Norwegian Orchestra Does the Cha-Cha-Cha & Other Cuban Classical Style Dances

I believe most of todays' pop music, be it hip-hop, R&B, jazz, etc... is heavily influenced and rooted in Cuban music. Understanding that Cuban music is a combination of Afro-beat and our own indigenous sounds and rhythms, is crucial to appreciating the sampling and role it plays in our tunes.

My mom recently showed me this video of An der shoned blauen Donau doing the Cha Cha Cha, a classic Cuban dance, to Johann Strauss's El Danubio Azul. 

I found their rendition of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 to be incredibly moving--sounding as if our friend Paquito D'Rivera, Arturo Sandoval and other Cuban Maestros, were playing each note. 

The timbales player kills it and must be Cuban!

How about the Nutcracker's Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy? Simply Beautiful. 

I've seen the LSO live in Florida. I've seen Wynton with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, among other  world-class symphonies and orchestras. But this ensemble plays our music the way it's intended: with gusto, passion and inhibition. They do our beloved musical genres true justice. 

I found it genius. Classic. And, I'm inspired to pick up my cello and play around with the music native to my household and soul. Y con sabrosura!

Viva la musica Cubana!