Their music has none of the earsplitting noise characteristics of what youngsters call jamming, but they do use the same technique of improvisation in building on the mold of a standard material. Like chartering a course that leads to many destinations, they play covers with ad-libs intermittently thrown in for spice. Not only that, the eight gifted musicians of the Canadian-based Rumba Calzada sing with the right amount of swing, what with a lively interpretation of popular songs to the infectious Latin bear. Rene "Boying" Geronimo, Rapheal Geronimo and Kary Taylor on percussion, Rene Oliver Molina Santamaria on lead vocals, Nick Apivor on vibraphone, Ariel Lopez on bass, Vic Bongat on trombone, sax and flute and Mike Simpson on keyboards, lurch into some marvelous interplay of Latin music. We listened to their rendition of the immortal classic "Dahil Sa 'Yo" while engaging then in casual talk at Shangri-La Hotel Manila's Zu, where they have been booked to perform until the end of the month. "How's the accent?" Boying, the Filipino leader of the band asks. Well, there is no foreign twangs to it, even as the Castillian Oliver claims to have studied the lyrics of the Tagalog song in just one hour. In fact, the song is interpreted the customary way, until it segues into a swinging Latin cha-cha groove. Oliver was so taken in by the song that he plans to make a music video out of it. Which is not at all alien to the members of the band who have continually been opening up harmonic possibilities. "Our repertoire runs from traditional Latin to Latin jazz. We play covers of legendary Latino artists like Tito Puente, Gypsy Kings, Eddie Palmieri, El Gran Combo and, of course, our original compositions, says Boying, whose very own piece "Rumba Calzada, " after which the band was named, has climbed number eight on the charts of Miami, Florida's Top Ten. The Spanish song pays deepest respects to the Latin community for sharing with them their passionate music. Rumba, incidentally, is a ballroom dance of Cuban Negro origin which also means "Let's party!" to Cubans. Calzada, on the other hand, is a name of a street. The literal translation "street dance" could not be more fitting as their music could easily enjoin people on the streets to form conga lines. Also included in their playlise are such songs as Taylor Dane's "I'll Always Love You" which they have arranged with English and Spanish lyrics, Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately," Spyrogyra's "Morning Dance" and the Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow," which quickly transforms to the fast beat of the cha-cha, salsa, samba or lambada. Rumba Calzada has made a name in Canada where the members of the band, who were beforehand doing it alone if not with some other group, were brought together by an enthusiastic Latin community in Vancouver. They picked out the best musicians in town and came up with a pretty exciting lot. Boying Geronimo, who takes the lead with his Bata, bongs, congas and timbales, studied advanced percussion methods at Folclorico Nacional de Cuba in Havana, Cuba and was under master drummer Changuito. He cultivated more drum techniques from Boy's Harbour Center in New York and has worked with renowned percussionists Luis Conte (who has worked with Madonna, Steve Winwood and Path Metheney), Poncho Sanchez (Latin jazz band from Los Angeles) and Yomo Toro (Puerto Rican band from New York). He used to dance to the same Latin beat back in the 60s in the dance show "Dance With Chito." Raphael Geronimo takes from his father Boying his enthusiasm for the bongos, congas, drum set and timbales. A graphic artist, he plays congas regularly for the band BC Salsa and like his dad, visited Cuba and New York for extensive drum lessons and was also under master drummer Changuito. Oliver Molina Santamaria is known as the best Latin singer in Vancouver. He showcases his riveting performance with at least five bands. Nick Apivor, a graduate of the University of Victoria, has played a wide variety of music-rhythm and blues with Magazine and R&B band, jazz with N.O.W/ Orchestra and orchestral percussion with the Victoria Symphone. He has had extensive work in music theater, notably in the Tahmanous Theater production of Faust and concert production of Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. He also has a children's show, "African Fireside Tales, "which features his own compositions. Ariel Lopez studied at Escuela de Superacion de Ignacio Cervantes in Havana, Cuba. He performed with a young band called Fiebre Latina and now plays with four bands in Vancouver. Vic Bongat is a Filipino whose fluid playing and fine sense of humour has endeared him to Filipino groups in Vancouver. He freelances with Filipino bans and performs with a great salsa band in Vancouver. His 30 years in music includes stints with Carding Cruz, performances in Japan and the cruise ships for four years with a variety of music- reggae, calypso, disco, Dixieland and Broadway. Kary Taylor grew up Oakland California before moving to Vancouver after graduating from dental school in San Francisco 15 years ago. His love for Latin music has been rekindled in recent years by Rumba Calzada where he also does backup vocals. Mike Simpson is the only native born Canadian in the band that has studied jazz in Boston at the Berkeley and Harvard schools of music and at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. He is a respected studio musician who often plays with Victoria's big bands. It's been an eight-way marriage for the band, with each member contributing to the company's near-perfect harmony. Joining them for a wild ride at the Zu is upcoming singer Annabelle Bosch who used to sing for a reggae band."

- by Cora Lucas, June 14, 1995