Original image by There Stands the Glass.
A celebrated trio of Cuban, Senegalese and Venezuelan musicians made the right music at the perfect time at The Old Church on Thursday, March 12. I shuttled to the venue in downtown Portland from an expectant situation at a hospital.
Performing joyous music intended to provide devotional uplift and sensual stimulation, Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and Gustavo Ovalles fortified me with courage and positivity for almost two hours. I paid $35 to join the near-capacity audience of about 250 to hear the ensemble also known as SUBA Trio.
The blend of Afro-Cuban funk, spiritual jazz and West African roots music was bolstered by uncommon showmanship. Crowd-pleasing antics were balanced by Ovalles’ righteous rhythms, Sosa’s spectacular jazz chops and Keita’s kora mastery and heavenly voice. The latter element intertwined with my fervent prayers.