By Amaranta Wright

Havana Rakatán – the story of Cuban music and dance in a two-hour theatrical extravaganza – is back in town for the fourth year on the trot.  Having enjoyed the show a couple of years ago, I thought I’d share the experience this time with my 3-year-old son. I remembered immediately why I had liked it; the buzz of colour, music and movement that flows from the stage as the dancers emerge is enough to cheer up the most miserable winter mood and infuses the spirit with energy. This is evidently why, every February, audiences flock to the show to make it one of Sadler’s Wells most popular.

We start with a contemporary scene from Havana’s sea front, El Malecón, where girls and boys flirt and tease in dance, and then we take a leap 500 years back in history, where it all began. A feisty Spanish flamenco queen struts proudly and defiantly, fending off the tribal African dancing and rhythms that slowly encroach and surround her. She succumbs, of course, at the same time entrancing and infusing all around her with her grace and beauty, and the scenes that follow show the cultural effect of this beautiful fusion of cultures.

You have the colonial countryside scenes of rituals and celebrations, and all the gossip and camaderie around them. There is a kind of a story line that begins, with a young couple meeting, courting and getting married and being sent off. The couple then arrives in Havana, where formalities dissipate and the loose morals and aggression of the big city challenge the couple. This is one of the nicest and more comical scenes, girls fighting each other, then the men fighting when temptation and jealousies play out and the Maniceros, peanut sellers, fighting over turf. But in the end, everyone forgets their feuds as the serious business of partying takes precedence. The choreography is clever and at times captivating, that is if you can manage to keep your eyes from following some incredible bodies, both male and female, that strut like thoroughbreds before you.

My son, mouth aghast most of the first half, was evidently delighted at the sights and sounds before him, especially the live band that accompanies the dancers. Though in the background and at times barely visible, the show would be much the poorer without the musicians. My son came out laughing and singing ‘Manííiiiii’ and eager to go back for more. The second half dances through the eras of Mambo, Chachacha, Jazz, with elegance and flare. The tempo and energy lifts Timba and finally touches on some light Reggaetón for a fun finale where the audience is encouraged to get up and take part.

This is a feel good show that is a must-see at least once. I can also vouch that it is an excellent way to pass a rainy afternoon for any kid above three who loves music. As for me, the show was no or very little different from what I’d seen two years ago, and probably not worth paying for a second visit. Some might criticize the show for becoming complacent. Then again, year on year, it gives audiences what they expect and want; great music, great dancing - Cuban style - and a tropical vaccine that might just get you through the winter months.