David Calzado is excited. The musical director and producer of Charanga Habanera-currently topping Cuba's charts for timba music, and considered to be the equal of groups like Buena Vista Social Club-is touring north of the border for the first time this month. The Straight caught up with him in Edmonton last week, and despite temperatures hovering just below zero in the Albertan metropolis, the man has nothing but great things to say. "Canadians are so welcoming," he says. "The show was amazing!" Calzado is reflecting on his group's performance at Lula Lounge in Toronto a few days earlier, noting that the crowd went crazy for his band's high-energy show, which revolves around reggaeton rhythms (a blending of hip hop and reggae fused with Latin-music sensibilities) and choreographed dance moves.

Calzado, whose 14-piece ensemble has been at the forefront of the Cuban music scene for the last 15 years, is clearly looking forward to performing at Vancouver's Croatian Cultural Centre this Saturday (November 5). "We can't wait," Calzado enthuses. "We've been in contact with friends and business associates there over the last while, and are looking forward to seeing them and giving them the show of the year."

The bandleader originally assembled Charanga Habanera in 1988 as a special project. A group of students from the Cuban music conservatory in Havana prepared a collection of 1940s and 1950s songs for a gig at the Sporting Club of Montecarlo. Cal?zado knew they had potential, agreed to oversee them, and paid extra-close attention to their technique and performance aptitudes. What started out as a one-off wound up as one of Cuba's top five bands, representing Latin music and culture all over the world. Charanga Habanera has played alongside music greats like James Brown and Frank Sinatra, and has always been well-received save for the odd mishap. (The band was temporarily suspended from performing in Cuba following an on-stage mooning incident that some members of the crowd did not appreciate.)

Charanga Habanera has since gone on to win a nomination for the Cuban equivalent of a Grammy Award and record more than 10 albums, including Charanguero Mayor, Chan Chan Charanga, and Me Sube La Fiebre, all widely loved pieces of work. "We take a bold approach to music," Calzado says. "We experiment and let things grow that way."