By Emily and Sid Heilbraun
Topic: Reviews
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On a recent visit to Merida, my wife and I along with friends were walking home from Noche Mexicana and upon hearing what sounded like great salsa music at a distance we stumbled upon the club/restaurant El Cumbanchero. As a musician that plays Latin music in the states, and a huge Cuban music fan, I was totally amazed. Within minutes I was (as they say) “pinching myself”. I could not believe where I was and what I was listening to! After talking with the waiter I learned that the club was owned and operated by Ruben Gonzales the II and the III, the son and grandson of the late Ruben Gonzales. Ruben Gonzalez, the original, was born in 1919 in Cuba and was the piano player in the film, Buena Vista Social Club. As those of you who saw the film may remember, Gonzalez was an accomplished musician who played with various bands for about forty years throughout Latin America, before retiring in the late 80’s. Ry Cooder and the Buena Vista Social Club brought him out of retirement in 1996. He released his first solo album on Ry Cooder’s label, World Circuit, at the age of 78! He and the others won a Grammy for the Buena Vista Social Club and he continued to play to even bigger and more appreciative audiences until he died in 2003. Cubanchero was one of his most famous songs, and it is the namesake of his son’s and grandson’s club here on Paseo de Montejo.

The walls of El Cumbanchero, the dance club, are covered by memorabilia of the late musician, including Grammy awards, platinum records, photos, magazine and newspaper clippings.

Tearing myself away from the memorabilia on the wall, I was able to find and introduce myself to Ruben Gonzales the III. Even though my Spanish is as weak as his English, we quickly recognized that we had a shared love of the music and though we couldn’t communicate much, we agreed that we will play music together in the future!

My wife and I sat down at one of the tables set up around a dance floor in front of a bandstand. The first band to play that night was a group of older statesman of Cuban music. These guys could really play! The music was traditional Cuban all the way and was played to perfection. It was obvious to me that they had been doing this their whole lives.

The second band was a seven piece “cookin” salsa band. Ruben Gonzalez II was the piano player who obviously picked up his skills from his father, and Ruben Gonzalez III was playing congas. They were fabulous!

We danced the night away and I had to be dragged out of there after hours of some of the best live music I’ve heard in a long time. I will never forget that night and I look forward to having many more nights there as we continue to visit Merida and plan for our eventual move. That night was yet another reason we feel such a strong connection to this wonderful city.

How fortunate we were to discover El Cumbanchero and how fortunate residents of Merida are to have such a special and talented family living and performing there regularly.

We will be back and can’t wait!

Editors Note: El Cumbanchero is located on Paseo de Montejo at the corner of Calle 39 (across from Triunfo). Not only do they serve up some very special music, but they also serve dinner. The food is authentic Cuban and Mexican cuisine. They have a full bar, of course, and are open from 7 pm til 2 am, Tuesday through Sundays. The live music plays every night starting at 10 pm until 2 am. There is no cover charge, and dinners (without drinks) cost about $80 pesos per person.

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