Cuban music, Breakdance showdown, Partial-frontal nudity, Afro-do’s, Shower caps, Glitter jump suits and 38,000 viewers.

Truly a class act executed by “The Cuban Brothers” on a cloudy afternoon in Trafalgar Square as the NFL rang in the official fan rally before the 49ers vs. Broncos game for the following day. Not sure what I was going to expect as I watched these two middle-aged and one younger performer flock out to the center of the stage in their fiery red, grey, pink, and glittery skin tight, jump suits that were just a little too snug. They began to dance from side to side in unison and chant Cuban song melodies out of tune while looking absolutely ridiculous. Then the lead vocalist introduced the newest addition to the trip group, as his “son”, as he pointed to a younger Japanese male wearing an afro wig. This may just be about the most comical, full-package performance I’d witness in a very long time.

Out of no where, the younger male in the afro begins to breakdance with a series of complex combinations and tricks. The other middle-aged man wows the crowd as he is of heavy set but still manages to break into a b-boy freeze. Lastly, the lead vocalist tears off his shirt to reveal a quite pudgy and protruding gut to the audience as he apologizes that he doesn’t have a six-pack but knows he’s “sexy”. After that prompt display of dance moves, the younger male runs to the side to work the turntables. The other two are capturing the audience’s interest as they make use of the entire stage with high energy, and keep in mind one of them is wearing a glittery shower cap during this whole performance.

After a while of jumping along to their music down in the crowd, I look around and notice everyone else was too. We’ve never heard of this trio, they make us feel a little awkward, and their performance is avant garde, yet we are all captivated. True performers that can make use of the entire stage with enough effort and energy can captivate viewers’ interest even if the performance is a complete, random combination of stunts. At first I thought these guys were nuts and that their accents were fake. But after engaging in their performance, I was stunned and could only accept that it was talent even if it was bizarre.

Briget Phung
UCSD