Montuno West is a Canadian musical collective that plays Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban music, and so much more. “It started out as a small project we had going on the side,” says bassist Rubim de Toledo.
“The group’s been together for a while, but informally. A couple of years ago, we decided that we wanted to record. We made our first record. And the more we played together, the more we realized it’s something we are interested in.”
Other opportunities followed: performing, more recording. Now the group consists of five musicians: Chris Andrew (piano), Rubim de Toledo (bass), Raul Tabera (percussion / vocals), Luis Tovar (drums / vocals), and Israel “Toto” Berriel (vocals / percussion). Geography has sometimes made it difficult for the band to get together, since two of the band-members are in Calgary, two are in Edmonton, and Berriel lives in Vancouver.
de Toledo says, “When we do have gigs, and we are all together in the same place, we take some extra time to get together and work on new ideas.”
“We are becoming more and more serious about the project,” says de Toledo. He describes the group’s sound as “Latin jazz that’s heavily focused on Afro-Cuban music.” However, he’s quick to add, “There’s a lot of nuance that’s missed in those labels. If we apply for festival, and we say ‘Latin,’ people think it’s going to be a dance party, but sometimes it’s not a dance party. Sometimes it’s more like concert music.”
Good music is good music, though, and audiences have been responsive to the band’s recordings and performances. “A lot of what we do is rooted in Afro-Cuban folklore. Folkloric music that’s been modernized. It’s a modern sound. And this music is a great sound to have at a folk festival! It’s just music, right?”
As the band looks forward to spring and summer gigs, de Toledo says that there may be special guests on stage with Montuno West, but he can’t reveal any names just yet. Spring shows in Edmonton and Calgary will be followed by summer festival performances in Medicine Hat and Calgary. de Toledo also mentions the Ottawa Latin-Jazz Festival in September as one the group is particularly excited about.
Count on Montuno West to continue exploring the wide world of Latin jazz—and more—when they tour and record in the future. Says de Toledo, “It’s a unique avenue, musically, for us!”
Learn more about the group and see concert dates at montunowest.com
