The roots of Cuban music are there of course, but the clave moves around, flatted fifths and alt chords pop out in hooks. It’s popular, hard-hitting and musically sophisticated. Soca, calypso, regueton and rap have all been incorporated into an Afro-Cuban-Caribbean-Latino stew, a spicy ajiaco with a dash of Afro-American and jazz snazz. They are the bad boys on the scene, they are controversial. The group has been called the Rolling Stones of Cuba, Calzado the P.Diddy of Havana.

They are tuned in. When they’re in Havana they rehearse Monday to Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. in a poor neighbourhood, “El Fanguito”. There are always people hanging around in the street and listening, a kind of “critical test audience” of real people. If they don’t move to it, Calzado says, we know we don’t have it right. No wonder they are tremendously popular with dancers.

This night in Toronto, a singer and bass player start alone, to the vocalized delight of some female members of the audience. I’m thinking romantic ballad but the rest of the band arrives on stage and the music changes. I’m talking four frontmen singers like multiple Elvis the pelvis, two in black sleeveless T’s, two in black T’s with Macho Latino in silver letters on the front. Cuban Rolling Stones? Mick may be up to it still but I can’t imagine the rest of the boys ever pulling off these moves. They rap, they sing, they shake it on out. David Calzado, back to the audience, directs the musicians from the middle of the stage. The audience moves to the music, some start singing. Gripping the sides of his drums, the conguero hoists himself above them and lands a few hits with his knees.

David Calzado turns to the audience and fires off a round of rapid-fire rap in machine-gun Spanish. But it doesn’t hurt. Complex percussion (instead of an electronic machine beat) and the ever-present sensuality of the music run underneath. This performance is a collaborative effort. On stage and in front. There is a large contingent of Canadian Cubans in the room and when Sarita (leader of a Cuban dance troupe in Toronto), comes up on stage and drapes David Calzado in a Cuban flag it is a special moment.

La Charanga’s show aims to impress and to share. The choreography is an integral part of the whole, as important to the performance as the music. They ask for audience participation and they get it. They invite women up to dance on stage. They encourage people to let loose and enjoy themselves.