Not only were the dancers happy that night but I believe a few non-dancing listeners were converted to timba-lovers, or at least lovers of the Roberto Linares Brown Orchestra. The layers of sound, the rhythms, the rich percussion, the horn arrangements, the counter-currents, the call and response patterns, the smiles, the moves, this band has it all. The elements of many musical styles are integrated here, sometimes popping out in pure form — salsa, reggaeton, son, jazz, rumba, cumbia — the meshing of the many elements is masterful. This is new Latin music. The roots of Cuban music though, are still very present. Appropriately, Roberto Linares Brown’s newly released CD is titled Que no se pierda la escencia. (roughly — Don’t lose the essence).

Adding to the general excitement and keeping the show firing along was the seemingly constant change-up of skillful and charismatic singers and combinations of singers. Alberto Alberto and Yani Borrell were the main men with back-up singer Erico Orozco. Rapero “Netto” Brooks joined in on a few numbers, with Yani Borrell on “Esa nina es un chocolé”, and “Salsa con Reggaeton”, the latter song a solution to those nights when some people want to hear salsa and others reggaeton. Rapera Telmary joined with Alberto Alberto on a few songs and performed one of her own, “Que equivoca'o”. Of course, by the end, everyone was on the stage. This group is so extraordinary, the challenge for them will be keeping up to the bar they have set for themselves. Brown has composed and arranged for and played piano in some of Cuba’s top bands (Valentin y Los del Caribe, Azucar Negra, Adalberto Alvarez y su son) for years and all of that experience shows in his own music.