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I think you need to look outside of NYC / USA.
Music changing.. of course. Evolution.. Development. Back to that old topic of timbalero's, no disrespect intended but there is no chance in hell the likes of Manny O, Tito P, even Marrero etc etc would have a hope in hell of cutting it with the likes of todays Van Van, Klimax, Pupy y Los Que Son Son, Havana D'Primera, NG La Banda and so many more.
As Puntilla put it so many years ago.. La timba no es como ayer! Europe has a hell of a Latin/Cuban scene, clubs galore with live music, same with where I live, gigs all over the place, plus music is constantly evolving and with it, whats needed to cut it.
Example, this passed weekend we wwere reunited with the international touring act from Cuba 'Buena Vista Bar' we jammed/rumba at the welcome bbq, then went back to my bro's house and jammed on with most the band til the early hours of the morning. Even these guys which are getting on in age, and continue to play the traditional stuff, but have also continued to develop and we played some of the heaviest styles coming out of the island today.
The tree continues to grow branches, while the roots are not lost and maintained nothing wrong with more branches developing.

Agreed, music is contantly evolving and morphing. The timba bands of today are definitely playing a highly evloved style of music, interestingly enough, IMO Timba did not necessarily evolve from salsa, but rather from the funkier charanga bands like Ritmo Oriental and van Van. Regrdless , it's incredible stuff, just like Son Montuno turned into salsa somewhere between Cuba , NY and PR, music is and always will be ( like food) the place where different cultures most freely blend and create new constantly evolving art forms.
PC

IMO Timba did not necessarily evolve from salsa, but rather from the funkier charanga bands like Ritmo Oriental and van Van.

The band that most seamlessly connects to Timba (an old term actually) is - to my ears - Grupo Afro-Cuba (not the Matanzas folklore group). Listen to the red LP's "Si pregunta por mi dile que vuelvo" or "Que sensación cuando la vi" for instance. So when I heard my first Timba numbers (NG, Klimax), they didn't sound that new to me, honestly.

It's also fun to check how the arrangers (Omar Hernández, Ramon Huerta and Oriente López) worked with the clave.

I don't know whether the record is out on CD; maybe not.

Greetings,

Thomas

True, I actually just ran across them the other day n Youtube, Irakere also comes to mind of course, fusionesque funky latin jazz. But the funky stylings or Oriental and the breaks undoubtedly influenced some of the timba arangers.

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