The one good thing about this song – the band pronounce Cuba like “kooba”, not “kyewba”. Apart from that, it’s a novelty hit – a Latin flavoured cover of Dragon’s pub rock hit. Not that there’s no place in the world for novelty cover versions, but this one is just a little uninspired.
The video action takes place on a suburban Auckland beach, where the band and their friends have a big beach festival. Things then move to a night club where the band set up, before it all explodes into a giant ‘April Sun in Cuba cha-cha-cha sexy senorita dances the forbidden dance’ fest.
I wonder if the band (and NZ On Air) imagined this would be an accessible gateway into getting the world of Latin music in the pop charts, only for Kantuta to evolve into their natural form as event entertainment. Well, perhaps they paved the way for the Buena Vista Social Club.
Best bit: the April sun in Mission Bay.
Next… preaching at the markets.
Kantuta were one of the featured bands in the CCC-sponsored New Year’s Eve party in the square in 92/93 (I’m never sure which year is the correct one to use – it was 31 December 1992).
I remember thinking that their pronunciation of “Cuba” was a sign that we were heading into more sophisticated times. I was just about to start university.