The "Latin Invasion" took over the 92nd Street Y when Lucie Arnaz and a full Latin band saluted her father and the south-of-the-border music he helped popularize in the '30s, '40s and '50s. Babalu: The American Songbook Goes Latin — Featuring the Music of the Desi Arnaz Orchestra opened the 40th season of Lyrics and Lyricists.

Written and hosted by Lucie Arnaz, the genesis of the show came from 25 boxes holding hundreds of tapes found after her father's death in 1986. The recordings featured the original Arnaz vocalists, charts and arrangements, songs from the streets and traditions of Cuba as well as American standards with Latin arrangements, like "Temptation" and "Old Devil Moon." Arnaz's Cuban band merged Afro-Latin rhythms and a percussive beat with what he called the "lushness of Kostalanetz." He popularized the congo line.  Playing drums, guitar and adding vocals, he made numerous recordings with hit songs like "Cuban Pete" and "Babalu."  Regarding the latter, his daughter mentioned the influence of Santeria, also known as Yaruba, a Nigerian religion practiced in Cuba.  Margarita Lecuona wrote "Babalu" as a tribute to the religion, and this was adopted as the Desi Arnaz Orchestra theme song.

Lucie sculpted a sleek, rhythmic show, weaving in a brief history of Desi Arnaz who fled from Cuba to Miami during the Batista regime, his subsequent work with Xavier Cugat, his life in Miami, New York City and Hollywood. As he rode the wave of Latin band music in the United States, he found his greatest popularity came as Ricky Ricardo in the I Love Lucy television show with wife, Lucille Ball. Here his affable image helped change the previous image of Latino men as threatening and lazy.

Clad in a sequence of eye-catching dresses, Lucie Arnaz sang several of her father's songs like "El Cumbanchero" and "Quiereme Mucho" ("Yours").  Guests included charismatic Raúl Esparza, who injected his selections with charm, humor, and rhythm.  Esparza's delivery of "Granada" was rich with emotional ardor, and "caliente" was the word for the sensuous "Amor."  The temp rose to "mucho caliente" when Esparza sang "Similau," with dancers Mark Stuart Eckstein and Kristine Bendul's provocative, intertwining dance moves.  Guest Valarie Pettiford, unfortunately, seemed to be trying very hard to be sexy, something she doesn't have to work at. She had the rhythm, all right, but she sang with inappropriate melisma and occasional flatness. Desi Arnaz, Jr. was a welcome addition on drums at certain performances.

Led by Ron Abel, the new Desi Arnaz Orchestra looked dashing in white dinner jackets, evoking the look and sound of the glamorous big band days.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
Janaury 9, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org