Grey skies, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, Sunday night telly and a wonderful autumn mojito

Abundance: Sunday 3 November

Look at this pile of nonsense. 3 days behind and 5 days ahead where the sky is unbroken grey; where not even the punctuation of a white cloud will be tolerated.

Yesterday, I ate a biscuit by the beach, which helped. I admired the gorgeousness of the just-flowering pineapple sage which lifted my spirits, and this morning I pinched a few good tops from the fresh mid-autumn growth on the apple mint to make an all but essential mojito; a bolt of summer in the gloom.

Pineapple sage

26 years ago, living in London, I spent a birthday Sunday with a friend; a delicious window of sunshine, mojitos and tapas. I got home somewhat over-refreshed. The South Bank Show looked like the best of a bad TV choice. It was about a resurgence in Cuban music. I knew all but nothing about Cuban music. All that was about to change.

A young band leader, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, had tracked down and gathered together long retired musicians from the heyday of Cuban music: octogenarian pianist Ruben Gonzalez, bass player Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez, singers Ibrahim Ferrer, Pío Leyva, Manuel ‘Puntillita’ Licea and numerous others. In a single three week period they (joined by others including Ry Cooder) recorded three extraordinary albums: their debut album as the Afro Cuban All Stars, followed by the Buena Vista Social Club album that went bonkers across the world, and then Ruben Gonzalez’ incredible solo album¹.

I couldn’t quite believe how entirely magical the music pouring out of my TV was. This is from it, with band leader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez in the maroon suit and beret.

Those voices; that music. Below, from that South Bank Show: 5 minutes of joy.

I woke up feeling not overly special. I remembered the music: I would get the CD on the way to work. Somehow I made it to the tube. I fell asleep. In a fug, eyes still closed, I heard the announcement of the stop after my intended change. I could go a different way. I opened my eyes. A man was sat opposite. He was wearing a maroon suit with a red beret, dreadlocks like fat cigars. It was Juan de Marcos Gonzalez. I must still be asleep, or maybe I had drunk more than I thought.

‘Aren’t you…?’

We chatted, knocked sideways by the crazy coincidence. I told him how much his music had moved me, and thanked him for sharing the brilliance of these geniuses with us all. They were playing the Royal Festival Hall in a few months, he told me; tickets were going on sale the next day. I rang the box office: a dozen tickets were reserved with my name on them.

It was one of the great gigs, and one of the great nights.

I fell in love with Cuban music. I called a number Juan had given me and spoke with ‘Cachaito’ the bass player - he was running an informal upright bass class in a club in Stockwell that week, and all I needed was to hire a double bass for the day, but it seemed that everyone else had the same idea and there was nowhere with one free. I had the complete joy of seeing Ibrahim Ferrer (he with the pale flat cap in the film) a while later at the Royal Albert Hall. I got married to the sound of La Sitiera by Omara Portuondo, which instantly reduces me to a pile of rubble. I owe the mojito, late Sunday night telly and Juan de Marcos Gonzalez a great deal.

The mojito is perhaps my favourite cocktail. However briefly, it turns a grey sky blue and a blue sky bluer. And every time I drink one - this grey day included - I raise it to Juan de Marcos Gonzalez for the music and for that night, and for giving the world more years of those great musicians.

Apple mint, new growth over old

Autumn ginger apple mojito

The mojito was invented in Cuba, and originally called El Draque, in honour of Sir Francis Drake². Its traditional ingredients are white rum, lime, mint, sugar and soda water. Much ice is essential.

Of the many variations on that sweet, sour, floral, fresh, punchy original I’ve come up with, this is right up there, inspired as it is by cutting back the apple mint this weekend, and wanting a brightening presence in this grey week. All the contrasting elements are there, with some in different clothing: syrup from a jar of stem ginger in place of sugar, apple mint instead of Moroccan, ginger ale and apple juice in place of soda water.

Serves 1

50 ml golden or white rum³
2 tbsp syrup from a jar of stem ginger
2 tbsp lime juice
6 tips of mint, ideally apple mint
equal quantities of apple juice and ginger ale, to taste

Autumn ginger apple mojito

Slap the mint between your palms to encourage the essential oils to release and become more fragrant. Using a cocktail shaker or glass with a long spoon, shake/stir the rum, mint, syrup, ice and lime together. Pour into a tall glass and add equal quantities of apple juice and ginger ale to taste: I like roughly thirds of the iced ingredients, apple juice and ginger ale.

Drink outside, as I did, in the drizzle and grey, and be immediately uplifted.

1. Recorded live, without overdubs, in two days. Ry Cooder said of Gonzalez that he was ‘the greatest piano soloist I have ever heard in my entire life. A Cuban cross between Thelonious Monk and Felix the Cat’. Amen.

2. Not, as I once said when doing a show demo, Sir Charlie Drake

3. I haven’t tried this non-alcoholic rum but have heard excellent reports, if booze-free is your way