Before the Cuban revolution in 1959, there was a lot of musical contact between Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean," says Natty Bo, lead singer of the 12-piece band Ska Cubano. "But this was lost after the revolution.

"We wanted to recapture something lost in musical history and explore what would have happened if the cultural and musical interchange between the two musical hotspots of Cuba and Jamaica had never stopped."

Formed by Natty Bo, a white Londoner who speaks with a Jamaican accent, and Peter A Scott, an investment specialist bored with finance and in love with Cuban music, Ska Cubano fuses exuberant Cuban melodies with danceable Jamaican ska beats.

Back in 2001, the two men travelled to Cuba in search of musicians to help them re-invent musical history. There they met "a crazy, charismatic mambo singer" Beny Billy who was busking on the streets of Santiago de Cuba as well as Megumi Mesaku, "one of the world's top ska saxophonists".

They also encountered the legendary trumpet player Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton who has played with Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and veteran rock and reggae drummer Dr Sleepy.

The songs were rehearsed and arranged in a yard in Santiago de Cuba before Natty Bo went into the studio to record the rhythm section. Songs were recorded in groups before the final choices for the band's first self-titled album were made.

"All in all it was about three weeks of recording and over two years of rehearsing" says Natty.

"It took a long time because we had to learn about the rehearsal process and about the strengths of the musicians.

"The recording process for our second album ÁAy Caramba! was easier because we had better equipment and a new drive to explore more music."

ÁAy Caramba! is more musically adventurous than its predecessor. Forties and Fifties Colombian cumbia rubs shoulders with Haitian merengue, afro-rumba and ska calypso.

Ska Cubano will be playing material from their first two albums as well as (rumour has it) songs for their forthcoming third album in Brighton, having previously played such far-flung corners of the world as Mexico and Korea.

The band's penchant for snazzy suits and canes brings a touch of Fifties dandyism to their performances and their wild dancing and comedic antics are difficult to forget.

Yet Natty admits Ska Cubano's eclectic musical agenda is confusing for music programmers.

"It's hard getting good gigs, but once we've got the gigs, the reaction is phenomenal," he says.

  • Starts 8pm, tickets £12.50 (£10 concs). Call 01273 709709.