If a singer or musician records in Cuba, he/she isn't necessarily providing salsa and Afro-Cuban music. Cuba is best known for the music that came to be termed salsa (a convenient umbrella term for everything from son and cha-cha to mambo, danzón, and guaguanco), but it also has its share of Latin popsters -- one of whom is
X Alfonso. After making a name for himself in Cuba with the band Síntesis, the singer launched a solo career with
Real World, which was recorded in Havana in October 1999. The term Latin pop can be used to describe a lot of different styles -- everything from cutesy, assembly-line teen-pop to Latin adult contemporary to adventurous, cutting-edge risk-takers like
Alfonso. And make no mistake:
Alfonso takes risks on
Real World, which finds the expressive vocalist/composer combining Latin pop with elements of funk, hip-hop, and jazz.
Alfonso (whose real name is Equis Alfonso) also brings Afro-Cuban rhythms to this reflective CD, although he employs them in a very subtle fashion. A promising debut,
Real World indicates that
Alfonso deserves to be better known outside of Cuba. ~ Alex Henderson