In his last release before joining the roster of the mighty Universal Latino,
Cesar Pedroso continues to travel further into the heart of what Cuban music can be. Live the diver who will go deeper than others and return with pearls of ever greater size, so it goes with
los Que Son, Son. Their third release,
Qué Cosas Tiene la Vida blazes a trail so boldly that few in the industry have the fortitude necessary to follow. The band sound, with a full horn section, strings, and unmatched rhythm section is so powerful that the music could collapse under its weight. Instead, due to the expert leadership of pianist
Cesar Pedroso, the group uses its mass to propel the music to levels of intensity that would be unreachable without the group's rocket-ship strength. The group's vocalists are appropriately youthful and exude a suave cockiness that is most appropriate to the timba genre. With expert soneros and coro alike, the complex arrangements don't want for pop accessibility. This record could be equally appreciated by both the jazz analyst and dancefloor salsero alike. As long as
Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso and
los Que Son, Son continue to record albums like
Qué Cosas Tiene la Vida, they will continue to be salsa's modern masters. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez