ELIADES OCHOA/CUARTETO PATRIA
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The Guardian/UK, Eliades Ochoa/Cuarteto Patria , 07/02/03 >>
The cowboy hat isn't there by chance. Eliades Ochoa specialises in guararcha, a rustic roots style that is Cuba's equivalent to country music. At the Barbican, the singer and guitarist wore his trademark Stetson at a rakish angle over a broad smile. He was accompanied by his band, Cuerteto Patria, with whom he has been performing for over 25 years. The closeness of that relationship made for a remarkably tight 90-minute set.
At 57, Ochoa is the youngest of the old-timers who created 1997's Buena Vista Social Club album. His melodic, rough-edged voice lacks the velvety versatility of fellow Buena Vista vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, but is just right for the down-home music that he and his band play: clattering percussion, yearning trumpets, full-blooded vocal harmonies, swinging guitars and rolling mid-tempo dance rhythms that soon had people showing off their salsa moves in the aisles.
Ochoa draws from the classic repertoire of Cuban composers; much of his set at the Barbican was by former Cuerteto Patria member Compay Segundo. The band appeared to have most fun performing songs from their most recent album, last year's Estoy Como Nunca. Judging by the shouted requests between songs, however, many in the audience were here to clap along to their Buena Vista favourites, which Ochoa was happy to deliver. Unsurprisingly, the opening chords of Chan Chan earned the biggest cheer of the night. These days the song is performed far too often - but since it was Ochoa who sang it on the Social Club album, he can lay more claim to it than most.
Ochoa is an unbelievably relaxed performer: he chatted away in Spanish to the Barbican audience as though we were in a tropical dancehall. In fact, he was so laid-back that when he returned for the encore, he forgot to bring his guitar. Amid much chuckling, a roadie located the missing instrument and the group launched into the delightful call and response of Arrimate Paca.
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