Son Ache

Son Ache
Aprovechame…!
By David Dacks

The second album by one of Toronto’s rootsiest Latin bands is a winner. Tight arrangements of son, guaracha and majestic danzóns and boleros hit hard everywhere. Even when love is the focus, Son Ache never devolve into florid salsa romantico. The compositional strength and ensemble playing of this veteran band carry the day every time. A secret weapon is award winning Cuban producer Joaquin Betancourt Jackman, who ensures balance to all frequency ranges. His arrangements are rich but the mix remains light and airy, which allows the pulsating baby bass lines and hypnotic tres to cut through, as they should. When a band is 11 pieces strong, this spatial sense is all too important. Jazzy flourishes comment on the rhythm and vocals in a sometimes unusual way. The gossamer muted trumpets of “Tu Recuerdo” save the song from becoming maudlin. For the majority of the album, save for a few slower numbers, this is superb dance music. Son Ache are a fine band, in the tradition but also very contemporary sounding. (Independent) - Exclaim.ca

"It's been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Son Aché, not only for their professionalism and charisma as a consolidated band, but through their music, which allows us to travel to far off places and intimate places within our Latin culture."
-Oscar Rangel, Telelatino Network Inc,. Toronto, February 2007
- Oscar Rangel

"The energy and rhythm brought people who had never danced before, tapping their fingers until they could not help themselves. In the midst of the wonderful was the magical voice of the musicians, who dancing at the beat of their own heart moved even those who swore were unmovable…"
- Isabel Cisterna, Neruda Productions 2007
- Isabel Cisterna

“… a set-up engineered specifically for dance-floor demolition.”
-Matt Galloway, NOW Magazine 2004
- Matt Galloway

"One wicked Latin dance band!"
-Jane Houghton, Toronto.com, February 2002
- Jane Houghton

Toronto Notes
Cervejaria silenced

by: David Dacks July 09, 2009 12:00 PM Comments: (0)
Compay Segundo (left) and Cristian Salidivia of Son Ache at Cervejaria
Long before Ossington became a destination, and even before College Street became a strip, Cervejaria (at 842 College) was one of downtown Toronto’s westernmost outposts for live music. On Friday (July 10), one of Toronto’s key locations for Latin music hosts its final live music act: the venerable Cuban dance band Son Aché, who filled the club to capacity and beyond on Fridays for several years.

Cervejaria doesn’t have the status of a legendary venue like, say, the Horseshoe. This may be partly because it is as much a restaurant as a bar, but it’s more likely due to its non-rock 'n’ roll rep. In the mid-1990s, it hosted reggae and ska bands, but hit its stride booking Latin bands by the end of the decade. It’s the kind of venue that puts lie to the lazy concept that there is one single music scene in Toronto.

It became a major destination for Toronto’s Cuban population, which exploded in the mid-'90s. The Facebook event page for the final blowout features testimonials along the lines of “I came to Canada in such-and-such year and Cervejaria was like a second home to me.”

For fans of Latin music, whether live or DJed, the dancehall factor is as important as the music in making or breaking a nightspot. Cristian Saldivia, the leader of Son Aché, says, “A lot of the other clubs, if you want to go out on the floor, there were professional dancers and you felt a bit intimidated, but Cervejaria never had that. If you wanted to dance, if you wanted to drink, it didn’t matter, it was just very friendly and open. There was no prejudice.”

From 1998 until 2006 Son Ache was Cervejaria’s main attraction. Saldivia recalls a host of internationally famous musicians sitting in with the band, or just soaking up the atmosphere. Buena Vista Social Clubbers Eliades Ochoa and Compay Segundo both passed through, and Ralph Irizarry and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez all paid their respects, sometimes hightailing it to the club directly after performances at Massey Hall.

But a recent change in ownership, combined with the current economic climate and inevitable changes in taste, has brought this scene to an end. “Now every club follows the same direction which is to cut down on musicians, which cuts down on the caliber of bands performing," Saldivia says. "Cervejaria unfortunately followed that as well.” Saldivia believes Cervejaria is going to continue as a restaurant only; nobody at the venue was available for comment, despite several attempts at making contact.

With dance academies springing up all over Toronto, there are more and more potential fans for the kind of experience Cervejaria delivered for so many years, even if the financial viability of large bands waxes and wanes over time. While Lula Lounge built on Cervejaria’s momentum, venues that cater to Latin dance — whether live or DJed — are hidden in plain sight on many major downtown and midtown thoroughfares, to say nothing of the rest of the GTA. If the true picture of Toronto’s musical economy is to be painted, places like Cervejaria form part of this much larger tableau.
- Eye Weekly .com