by Brice Boorman
Victoria Cardona’s debut album Que Pasó is a richly orchestrated celebration of her Cuban‑American roots. The eleven tracks showcase her talents as a guitarist, vocalist and composer while drawing on a cadre of seasoned musicians to flesh out each track’s distinctive colour.
Opening with “Que Pasó En La Habana,” the listener is greeted by a buoyant clave‑driven groove anchored by Kevin Ricard’s authentic percussion, Rene Camacho’s resonant baby bass, and the warm swell of Tim Goodman’s organ, while Cardona’s layered guitars weave through the mix alongside San Miguel Perez’s authentic Cuban tres and Francisco Torres’s brassy trombone, all enriched by flutes and saxophones from Justo Almario.
The album’s subsequent songs continue this collaborative dynamic. “Ghost” expands the sonic palette with Jimmy Haslip’s fluid bass lines, Bill Payne’s piano‑organ interplay, and Cardona’s dual role on lead and rhythm guitars plus piano. Her singing is joyful and full of world music charm. “George From Heaven” highlights guitars, baby bass and marimbas, letting us enjoy Cardona’s singing and vocal harmonies delight above a very danceable Latin backdrop.
On “Me Voy Pa La Playa” and “Camarena Baila,” her multi‑instrumental abilities shine as she handles guitar, bass, drums, percussion and piano, supported by Haslip’s deep bass foundation and Goodman’s organ‑synth textures, creating a blend of tropical rhythm and contemporary soul. Her authentic Cuban rhythmic accents in her vocals line up with the ensemble perfectly to make you want to move and smile.
The playful “Rhodes Royale” offers a breezy, steel‑drum‑tinged respite, while the heartfelt rendition of “Dos Gardenías” pays homage to Isolina Carrillo with a lush arrangement featuring Payne’s piano, Almario’s saxophone‑clarinet duet and Cardona’s gentle guitar work and captivating singing.
“Tuesday Rain” and “Slow Burn” introduce richer horn sections with Bill Bergman and Nick Lane on sax and trombone, paired with synth‑laden organ layers. These melodies underscore Cardona’s knack for balancing melodic intimacy with expansive embellishments, all with impeccable tone.
“El Carretero,” a spirited tribute to Guillermo Portabales and “Spanish Moon,” a soulful Lowell George cover; offer a reflective finale, bringing the ensemble full circle. Every musician, from the driving drums of Jimmy Branly to the nuanced percussion of Kevin Ricard, contributing to a cohesive narrative that feels deeply rooted in Cuban and Latin jazz roots resonant.
Throughout Que Pasó, Cardona’s voice remains the connective thread, moving effortlessly between warm, conversational verses and soaring, emotive choruses, while the collective expertise of her collaborators transforms each composition into a vivid tableau of Afro‑Cuban rhythm, jazz‑inflected harmony and contemporary songwriting.
The result is an album that is crafted to give a genre‑spanning portrait of an artist who, while rooted in tradition, confidently charts her own world music course.
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