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An artist who “has probably done more than any other person to bring traditional Cuban music to people outside the island” (Miami Herald), tres master Juan de Marcos is known around the world as founder of the Buena Vista Social Club.

His group The Afro-Cuban All Stars is a sensational showcase for Cuba’s most prodigious young musicians, and they returned for this performance in May of 2019 as part of the 2018-19 Season — a concert that originally premiered in July of 2020 on SFJAZZ’s Fridays at Five series, now known as SFJAZZ At Home’s weekly series Fridays Live.

Personnel:

Juan de Marcos Gonzalez Cardenas: tres, vocals
Laura Lydia Gonzalez Abreu: clarinet, vocals
Haile Uriarte: trumpet, flugelhorn
Antonio Eloy: trumpet, flugelhorn
Luis Manuel: trumpet, flugelhorn
Orlando Cardoso Herrera: piano
Alberto Pantaleon Loran: bass
Asley Rosell Valera: bongos, cowbell
Joanna Garcia: percussion, vocals
Gliceria Abreu Caron: percussion
Gliceria Gonzalez Abreu: vibraphone, keyboards, vocals
Caleb Michel: timbales
Tany Allende Dominguez: congas
Emilio Suarez: vocals

Setlist:
“Concierto Baroko” by Gliceria Gonzalez, arr by Gliceria Gonzalez & Juan de Marcos Gonzalez
“Palo N' Ganga" by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez
“Lo Dicen Todas” by Arsenio Rodriguez, arr by David Alfaro & Marcos Gonzalez
“Habana del Este” by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez
“No Creo en la Jeva” by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez
“Improvised Rumba” Arr by Tany Allende & Juan de Marcos Gonzalez
“Maria Caracoles” by Pio Leiva & Pedro Izquierdo, arr by Jose Manuel Ceruto

ABOUT JUAN DE MARCOS AND THE AFRO-CUBAN ALL-STARS

“A thrillingly autentico survey of the colorful panorama of Cuban music, from religious batumbata beats through contemporary timba jams.” — Village Voice

While long revered in Latin America and Europe as a founding member of Cuba’s great son revival band Sierra Maestra, Juan de Marcos was the one who assembled Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Ruben Gonzalez and the rest of the crew for Ry Cooder when he came to Havana looking for illustrious veterans for his album project devoted to classic Cuban music — a project called The Buena Vista Social Club that became a global phenomenon and produced a GRAMMY-winning album as well as an Oscar-nominated documentary film. But de Marcos is just as interested in promoting Cuba’s brilliant young musicians as in highlighting Cuba’s senior talent. The Afro-Cuban All Stars not only features a multi-generational cast, but the group also draws on both classic Cuban styles like son, bolero, and danzón and contemporary dance rhythms like timba.
“What I’m trying to do is create a bridge between contemporary and traditional Cuban music,” de Marcos says. “I’m trying to mix both things so people can realize that Cuban music didn’t stop in time, that it developed in this long period when Cuban music disappeared from the market.”