends up inviting ëcrazy worldí to dance. The murderous ëLeovigiliaí is a fierce attack on wife-beating and complacent machismo. ëLa ciudad de los pregonesí welcomes back the call of the city street vendor (banned after the Revolution). This more liberal climate invites Alvarez to sell his own wares ó ëcome and buy my hot boleros and oven-fresh guarachas/Come and buy my choruses that have a dash of rumba ... I am selling the freshest of songs.í That, he most certainly is. Joan Shenton

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