Joined by special guests in keyboardists Arturo O’Farrill and Silvano Monasterios, vocalists Jeremy Bosch and Manolo Mairena, flutist Eddy Zervigon, the Charanga Syndicate consists of Bello on acoustic and baritone violins, flutist David Santiago Jr.; keyboardists Alec Castro, César Orozco, Marcus Persiani, and Gabriel Chakarji; baby bassist Abraham Sáenz, conguero  Luis Mangual, multi-percussionist Manuel Márquez, and vocalists Luis Rosas and Alessandro Bello.

Ali Bello & The Charanga Syndicate will be released May 9, 2025 via Circle 9 Records, a hybrid, subscriber-supported independent label run by Grammy-winning trombonist and bandleader Doug Beavers. Splitting the difference between classics, like the rousing dance favorite “Guaripumpé,” and originals, like the rousing “Gina’s Groove,” this nine-song collection breathes new life into the charanga tradition for new audiences.

Lively, dynamic, and brimming with brash energy, charanga is a flute-and-violin–driven Cuban dance style that fused Spanish danzón with African influences before finding renewed force in New York’s Afro-Caribbean scene, evolving in symbiosis with Latin jazz and salsa.

Bello’s journey to charanga was anything but direct. At six, he picked up the violin, and marinated in music from all over the world — from reggae to salsa to rock and metal. After studying at El Sistema (the National System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela), then relocated to New York City, where he worked with ensembles like Los Jóvenes del Barrio and Orchestra Broadway. In the process, he immersed himself in a range of genres — pop, R&B, jazz, rock, salsa, and, ultimately, his beloved charanga.

It’s one thing to uphold tradition; it’s another to broaden its horizons and pen new pages to its story.  Thanks to charanga’s innate malleability and Bello’s caliber of artistry, the result is a perfect match. Partly by way of the Chamber Music of America’s New Jazz Works grant, the time was right for Bello’s Charanga Syndicate to step into the light.

The album kicks off with the aforementioned “Gauripumpé,” which demonstrates Bello’s facility in recasting the violin for roles traditionally assigned to the horn. Composed by Miguel Matamoras, the iconic son cubanosong “Son De La Loma” is adorned with a buoyant arrangement from Cuban pianist Sonny Bravo; in tandem with Bello’s sonorous catgut, Santiago’s jubilant flute flutters like birdsong. The cha-cha “Gina’s Groove” is a piquant tribute to Bello’s wife, in all her idiosyncrasies and sides. Multi-hyphenate O’Farrill lends his talents to “Emiliando,” which brilliantly accentuates the Latin jazz side of charanga’s equation.

“Tres (Y Dos),” featuring Mairena on vocals, is a contrafact of Cuban guitarist Guillermo Castillo’s “Tres Lindas Cubanas.” The title refers to the foundational clave rhythm: three beats in the first measure, two in the second. Another original keeps it in the family, “Amadeus’ Rhumba” reconstitutes elements of Chick Corea’s “Armando’s Rhumba” into an homage to Bello’s son. The Charanga Syndicate then tackles Cuban singer, guitarist, and composer Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffe’s 1937 hit “Bilongo,” featuring a truly dynamite solo from Bello. Featuring Monasterios on the mic, their take on Ernesto Lecuona’s “La Comparsa” splices musical DNA from Chucho Valdés’ “Mambo Influenciado is La Comparsa Influenciada.” Alí Bello & The Charanga Syndicate touches down with Moisés Simons’ “El Manisero,” — generally known as a son, recast in 7/8 that skips like a stone.

 “At some point, you realize, ‘This is mine!’ and you move beyond interpretation to create something that’s truly new,” Bello reflects in Michael Ambrosino’s liner notes. “You own the authority of what you’re doing.” Alí Bello & The Charanga Syndicate further underlines Bello’s authority in this music — not just in illuminating charanga’s past, but ushering this joy-springing sound into the future.

Source: Jazz Promo Services