Music review: Sierra Maestra, Edinburgh

KICKING off the second half of this tremendous concert with the superb dance P'al monte, Sierra Maestra showed why they are named after the mountain range where the 1959 revolution was fought in Cuba's Oriente region, and where the island's national son music first emerged.

Back in the 1970s, when they were still university students, the band revived son for the late 20th century, their approach to this infectious Afro-Spanish hybrid paving the way for the success of Buena Vista Social Club.

Thirty-four years on and still looking dapper, these nine men (many of them founder members) have matured into the veterans they first emulated, their music resisting any tendency to stagnate.

Alongside rumbas, guaguancos, boleros, Latin Jazz and a very elegant danzn, many of the songs they performed came from their 2010 Latin Grammy nominated record Sonando Ya, with music composed by bassist Eduardo Himely for lyrics provided by other band members.

This was a night of pure pleasure, defined by the virtuoso trumpet of youngest member Yelfris Valds soaring against the zing of Emilio Ramos's tres guitar, over textured layers created by guro, maracas, claves, cowbell, and conga and bongo drums.

However much Sierra Maestra have performed around the world they retain the hallmark of all top Cuban bands: a capacity to entertain with quality music while obviously enjoying themselves on stage, celebrating each others talents and fuelling each others solos.

The final set of Carnival congas had almost the entire audience dancing.