Clasicos A Lo Cubano - Live In Havana

Joner, Sverre Indris & The cuban opera orchestra feat. Carlos del Puerto

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Cat No: GMV136

Release Date: 06 September 2024

Label: Galileo Music

Packaging Type: Digipak

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 4250095887222

Genres: World Music

Description
This is the story of Sverre Indris Joner from Oslo, Norway, bringing his musician colleagues
from the band Hovedoen Social Club to play his intriguing salsa-arrangements of the classics
with the Cuban opera orchestra at the National Theatre in Havana. He's about to "sell sand in
the Sahara" - showing Cubans how to play salsa, to turn the great classics of Bach, Beethoven,
and Brahms into authentic Cuban music. How? And, maybe more importantly, why? And... can
this go well? Joner started his <> at 15, with Reggae, West-African Highlife and
Afrobeat, and the seductive complexity of African rhythms led him to explore the African roots in
Latin America. In 1985, he went on a study-trip to Havana with some friends. This encounter left
a deep impression. Back in Norway, he formed Norway's first salsa band, La Descarga, insisting
that all Norwegians should appreciate this rich music traditions from Cuba.
He got the idea of writing unlikely genre-transformed music. With his quartet Tango for 3,
everything from ABBA to Grieg was turned into Argentine tango. The recipe was re-used when
he formed the band Hovedoen Social Club, creating authentic sounding cuban salsa out of
Norwegian pop-music. The famous Munchner Rundfunk Orchestra and the Norwegian
Broadcasting Orchestra KORK recorded his <> arrangements of the great classics.
When the recordings went viral on YouTube, Cuban national television bought the program and
it's regularly shown since then. The album hits #1 on Mexican World Music charts MixUp.
Suddenly the opportunity arose for Sverre and his fellow musicians to travel to Cuba and play
"Clasicos a lo cubano" with the opera-orchestra in Havana. Sounds like fun, but problems arise
and line up in a queue - much like what the Cubans themselves have to deal with. So they
experiences some genuine Cuban frustration. Challenges were everything from instruments
breaking down or not existing, air condition failing and rain pouring into the theatre, Even the
legendary concert hall El Gran Teatro Alicia Alonso broke down! And of course, plenty of <timing>> - aka the absence of punctuality. But everything didn't go wrong - thankfully! The joy of
playing seen among the musicians was priceless. When members of the orchestra
spontaneously stood up and danced during rehearsals the good vibes started. The swaying, the
smiles and the joy were the payoff. Finally it was on the right track!
In all his enthusiasm, Joner took on the role of host during the concert - in Spanish - with a bit of
humor to break the ice. What could go wrong? Quite a lot actually...It was a make it or break it.
Luckily they made it quite well, telling from the audience's cheers and applause throughout the
concert, and even the laughter, fortunately coming at the right places after the quirky comments
between the music!
Joner's hope for recognition in Cuba, the birthplace of the genres he had spent so much time
and effort acquiring, was a significant driving-force behind the whole project. The musicians
expressing heartfelt gratitude for being part of the project was the confirmation he had hoped
for; that he, the <>, not only had cracked the Afro-Cuban <musical contribution that was highly appreciated.