10 Winter 2000 - Bronx Conexion

Latin Percussionist
Issue 10
Winter 2000
Johnny Almendra: El jóven del barrio
by Victor Rendón
Covering a career of over 25 years,
drummer/percussionist Johnny Almendra
has been the anchor for many of New York
City’s top bands from Típica Ideal and
Fajardo to the bands of Willie Colón,
Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, and
Isidro Infante, to name a few. Founder of
his very successful group, Los Jóvenes del
Barrio, Johnny continues to perform and
teach others the value of respecting and
studying the history of Latin music and it’s
masters.
VR: Johnny, let’s start with your background and how you got into percussion.
JA: I was always influenced by music because of the radio. My parents also listened to a lot of records. We
listened to a lot of radio because we didn’t have television or anything like that. We had “La Hora Hispana”
on every day. On that hour they played tons of great music. That’s how I got into it. It was a great
environment that influenced me plus I knew a lot of musicians. We originally lived in El Barrio, then we
moved to DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn. My mother used to go to the Palladium and in those days people used
to go to the theater on Sunday. We would see a Mexican movie and there always used to be a show. It would
be César Concepción, Machito, or anybody else like that so it was easy to be attracted to the music. I had a
game. Whatever I heard I would imitate with sounds. I guess that was my way of escaping especially since I
didn’t speak English then (not that I speak English now). I also knew a lot of people that were involved in
music. My father was a composer, writer and also
played guitar. We heard all the great singers like
Inside This Issue
Bobby Capo, Daniel Santos, Mirta Silva y todo el
1
Feature: Johnny Almendra: El jóven
mundo (everybody).
del barrio
I used to listen to (Félix) Chappotín when I was a
2
Tumbao diferente # 6 by John Santos
kid. A woman named Trina used to take care of me
3
The Quinto “Cross” by David Peñalosa
during the day. There would a lot of great music in her
4
Solo Ideas for Timbales
5
Jibarito by Pazcual Villaronga
6
CD & Book Reviews
In this issue David Peñalosa continues to give us
some insight into the art of quinto playing. John
Santos (who has been with us since issue 1) brings
us some rhythmic concepts based on “three against
two.” Johnny Almendra is one of the busiest
percussionists in NYC. In this feature interview, he
shares his experiences and wisdom behind his
instrument.
LATIN PERCUSSIONIST
Issue 10, Winter 2000
Published by Tortilla Flat Music: Victor Rendón, editor
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
John Almendra
Greg Askew
Milton Cardona
Stann Ginn
Joel Litwin
David Meade
David Peñalosa
Bobby Reverón
Ken Ross
John Santos
Pazcual Villaronga
Latin Percussionist welcomes manuscript material, however, cannot assume
responsibility for them. Items must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped
envelope.
SUBSCRIPTIONS are $6.00 per year ( U.S. and Puerto Rico). Outside U.S. and P.R.,
rate is $10.00. Individual copies are $3.00 each
Tortilla Flat Music
Send all correspondence to:
TORTILLA FLAT MUSIC
P.O. Box 556
NY, NY 10116-0556
Website: www.latinpercussion.com
Note: Please do not copy this newsletter and give to your friends. Publications
like this will only survive through the support of its readers. ¡No Cuesta Mucho!
(cont. p.1)
place. She and others would be dancing all the time. It was a big party all the time in an innocent way. You couldn’t help
becoming influenced. I knew that I liked the music but I didn’t know that I was really going to play for a living until I was
already grownup. In my family, to play music was a joke. My mother used to say, “Tú vas hacer eso, cualquier hace eso,"
(You’re going to do that, anybody can do that). Anyone in my family could pick up a frying pan or something and play it.
Even my brother could play and he didn’t even practice. They would hear something and they could do it. So, I didn’t
really take it seriously because of that stigma put on you.
To make a long story short, I became involved with music. I was always researching, and became a collector of
records. I used to know Louie Bauzo when I was a kid and we used to trade records. This is like the 1960’s. By the late
1960’s I was already playing with small groups and really getting off playing and escaping into this world. I was living in
a horrible project building. So, the music was an escape. I kept on going and playing from one band to a better band. I
really didn’t know the correct way of playing, reading or anything else like that. I was playing everything by hear but
everyone else was like that except for the masters like Tito Puente and Machito. The Gene Krupa Story movie was another
influence. It made me want to have a life in music. I didn’t go to school to study music. I studied other things like
printing and graphic arts.
VR: Did you have any teachers?
JA: Oh yeah, the first guy that I went to was Lynn Oliver. He scared the hell out of me. At that time, I didn’t know
anything about notes. My first book was the Ralph C. Pace book. If you haven’t seen it, look at the first page. For
somebody’s first lesson, I looked at it and I went, “Ugh." I also went to Joe Cusatis and Charlie Persip (prominent jazz
drummers). Later I took lessons with Bob Bianco who passed away. He was a great teacher. He used to teach me the
Schillinder system, permutations, and theory. Another book I studied was the music theory book, Elementary Training for
Musicians by Hindemith. Those are books that they recommended, but when I looked at them I said, “Pero que es
esto?”(What is this?). It was very hard. It took me years to figure that shit out.
VR: Did you ever meet Ubaldo Nieto, the timbalero with Machito?
JA: I took one lesson with Uba. I had a friend who is still around. His name is Johnny Santana who used to play with
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2
Tony Pabon. He was a great reader. There was another guy named Marty Cartagena that played with Hector Rivera who
was also a very good reader. I was a pretty good reader at the time. I did not know too many cats that could read music.
Ubaldo Nieto was known as the man who did all that stuff. He used to work with Machito, Percy Faith, and all these legit
groups so that we said, “How can I get to do that?” By the time I went to him, I already knew how to read. The reason that
I went to him was because I wanted to meet him plus he was like a god to us. When I went to see him he was pretty old.
He was watching a Yankee’s game on television. I took my timbales out in his living room. He did some weird stuff like
taping my drums with masking tape. He said, “Esto está afinado (this is tuned), put the book down and let’s watch the
game.” He said that I was doing OK. He tuned the drums great. I never believed in putting tape. Years later, all the disco
drummers were putting tape on the drums. I never liked it, but I did leave that tape on the drums for many years because
they sounded so great after he did that.
As I was growing up as a teenager I used to go to the after hours and hang out. What they don’t have now, they had
then. You could go to several clubs a day if you wanted to. You could go to Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx.
Musicians didn’t have to travel so much in so those days because we had a lot of work in New York. As I got better, I
started working in coatrooms of different clubs just to see the bands. I would go to big dances at the St. George Hotel. I
also went to the Palladium in 1964 when I was about twelve dressed like an adult. “Parecia un bebe dentro un traje de
hombre” (I looked like a baby in the suit of a man). Plus, my sister was a great dancer. We used to dance in the house.
That was another thing. My mother and sister danced great. We used to have house parties. In those days the Latin
communities were tighter. If you were on the train and you saw your friend Omar, you might say, “We’re going to have a
party tonight. Come, bring the beer, he will bring the ice cream, and so and so will bring the cake. I will bring the “arroz
con gandules.” That night you would have a party at your place. So, you’re not only hearing the music but also the
ambiance of your culture.
VR: You worked with Willie Colón. Tell us how you got in and it’s experiences.
JA: I was already playing with some known charanga bands. I had already been through Charanga 76, Novel, and
subbing in Orquesta Broadway. There was a good band called Típica Ideal. That band was a killer. They used to play at
the Corso every week. The timbalero before me was this Cuban guy named Elisaldo who is still alive. Elisaldo was a
timekeeper and very critical. Whatever he would hear, he would go, “No, no, eso no es charanga, eso no serve” (No, no,
that is not charanga). He was like real strict. I mean, he saw Orquesta Aragón. He tells me, “No, eso no es lo mismo”
(No, that is not the same). I said, “Jesus Christ"(laughs). He was the timbalero and Tommy Lopez was the conguero. I
was scared of Tommy Lopez. I played with Tommy the first day at the Mariposa on 179th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.
Chino Melao and all these groups used to play there. Later, Tommy left because he was going to be a truck driver. He was
starting a new life outside of music. Milton Cardona replaced him. He was another guy that I was scared of because of the
way he looked. Cardona used to play with a group called Flamboyan. He also played with a lot of kiddie bands “de la
calle que parecian unos matones” (from the street that looked like killers). His face is like a gangster but he’s the sweetest
guy in the world. It turned out that we became very good friends. He’s asking me like “Where you’ve been. How long
have you’ve been playing." I said, “I’ve been playing about ten years. He said, “Ten years, I don’t even know you.”
When Milton came into the band they put charts and we sight-read the whole book. The band swung so incredibly that it
felt so right. It was really sounding good and we did some trips. We started hanging out a lot because we were working a
lot.
Milton was also playing with Willie Colón at that time. He tells me one night, “Let’s go to a rehearsal," which turned
out to be Willie Colón’s band. This was in the beginning of The Good, The Bad, The Ugly record. It was also Ruben
Blades’ beginning with Willie. I think Jimmy Delgado was already playing with them. Willie didn’t know me and when
we went to the rehearsal it was actually a gig. It was all the music from the Siembra album. I sight read the whole thing
and Willie asked, “Who’s that guy? Let him keep the gig.” At that time they were paying $225 per gig. In the 1970’s
we’re talking about good money. That was a special group. Great band. They started traveling and I did something like
eight straight years with them really learning a lot.
VR: You also worked with Mongo Santamaria. What was that like?
JA: I started with Mongo in 1984 and stayed with him for about 13 years.
VR: An interesting point of these two bands is that you were always switching between timbales and drumset. Do
you see a big difference between a timbale and drumset approach in this type of music?
JA: It depends on the concept that you have behind the driver’s seat. You can think like a bongo player behind a drumset
or like a conguero. It also depends on what kind of music you’re playing. If you’re playing “Watermelon Man” you might
think more like an R&B drummer doing the backbeat while the band is playing the montuno or tumbao. Other tunes like
“Salazar” or “Come Candela” were played on timbales. If I played drumset, it didn’t matter. I would just approach it
more like a timbale player. You’re not going to do big drum fills. It’s going to be more abanicos and keeping time with
Latin Percussionist
3
the conguero and bongocero. I played drumset with Mongo but I also played drums with Willie. On Maestra Vida, that
was like a 60 piece orchestra. That was one of the best things we did. In Willie’s band, we used to record at La Tierra
studio. It was a great studio but the equipment was not that great. We tried to make with what we had. Besides, I’m not
really a drumset player per se. I’m a percussionist. Little by little I tried to make it happen. I was never able to apply any
jazz. That I did on my own with trios and quartets. I was able to do more stretching out on drumset with Mongo.
VR: You once told me a funny story of how you asked Mongo a question about clave.
JA: That was when I was new in the group. We were rehearsing a tune in which the clave was ambiguous. It could have
gone either way. So you know, you try to find out and be cool. That’s one of the times that I stuck my foot in my mouth.
I said, “What clave is this in Mongo?” He used to hate questions like that. He looked at me kind of funny especially since I
was new. He said something like, “You have clave o you have no clave?” That’s what he told me. “You feel it o you no
feel it.” I said to myself, “OK keep it shut.”
Mongo had a lot of good ways of teaching you without saying a thing. Same thing with Candido(Camero). I played
with Candido for many years. All those old guys, they show you a lot of stuff. And, there were many others like Julian
Cabrera who played güiro and timbales. Those guys showed me how to do the cinquillo of the danzón. I used to do it on
my own. But those guys taught me the right way to do all that stuff. Candido, Julian Cabrera, and Papaito as well. Those
guys were really nice. We used to go to this guy’s house, Querido. He was an old guy from the 20’s. He had an apartment
across the street from the Latin Quarter. He used to compose also. He recorded a couple of songs for a charanga called
Orquesta Sublime. Orestes Vilató used to hang out there. In between sets we used to hang out. We used to go in there and
all the musicians would be there.
I would go to this guy’s house and hear all these guys talking. It was like being in a museum. I would listen like to
Vicentico Valdés, Kako and many others. I was the youngest guy and I would just listen. In those days, Cuban records
were not coming to the U.S. at all. So if we heard a new Cuban record it was like “wow." It was a big thing. Orestes
always had a way of getting those records. It was through him that I first heard Pacho Alonso. That was where I heard
music and learned. We sat and listened to a lot of stuff. I would also hang out at Louie’s house and listen to every version
of “Son de la Loma” ever recorded. There was a lot of jamming too. We jammed with Freddie Lugo, Louie Bauzo, and all
those rumberos from the Lower East Side. We were new guys. We wouldn’t sit down unless we were sure. If you sat
down and couldn’t play, it got rough. But little by little we did it.
VR: You’ve taught hundreds of drummers at the Harbor for many years. How do you feel about teaching and
yourself as a teacher?
JA: I think that I should have been playing a lot better. I didn’t dedicate as much time to myself. It’s great to teach and
I love to share information. You do learn and you also practice when you’re teaching someone. In the beginning, I didn’t
feel that I was a teacher. I collect information and if I can relate it to somebody, that’s cool. I’ve always learned from
others so I always felt that I had to give something back. In reality, music kept me from being in gangs and other bad
situations. My brother was head of a gang and all this other heavy stuff. My thing was to investigate and learn. I really
enjoyed it and still do. At my age after playing all these years, you start to see your limits and how far you can go. You
also see that you can improve. It’s a process that never ends. People pass their peak but there’s always a way to keep
improving no matter how old you get. A good example is Joe Cusatis who at his age can still play. Buddy Rich was one
of the greatest drummers even in his sixties. Those kinds of drummers maintain their chops. Of course, these are “nine
hour” practitioners. I was never that. I was just a guy that liked the music, had talent for it, and just enjoyed it.
VR: What made you decide to form your charanga group, Los Jóvenes Del Barrio?
JA: The group started out as a workshop here at Boys Harbor. It was a good idea because there were not too many
charangas around. It’s important to teach that style on timbales. I was getting comments from students like, “Why do I
need to learn the baqueteo?” Well because in this style of music this is what exists. The baqueteo is just a pattern of
sticking. Little by little I thought it would be nice to have those traditions at the school. We have a son band, big band,
jazz band, but we didn’t have a charanga band. We should study that music because it is a legit style. From the danzón
and mambo comes the cha cha chá. These things come from those types of flute/string orchestras called charanga. We
shouldn’t neglect that. I think that’s what is lacking in Latin music. With the variety that we have in New York it’s limited
compared to the rest of the world. This is supposed to be the most sophisticated place in the planet. Now, my mother who
only went up to the third grade, used to tell me about Charlie Parker and Marcelino Guerra. I thought she was the hippest
lady there is. The younger people, I just don’t get it. The kids today have to have their music. But, they also have to look
at the past because everything that we do has to do with the past. There’s nothing here that’s new.
VR: That brings up my next question. Is there any advice you might give to an upcoming player?
JA: Learn as many styles as possible. Learn the vocabulary of every band. If you hear Machito, one might say, “That’s
old and corny." No, listen to it. The reason you don’t like it is because you don’t understand it. In the beginning when I
Latin Percussionist
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used to listen to jazz, I didn’t like it because I didn’t understand it. There was big band swing that I loved but then we got
into the avant-garde period. I was like, “What’s that?” The reason I didn’t like it was because I wasn’t listening. Then all
of a sudden, I was getting into it. So, that’s what I say to young people. Learn as much as possible about the folklore and
the past. And then do what is necessary to get the gig. Also, try to stretch it by combining different things. That is the
trend today. My style of playing has changed from a straight-ahead timbal approach to playing the parts of two people
(bongocero and timbal). Willie Bobo used to do that and Changuito did it afterwards with Los Van Van. Willie and those
guys were experimenting. The charanga that Mongo had in the 1960’s was already like a jazz charanga. They were
soloing and Willie had a drumset and timbales. He was doing a lot of different things. The thing about them is that they
had such a good rapport between them. They read each other’s mind incredibly. They were pretty amazing. That is one of
the top rhythm sections in Latin music history. I would say the rhythm sections of Machito, Mongo, and Puente were tops.
The rhythm section with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo is a whole study in itself. Editors note: check
out the classic recordings Top Percussion and Puente In Percussion. When you play a lot with a certain person you get to
read his/her mind. Like with Louie, he does all these crazy patterns and it doesn’t bother me at all because he knows where
he’s at and we meet at some point.
Pazcual Villaronga: I once saw you in the Louisiana Café playing a washboard and congas with a Cajun band. How
did that come about?
JA: You have to be open minded because I didn’t do music just to play Latin music. I figured, if I’m going to make a
living at this I’ve got to learn as much as I can. You have to try to learn all styles of music.
VR: What are some of the special memories or experiences that you may have from your music career?
JA: When I saw Tito Rodríguez play. What impressed me was going to Ochenta’s and watching the band. That was the
first time. I saw them many times. That was when he left and he came back on the scene. He had moved to Puerto Rico
and there was a void because you had Machito’s band, you had Puente but Tito Rodríguez was something else. When I
saw that band I thought I was watching a movie. The same thing with Machito and Puente. It was too heavy. I think that
was one of the big important things. I could mention so many.
I saw Willie Colón with Héctor Lavoe when they were kids. They kind of didn’t sound too good. But, little by little
they got better and then they were kicking ass. I said, “Damn, I want to play with those guys one day.” And, eventually I
got to play with them. Also seeing Mongo and Puente for the first time was a big thing because I knew that I wanted to
play those instruments. Puente’s tempos were so ridiculous. It was scary. I once saw a video of Puente playing three pairs
of Leedy “Humberto Morales model” timbales on Channel 2 in Puerto Rico. He’s playing by himself. But man, brrrrrrrr
(imitating a roll). He was fast and technical. I sometimes hear weird remarks of disrespect from young people about
Puente. They don’t know what that guy has done. First of all, he’s the first guy to put the timbales in front of the band and
play standing up. He brought that instrument out of the closet and into the spotlight. LP Latin Percussionist
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TUMBAO DIFERENTE # 6
By John Santos
Threes and Twos Music Notation Key: H - heel (palm), T - toe, touch or tap (fingers), S - slap, O - open tone,
M - muffle tone, B - bass tone
Without discussion, one of the most fundamental and important elements of West and
Central African music is the concept of “three against two” and all that it implies. Even in its
simplest form (Example A), it makes an extremely valuable study which opens up wide horizons
in understanding African-based phrasing. As a player of Jazz and/or Latin music, whether
traditional or contemporary, understanding of these concepts is a necessity. All the related
musical forms of the Afro-Americas (such as Samba, Cumbia, Joropo, Calypso, Bomba,
Rumba, Hip Hop, etc.) also depend on this rhythmic formula.
Once again I must gratefully acknowledge the genius of Changuito Quintana and Giovanni
Hidalgo who have truly revolutionized the field of Latin percussion and the world of rhythm in
general through masterful use of these rhythmic concepts and many others and by sharing these
“secrets” with the world.
The permutations, applications and possibilities for these combinations and exercises are
inexhaustible by displacing the beginning of phrases, abbreviating and/or extending phrases,
substituting tones and hand sequencing, etc. As always, start slowly, be creative and have fun.
I’d like to publicly tip my hat and acknowledge the excellent work of Latin Percussionist
creator and publisher, Victor Rendón, whose tireless efforts have greatly aided and advanced
the cause of percussionists worldwide. Mil gracias, Victor.
Latin Percussionist
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John Santos is a renowned percussionist and producer from San Francisco. He can be heard
on numerous recordings including his Machete Ensemble and Batachanga (Earthbeat 1-800346-4445, California). Recordings with Machete and Kindembo are available from Xenophile
(203-730-0333, Connecticut). Machetazo! is available through Bembe Records (707-9237262). His latest release, Tribute to the Masters, is available through Ubiquity/Cubop Records
(415-864-8448). For booking, concerts, lectures, or clinics: 510-530-1903. John Santos
endorses LP Percussion instruments.
Latin Percussionist
7
The Quinto "Cross" by David Peñalosa
This is a follow-up to my article The Quinto "Lock" from issue 9 of Latin Percussionist.
Quinto is the lead drum in rumba. Rumba is an Afro-Cuban folkloric hybrid, originating from Havana
and Matanzas. There are three main genres of rumba: yambú, guaguancó and columbia. Traditionally, in
Matanzas-style guaguancó the quinto alternates fluidly between three fundamental modes. The quinto
cross is the most dramatic mode of quinto.
Generally speaking, "how-to" books, cassettes and videos on improvising with Afro-Cuban drums are
lacking from the ever-growing body of instructional material available today. Quinto in particular is not
usually taught.
Each drummer puts something of themselves into their quinto playing, they "play from the heart".
Rumba quinto is both a complex tradition and a flexible means of personal musical expression.
As with much clave-based music, rumba uses patterns consisting of both triple and quadruple divisions
of the beat. Rumba clave itself often contains both feels. Unlocking these and other subtleties of rumba
takes a great deal of listening and playing over time. The four quinto cross examples in this article are
offered as exercises to enhance your study of this elusive drum system.
The Cross Beat Cycle
Cross patterns are created by grouping quadruplet divisions of the beat in sets of three. This cycle
crosses the primary beats (where you tap your foot), in an irregular fashion. When the cross beat cycle is
combined with the primary beat cycle, the resulting polyrhythm is 4 against 3. There are four cross beats
for every three primary beats. It takes six measures (or three claves) to come back to where you began.
CROSS BEAT CYCLE
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The Quinto "Spot"
Like the lock, the cross patterns in this article begin on the quinto spot (the second subdivision
following beat "1" in 3-2 clave).
QUINTO SPOT
Four Examples of the Quinto "Cross"
Not only do the crosses begin on the quinto spot (measure 1), but their resolutions occur on or near the
quinto spot (measure 5) as well, depending on the particular pattern being played.
Cross patterns are found not only in rumba quinto, but in the drum solos of salsa and Latin jazz as well.
What makes the playing of the quinto cross in Matanzas-style guaguancó so challenging is the necessity
of paying attention to where in clave you divert from the lock and where in clave you return.
Quinto Cross 1 was transcribed from an obscure Los Muñequitos' song. It is exquisite in its composition
and I've chosen it as a cross template for this article. All examples are written in 3-2 clave.
QUINTO CROSS 1
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These crosses stretch over just two claves. Upon the resolution of the cross in the third clave (measure
5), the quinto returns to its lock (measure 6). I've added an extra clave's worth of lock mode (tone-slaptone) in the fourth clave (measures 7-8) in order to keep the tone-slap sequence consistent and allow
each example to be played as a cycled exercise.
The first variation (Cross 2), of this basic cross involves doubling the slap by playing the division of the
beat immediately following.
QUINTO CROSS 2
The second variation (Cross 3) doubles the tone, but in this instance, does so by playing on the division
of the beat immediately before the tone instead of after.
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QUINTO CROSS 3
Notice the phrase this configuration creates in the third clave where the quinto resolves and returns to
the lock (measure 5). This particular cross literally begins (tension) on the quinto spot and ends
(resolves) on the quinto spot. In this case the quinto spot is doubled at the resolution, a very common
occurrence.
Quinto Cross 4 doubles both the slap and tone by playing the division of the beat immediately following
each tone and slap.
QUINTO CROSS 4
Further Reference:
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Get any recording by Los Muñequitos de Matanzas. Their first two records in particular are a great help
to the quinto student:
Guaguancó Grupo Guaguancó Matancero (Los Muñequitos) / Papin y sus Rumberos (Los Papines)
Antilla CD-565 tracks: 1-6
Guaguancó Vol. 2 Conjunto Guaguancó Matancero (Los Muñequitos) / Papin y Otros (Los Papines)
Antilla CD-595 tracks: 5 & 7
Available through Descarga at www.descarga.com or 718-693-2966.
David Peñalosa is on the faculty of the annual week-long course Explorations in Afro-Cuban Dance and
Drum held on the University of California, Arcata campus (www.humboldt.edu/~extended/afrocuban/).
He also answers musical questions at the "Ask Dr. Clave" webpage at www.bembe.com. David's full
quinto lesson plan will be included in his upcoming book: Clave: The Key / Rhythmic Principles for
Playing, Improvising and Composing Clave Music. You can reach David Peñalosa at
drclave@hotmail.com.
Anga Mania!
Instructional Video
A video masterclass featuring a fusion of
traditional conga technique with funk, jungle and
traditional Cuban music. Featuring Gabriel
Hernandez and DJ Gilb-R.
Known for his remarkable soloing and multiple
conga/percussion inventions,
Back Issues of
Latin Percussionist
Issues available: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Issues 1 & 5 available in xerox
$4.00 each, Make check or m.o.
payable to:
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CUBAN MASTER PERCUSSIONIST
MIGUEL “ANGA” DIAZ
shows us an insightful look at the future of conga
playing. Through a methology based on tradition, he
demonstrates many of his systems and forms he used to
develop dexterous patterns, riffs, and solos.
Filmed in Paris, France, Produced by Dan Thress
$39.95 + $5.00 S&H: includes transcription booklet by
Victor Rendón. Make check or m.o. payable to:
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NY, NY 10116-0556
Latin Percussionist
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REVIEWS
Books:
Héctor Lavoe: El Cantante de los Cantantes
by José A. Pérez & Antonio I. Mejías
Infante Publications, Inc. PO Box 1475 FDR Station, New
York, NY 10022 Phone: 212-752-2885, fax: 212-688-2183
Price: $12.95 + $6.00 S&H English or spanish
This book chronicles the rise and fall of Héctor Lavoe (Latin
America’s favorite Salsa singer) through the 1960’s, 70’s and
80’s starting with his 1963 arrival in New York City, his rise to
fame with Willie Colón, and eventually his own band. It was
written by Antonio Mejías and José A. Pérez (Héctor’s only
surviving son). Much of the content is in the first person
narrative with José recollecting many of his father’s memories
and stories told by others, both good and tragic. It covers the
culture, romance, tragic accidents, Santerismo, drug abuse, and
the AIDS affliction that Héctor endured. In spite of all his
imperfections, Mr. Lavoe should be remembered for the good
things that he accomplished both musical and as a human being.
He was a Salsa hero that could sing and improvise to
aguinaldos, merengues, guaguancó, bomba, cha cha chá,
cumbia, son montuno, etc. Above all, he kept his love and
respect alive for his son José, in spite of the many tragic family
circumstances. As stated by Joe Cuba in the book, ”You have to
see beyond all of the flaws and mistakes a man commits in his
life time. Once you see beyond a person’s imperfections in life,
that’s when you can discover how beautiful an individual can
be."
CD’s:
Rebeca Mauleón: Round Trip w/ Orestes Vilató
Featuring Horacio “El Negro” Hernández & Brenda Boykin
Bembé Records, PO Box 1730, Redway, CA 95560-1730
Phone & Fax: (707) 923-7262 website: www. bembe. com
Rebeca Mauleón displays her varied musical influences and
compositional talent with this collection of original tunes (except
for two). “Songomania” is a driving number with plenty of
timbale, conga, and drumset fills from nothing less than Orestes
Vilató, Jesús Díaz, and Horacio Hernández. “Fresa y
Chocolate” is a cha cha chá with a heavy backbeat from
drummer Paul Van Wageningen and a fat sounding horn
arrangement. In contrast, “New Dawn” is a serene and soothing
piano solo that reminds you of those quiet and relaxing solitary
moments. One of the highlights of this CD is Thelonious
Monk’s composition, “Round Midnight." It was arranged to a
danzón with paseo (intro), melody, mambo section, and
everything else that goes with a danzón. Still another contrast of
style is the 1970’s R&B classic “I’ll Take You There”
(originally recorded by the Staple Singers) with a little bit of
clave, montuno, and sabor. The recording ends with “Round
Trip," a salsa/funk high energy composition featuring Horacio
on drumset.
Latin Percussionist
Eye Contact: Havana Mañana
Bembé Records
This group, led by local respected jazz bassist, Harvie Swartz
is truly unique in its approach that he calls “jazz Latin." Having
known and played with Harvie on many occasions I can truly
say from observation that he is one of those individuals who
have taken the time to study the music. This has included
clipping his wings several years ago to go out and ask questions,
play with local Latin musicians, and even traveling to Cuba to
study the roots of Cuban music. All the tunes except for one
(“Mi Soncito” by Isabel Valdés) were written by Harvie. Many
styles are represented here such as rumba, mambo, cha cha chá,
guajira, son, bomba, jazz, fusion, and even a Jewish melody
behind a Latin groove. The group features Gregor Huebner on
violin/piano, Bruce Arnold on guitar, Barry Olsen on trombone,
Ed Uribe on drums, Memo Acevedo on percussion, and Harvie
on vertical bass.
¡Viva Cubop!: Jazz the Afro-Cuban Way
Ubiquity Records / Cubop
PO Box 192104, San Francisco, CA 94119
Phone: 415-864-8448 website: www.ubiquityrecords.com
Set up in 1995 as a Latin-jazz label, CuBop now has a total of
23 releases and plans for many more. This CD is a compilation
or “Best Of” CuBop’s Latin-jazz releases. The groups and
artists represented are Francisco Aguabella, Papo Vázquez,
Bobby Matos, Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers, Johnny Blas,
Snowboy, John Santos and the Machete Ensembe, Har You
Percussion Group, the Afro-Rican Ensemble, and the Cuban
Roots Revisited recording.
Some favorite cuts are “Malanga” from the Cuban Roots CD;
a rumba with flute and trombone harmonies featuring Lazaro
Galarraga on quinto. Francisco Aguabella’s “Asi Son Bronco”
is a guaguancó that goes to a salsa feel, featuring Francisco on
congas. Papo Vázquez provides us with a New York style
Latin-jazz original titled “The Last Dynasty featuring Papo on
trombone, Willie Williams on tenor sax, Arturo O’Farrill on
piano, and Richie Flores on congas. “Descarga On Las Palmas”
features a tasty “Puente-ish” timbal solo by Henry “Pucho”
Brown. John Santos also gives us “Descarga Iyawó” from his
latest CuBop release, Tribute To The Masters (see next review).
It has John on congas, batá, & chékere, Paul Van Wageningen
on drumset, and Orestes Vilató on timbales.
Johnny Blas: King Conga
Ubiquity Records / Cubop
This is Johnny Blas’ third CuBop release featuring strong
originals by Mark Gutierrez, Dan Weinstein, and Johnny Blas.
They continue with their signature trombone style with the
addition of guitar.
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John Santos & Machete: Tribute to the Masters
Ubiquity Records / Cubop
This latest release by John Santos is a tribute saluting masters
of the jazz world such as “Dizzy” Gillespie, Miles Davis,
Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke, and John Coltrane. It also pays
tribute to music from the Afro-Cuban world that includes
various styles and homage to the Yoruba orishas. Featuring
John on congas, batá, & chékere, Paul Van Wageningen on
drumset, and Orestes Vilató on timbales the recording takes us
through a musical journey. The CD starts with “Tin Tin Deo” in
tribute to the 1940’s merging of jazz and Afro-Cuban music with
“Dizzy” Gillespie and Luciano “Chano” Pozo. It has a jazzy
sound with rich background horn figures starting as an afro and
eventually settling into a cha/son feel throughout the solos.
Other tributes from the bebop era are “So What” (Miles Davis)
and “Moose the Mooche” (Charlie Parker): two straight-ahead
catchy mambo style arrangements by Wayne Wallace. “Salt
Peanuts” is another bebop tune set to a conga de comparsa going
into a brief jazz swing.
From the traditional, we have “Himno de las Razas” which
the liner notes describes as a danzaón, with elements of the
Cuban danzón-mambo and the Puerto Rican danza. It features
“Chocolate” Armenteros on trumpet as well as Israel “Cachao”
Lopez on bass and Orestes Vilató on timbales. The orishas are
represented with “Changó”, “Iyesá” (tribute to Ochún), and
Obalufón (in praise of Obatalá). Iyesá is especially interesting
with its use of traditional song in the horn section and adaptation
of iyesá on percussion and drumset. Orestes Vilató is featured
on “Descarga Iyawo” and “Syeeda”. As always, he plays some
splendid solos that sound inspirational.
“Matters Not” and “Friendly Exchange” get more into a
fusion style or free jazz bringing to mind the recordings of Miles
Davis during the 1970’s. “Itim” develops into a nice funk feel
on bass, drums, and percussion.
John Santos once again presents us with an outstanding
recording with various styles and influences ranging from the
traditional to free jazz and funk. Every percussionist should
check out every one of John’s recordings. To quote from John
Santos: “In this age of blatant and excessive commercialization
and high technology, it is especially crucial to remember the
spirituality, respect and struggles from which most expressive
art is born and to give all the support we can to the artists and
presenters who emphasize creativity.”
Eric Susoeff & Salsamba: Latinventions
Clave Records, PO Box 2396, Pittsburgh, PA 15230-2396
Phone: 412-782-0342 website: www.salsamba.com
Salsamba’s third release, Latinventions, is their best yet. I
actually performed with this group about ten years ago after their
first release, Mambo in Blue. The group originally consisted of
timbales, congas, bass, guitar, and saxophone. The group has
changed it's approached with the timbale player doubling on
drumset (John Rampolla) giving the group a funkier / more
contemporary feel. Additional horns such as trombone, flute,
and flugelhorn were also added on some arrangements giving the
Latin Percussionist
group new harmonic possibilities and colors.
The CD’s title tune, “Latinventions” is a mambo influenced
Susoeff original with nice punchy figures. “Frackville” is a
medium songo with a nice feel between drums, congas, bass, and
guitar. “Fiesta Latina” seems to be a Dave Valentin influenced
composition with its funky/mambo groove and high/energy flute
feature on top. “Mano Caro” is a percussion feature in 6/8
showcasing the percussive compositional talents of John
Rampolla on drumset and George Jones on congas. Eric Susoeff
brings new life to Clare Fischer’s composition, “Guarabe” with
its overlapping 6/8 grooves, swing, and finally a cha cha chá
background to a grooving conga solo. Porter’s piece, “What Is
This Thing Called Love” also receives new attention with its
mozambique, mambo, and songo grooves throughout. If I
remember correctly, “Harbor” was written in tribute to the
Harbor Conservatory in NYC. This is a nice moving number
with a strong mambo/songo groove culminating with an
explosive drum solo. Other tunes are more of a Brazilian nature
such as “Brasil”, “Rue St." Paul”, and “Manha De Carnival”
featuring beautifully orchestrated horn arrangements and singer,
Maureen Budway. Overall, this is a very interesting, and wellproduced recording. It’s various styles of Latin and American
music are represented with tasteful approach.
Gerardo Rosales: El Venezolano
A-Records PO Box 540, 6800 AM Arnhem, The Netherlands
Phone: 31(0)26-3397020 website: www.challenge.com
Venezuelan percussionist, bandleader, and musical producer,
Gerardo Rosales was born in Caracas, Venezuela. It was in his
native country that he recorded and performed with figures such
as: Soledad Bravo, Cecilia Todd, Alberto Naranjo y el Trabuco
Venezolano, Orlando Poleo and others. Gerardo now resides in
Holland and has performed and recorded with Bebo Valdés,
Paquito D’Rivera, Conexion Latina, in addition to three previous
solo CD’s under his own name. Through his work in Europe
Gerardo has brought his style to the forefront, a mixture of
Venezuelan and Cuban rhythms with jazz. El Venezolano
presents us with different rhythms and percussion (all played by
Gerardo) from Venezuela such as the vals venezolano, joropo,
parranda, onda nueva, gaita zuliana, ritmo guaco, and
merengue caraqueño. Gerardo does not simply impress us with
a whole lot of percussion display and/or virtuosity. On the
contrary, several of the tunes feature a piano or vocal approach
such as the classical sounding piano piece, “El Diablo Suelto”
with a maracas accompaniment and Aldemaro Romero’s “Poco
a Poco”, an onda nueva tune featuring muted trumpet, bass,
piano, and vocal with light percussion to complement the music.
“Moliendo Café” features a polyrhythmic percussion
background that Gerardo calls ritmo 3 en 1. The music then
explodes with the gaita/songo/salsa sounding “Pa’los Guaco
Guarapo”, a tribute to the group Guaco that created this style of
playing. This CD, however, is not a folkloric recording
documenting Venezuelan music. It has a unique approach with
elements of jazz, classical music, salsa, songo, and funk.
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Solo Ideas for Timbales
by Victor Rendón
Latin solos are often behind a two or four bar montuno phrase. That makes easier for the timbale player
or percussionist to think in two and four phrases and eventually develop longer phrases. One of the easiest
ways to learning solos is to start with one bar phrases. The following examples do not define the clave.
They work as a repeated phrase. All accents can be played as a rim shot along with the suggested sticking.
Play four bars of time and then the phrase repeated four times. All examples are in 2-3 clave.
This is a brief excerpt from my upcoming instructional book for timbales, drumset, and percussion to be
released this year by Music In Motion.
Latin Percussionist
15
Jibarito
(My Country Boy)
Jibarito
my country boy
rhythm within
nothing escapes your ear
scrit scratch
taking a bath
while fiddle plays
you washing your clothes
someone tickles the ivory bones
of an accordion
singer
telling a tale of love
which will come
one of these days
what you say
Jibarito
my country boy
fitting in anywhere
that sound is made
it matters
not the tale is told
you fit in
scrit scratch
spoons in hand
washboard upon your chest
you follow the rest
fiddle howls
night owl whistles
but you keep
chugging along
Jibarito
my country boy
cha cha charanga
chugging along
Louisiana Hot guitar
takes a shout
telling a good ole country story
as you keep riding along
scrit scratching through the song
it is the music
that shows you belong
accordion played
sweet ole boys
making music
and you
Jibarito
my country boy
conga in hand
you just keep drummmmming along
tempo in hand
riding along
showing you belong
by the music inspired
Inspired by Johnny Almendra on washboard
and conga with the Gotham Playboys at the
Louisiana Cafe in NYC 1/3/98
from the book, By The Music Inspired
by Pazcual Villaronga
Next Issue: Fall 2000
Latin Percussionist
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