Guy's world music gigs #1

Went down to Cargo in Rivington Street, Shoreditch, last night. A friend of a friend was promoting a club night, the main draw being Ska Cubano.

Pretty cool sounds, with a large band of two sax, trombone, horn, guitar, drums, bongo drums, keyboard, cello and bass. That's not counting the two singers (bedecked in shiny white suits and berets) and one body recording it all on camera. If you've been down to Cargo, you'll know the stage isn't particularly big. How they managed to get several members from the audience up there as well and still dance, I don't know.

Pretty good sound too. It was recognisably ska (but not in an Ian Drury or Madness sense) and yet the Cuban sounds were distinctive throughout. Cheerful music which was definitely not up itself. But an hour and a half was about right.

Odd crowd too. Some dressed in Hawaii shirts and shorts, others in traveller fare which hasn't been seen since the tree protests of the mid-1990s, complete with nose rings and mullets with the sides shaved off.

They're playing one more gig this weekend at the Tottenham reggae festival.