Olé! at the Frog

When one talks of reggae, rumba, tango or flamenco in India, one immediately thinks of the dances which have become really popular thanks to dance reality shows on TV. However, the music itself is never really talked about, and that’s exactly what the Spanish band Jaleo Real tried to draw attention to when they played at Blue Frog on May 19 and 20. And boy, did they succeed at it and how!

Vocalist & flautist Sito Barbero , drummer Daniel Bianchi, bassist & keyboardist Tito Bonacera and Kike Barbero with his flamenco guitar spun magic over the crowd at the Frog last Thursday. Their music was the real rumba – full of joy and energy! – and this was successfully passed onto the crowd which danced and clapped and hooted along to the beats. Their songs, all in Spanish, were about daily life in simple terms, but with a brilliant rhythm and musical structure. The Frog was full of couples doing the rumba or the tango as the band played along. The best part is, the band was having as much fun performing as the crowd was seeing them perform. Sito’s occasional namastes and shukriyas were a little cheesy, yes, but thankfully the songs he broke into more than made up for it.

One of the best-known street rumba and urban Barcelona sounds, Jaleo Real play an urban style with new flavours. The name of the band comes from the Jaleos — the name for a festive expression in flamenco, clapping and animated voices of the singers, such as “olé!” Their sound though has its own distinct stamp, and incorporates elements of reggae, rumba, tango, flamenco, Cuban and hip-hop. During their trip to India, the band is also promoting their recently released third album El Griterio (the Shout)

Here’s looking forward to catching them again in Mumbai. This time, ofcourse, I won’t forget to carry along my dancing shoes!