Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas

Leadership of the dynamic Grupo Afrocuba has been passed on like a fat stalk of sugarcane among brilliant instrumentalists who inevitably first pass through the ranks of band membership. Saxophonist Nicolas Reinoso was the original director of the group, starting off in 1977 with the idea of mixing together Cuban roots music with newer styles such as jazz and even jazz fusion. The full name of the ensemble is Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas, denoting the band's original home base, roping it in with other local talent such as Los Munequitos de Matanzas. Reinoso set up a three-piece ...