Album Notes

Vincent Fuh, piano
Nickolas Moran, bass
Francisco Martinez, drums
Jamie Ryan, congas and bata

El Clan Destino is a unique Afro-Cuban band from Madison, Wisconsin. Its members boast training and experience across a wide variety of musical genres, but their common bond is a love of contemporary Cuban popular, folkloric, and jazz music. Wisconsin would seem an unlikely place for this type of band to emerge, but the groundwork had already been laid by earlier very popular area latin jazz and salsa groups that enjoyed tremendous success in the latin music boom of the 90’s. The ten piece salsa ensemble Madisalsa is where Vincent Fuh and Nickolas Moran honed their skills at tumbao, the characteristic patterns that all latin pianists and bassists need to know. Jamie Ryan, a master of Cuban hand percussion, had worked with Tony Casteneda’s Latin Jazz Sextet. Fuh, Moran, and Ryan are all top flight jazz artists as well, performing frequently in area jazz clubs and annual festivals. Francisco Martinez, the newest Madison resident, came from Tampa Bay, Florida, where he received accolades playing an exceptionally dynamic drums in Gumbi Ortiz’s Latino Projeckt. Shortly after Martinez arrived in Madison, they knew they had potential to create something very special.

The group began very humbly, with modest intentions of exploring current latin jazz repertoire by composers/performers like Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdez, and Chano Dominguez. Soon afterwards, however, they realized they wanted to explore different avenues, all the while paying homage to latin music traditions. They wanted the energy and edge of rock and funk, combined with the discipline of Cuban styles and depth of Spanish flamenco.

What they created is a sound that’s not easy to categorize but very easy to enjoy. El Clan Destino’s success stems largely from their ability to appeal across different musical tastes. Audiences at their shows include young and old: fans of hip hop, rock, classical, jazz, and of course latin music.

N.B.: The song order on the CD packaging is incorrect. "Salome" comes before "Smite". The remaining songs are listed in the correct order on the packaging.