Dub Sonata’s “Nights In Cuba Revisited” is a refreshing dose of soulful jazz and funk just when you’re feeling like a bit of colour is missing in your life. The nostalgic and vibrant journey through the sounds of Cuba is produced in the same manner as the original release in 2010, a celebration of the region’s rich musical heritage and culture. Bringing to life samples sourced from a crate of records that Dub Sonata discovered during a trip to Cuba in 2010, the new edition sees Sonata after he revisited the country in 2022 to reconnect with the musicians, friends, and record dealers he met on that first a and initial leg of the journey.
The album features 19 tracks that weave together a myriad of styles, from traditional Cuban son and bolero to hip-hop, jazz, and electronic beats. The use of live instrumentation, including upright bass, trumpet, saxophone, flute, grand piano, and acoustic guitar, gives the tracks a warm, organic feel. The addition of scratches by Scram Jones adds a modern touch and a nod to hip-hop’s influence on Cuban music.
Each track on the album feels like a journey through the streets of Havana, with a layered vibrancy and resplendence just seemingl embedded within it all. From the ever so engrossing Vinetas, with its hypnotic beat and slow groove to the more up tempo and wacky “Enemigo”, there’s a spark to this record that’s constantly imaginative and differentiated.
Bringing together the classical with a contemporary reimagination, and all the while retaining that core local sound and ethos, Dub Sonata once again takes you down streets any a traveller would relish the opportunity to experience. If, by the end of Terremoto you still feel no inclination to be bouncing down a street in Havana, something might be very wrong.