this was the year things got interesting. we played at this stage by the london eye, then in the night procession: 2 singers (maurizio ravalico and osvaldo chacon) a 10-piece horn section, percussion (lots), a suite of songs. chan-chan, sandunguera, que viva changó, some chants for ochún, blen blen blen. a sequence of ascending tempos with the rhythms of guajira, songo, son-montuno, batá and the conga; a plan that set the style of presentation over the next 5 years. each section of dancers would come forward for the music that they had choreographed, and the set would begin again in parade as soon as it had finished. dancers don’t get tired, musicians don’t get tired, audience gets variety. a win win win situation. visit mandinga’s photo gallery for more of a flavour.
rotc with mandinga arts @ thames festival 2004