The crowd at Confederation Park was slightly smaller than previous nights, as the seemingly innocuous Spanish Harlem Orchestra set up on stage in preparation to play. As I sat down to dig into a pre-show poutine, I noticed a small dance floor had been set up a little ways away from the stage and couples were idly practicing some dances moves in preparation for the show.
The sprawling ensemble finally took the stage, all 13 of them, filling in behind their staggeringly diverse range of instruments which included everything from an electric double bass to a flute. At the centrepiece of the ensemble stood three pleasant and radiantly charming older gentlemen.
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra has quite the respectable reputation given that they’ve won two Grammy awards, and been nominated for many others, for bringing the sweet, not so bygone sounds of New York City brand salsa around the world.
After a brief introduction, the orchestra began to play their first song and the crowd exploded with energy. Standing onlookers began dancing uncontrollably as those who had some formal salsa dance instruction began gleefully showing off their moves.
The three gentlemen who stood at the front of the group in their matching muted grey button up shirts and black slacks turned out to be some supremely talented singers. They belted out fiery three-part harmonies in blisteringly fast, sultry Spanish that got the crowd even more excited.
What’s more, these talented gentlemen complemented their vocal harmonization with some perfect coordination when it came to dance moves. Spinning, tapping, and stomping around in lock step with the beat of the percussion section, the more flamboyant movements were highlighted with the blaring of horns from the brass section at the back of the stage.
Before long, the tiny dance stage looked pitiful as the entire area where the crowd had once been sitting had turned into a massive, muddy dance floor. Audience members young and old, experienced and inexperienced, got up and shook their stuff to the vibrant and energetic salsa music. People traded partners and just looked to be having the best of times no matter who they were dancing with.
There were also some supremely talented soloists who were all given the chance to play; everyone from the saxophonist to the flutist were given the chance to showcase and flaunt their talents at the front of the stage. The singers also retired for a couple numbers as some more traditional jazz pieces composed by the group’s ring leader, Oscar Hernández, were performed.
The singers returned for the energetic finish and when they implored the crowd to get up and dance, much to my amazement, everyone did. For the first time I’d seen at Jazz Festival the whole crowd was up and waving their arms, shimmying, and living it up, letting the Latin rhythms overtake them.
The groups performance was a splendid complement to this hot, muggy Tuesday evening in Ottawa. The performance conjured images of sprawling block parties, children playing in fire hydrants to escape the summer heat, and live bands playing music just like this under the stars and well into the night.
