Sock It to Him

So you never heard of Suénalo, huh? That´s all right. Amin DeJesus, the band´s MC, acknowledges you latecomers and welcomes you to the party. On the intro of their self-titled CD, DeJesus exclaims, ¨For those who just tuned in... the name of the band is Suénalo. Say what you like; spell the name right.¨ This ten-member ensemble, born out of Little Havana, takes on a Miami heirloom the Afro-Cuban sound of South Florida´s past. But this isn´t just a jam band. It´s gluing together a sound made with chunks of Latin jazz, strips of hip-hop, pinches of R&B, and even a little minced ska. Whether you see the group live or hear its music on disc, it´s sure to cause uncontrollable foot-tapping and head-bobbing. The word suénalo itself means ¨sound it.¨ But any Spanish speaker, especially one versed in Miami Spanish, would tell you suénalo means ¨hit it¨ or, in this case, ¨sock it to ´em.¨ And that the group does. DeJesus is a natural on the mic as an MC and as a singer. Powerful yet sparing use of the trombone, along with sax, congas, and even the occasional conch shell, add to the naturally funky sound.