One player, multiple drums – Candido and NFamara

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, Video and audio

Nfamara Badjie Master drummer from Gambia watches Cándido Camero

Up until the middle part of the 20th century, hand drumming followed a pretty simple rule: One man, one drum (unless it was a two headed drum, tablas, or bongo drums.)

Then something changed.

What was it?

Bobby Sanabria interviews Cándido Camero, the most recorded conga player in jazz history.

October 14, 2017 – Jazz Forum: Conga master Candido (age 96) surprises the crowd with his rarely-seen bass and cowbell skills.

The video Nfamara was watching

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

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Bobby Carcasses – La Noche d’Ayer

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, Latin Jazz

My understanding is that this is Bobby’s first full scale production music video.

From an email I received from Bobby in response to a question about his music education in Cuba

“I never studied in any school of music.

All my education comes from other lives that I was living before.

Chucho and Emiliano gave me many tricks.

Arturo Sandoval plunged me deep into the world of the flugelhorn (trumpet too).

Armando Sequeira Romeu: double bass, drums, more chords on piano, and many standards like “Autumn in NY”, “Lullaby of Birdland” and many other tunes, but the more important to be inside in swing.

Pacolo, Tata Gúines and Changuito taught me about congas and the whole of percussion.

In the Musical Theater, Leo Brower and Tony Taño taught me about arranging, orchestration and many things about writing for symphonic formats, etc.”

Quite an education!

Great news!

You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!

Click here for instructions on how to turn on English subtitles.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
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The making of Machito’s “Fireworks” – Harvey Averne

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, Latin Jazz, Puerto Rico, The Cuba-US connection, Video, Video and audio

Nominated for the 1977 Grammy Award

Music featured in this program

00:00 Macho (First Movement)
10:50 Soy Salsero
21:04 Mi Rito Llego
28:28 Despierta Boricua
36:22 Macho (Second Movement)

Liner Notes

Side A

Mi Ritmo Llego * (Guaguanco/4:55
(My Rhythm is Here)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Ray Santos)

Desilusion * (Bolero/3:45
(I’m Disillusioned)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Ray Santos)

Despierta Boricua ** (Son Montuno/4:15
(Wake up Puerto Rican)
(Frank “Machito” Grillo)) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Lito Pena)

Guaguanco a Mexico * (Guaguanco/4:17
(Guaguanco for Mexico)
(Ubaldo “Lalo” Rodriequez) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Elias Lopez)

No Seras Para Mi * (Bolero/3:29
(You’ll Never Be FOR Me)
(Grecia Domenech) (R.R.)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

Side B

Macho ** (Instrumental) (Descarga)/13:00
(My Rhythm is Here)
(Jorge Millet) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

Soy Salsero ** (Son Montuno)/7:00
(I Sing Salsa)
(Frank “Machito” Grillo)) (Coco Mus./BMI)
(Arr: Jorge Millet)

PRODUCED BY HARVEY LAVERNE

Organ and Acoustical Piano Solo “Macho” / Charlie Palmieri
Piccolo Trumpet Solo “Macho” / Lew Soloff
Timbales Solo “Macho” / Nicky Marrero
Electric Piano “Macho” / Jorge Millet
Alto Sax Solo “Macho” / Bobby Porcelli
Electric Guitar “Macho” / Harry Vigiani
Bata Drums “Macho” / Julito Collazo, Angel “Cachete” Maldonado, Hector “Flaco” Hernandez
Trumpet Solo “Soy Salsero” / Victor Paz
Trombone Solo “Mi Ritmo Llego” / Barry Roger

Recording Studio / Plaza Sound
Recording Engineer / Rob Freeman
Overdub Engineer / Don Hunerberg
Mixed at / Blank Tapes
Mixed by / Harvey Averne
Mix Engineer / Bob Blank
Mastering / Jose Rodriguez
Photography and Album Design / Hal Wilson

1st Session *

Leader / Frank “Machito” Grillo
Director – Percussion / Mario Grillo
Vocals / Lalo Rodriguez
Conductor / Jorge Millet
Piano / Ray Coen
Trumpets / Paul Cohen, John Faddis, Tony Cofresi, Wyman Reed
Trombones / Barry Rogers, Leo Pineda
Alto Saxophone / Lennie Hambro
Tenor Saxophones / Mario Rivera, Jose Madera
Baritone Saxophone / Leslie Jonakins
Bass / Jose Santiago
Maracas / Ismael Quintana
Bongos / Tommy “Chuckie” Lopez
Conga / Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez
Timbales / Nicky Marrero
Coro / Machito, Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Quintana, Chivirico Davila

2nd Session **

Leader / Vocals / Frank “Machito” Grillo
Director – Percussion / Mario Grillo
Conductor / Jorge Millet
Piano / Charlie Palmieri
Trumpets / Victor Paz, Lew Soloff, Tony Cofresi, Charlie Camilleri
Trombones / Barry Rogers, Sam Burtis
Alto Saxophone / Bobby Porcelli
Tenor Saxophones / Lou Orenstein, Mauricio Smith
Baritone Saxophone / Mario Rivera
Bass / Andy Gonzalez
Maracas / Ismael Quintana
Bongos / Tommy “Chuckie” Lopez
Conga / Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez
Timbales / Nicky Marrero
Coro / Lalo Rodriguez, Ismael Quintana, Victor Velazquez

Special thanks to Victor Paz, Jorge Millet, Mario Grillo, Doug Jones

Translation of “Macho” – First Movement

The singer is Machito.

Machito and the musicians, especially the bata drummers, are evoking the Orisha.

“ ‘Boru ‘buya,” a contraction of the Yorùbá-Cuban greeting “ìbo rú di (ì)’bo ye,” routinely bestowed upon high priests, or babalawo in Cuba. The phrase’s literal meaning is: “The sacrifice that is carried becomes the sacrifice that is suitable.” (Source: “Machito and His Afro-Cubans: Selected Transcriptions”)

“Ashe. Mucho ashe.” – Creative force. Much creative force.

“Suerte y salud para todos mis hermanos.” – Luck and health to all my brothers.

Elegua – Orisha of beginning, of crossroads, of doorways, of fate

Babalu Aye (San Lazaro) – Orisha of the healing spirit, protector of the weak and the ill

Yemaya – Orisha of the Ocean’s surface, of love, fertility and family

Shango – Orisha of thunder, drumming, dancing, fire and male virility

Oshun – Orisha of beauty and sexuality

Obatala – Sky Father and creator of Orishas and human beings, rules all

Great news!

You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!

Click here for instructions on how to turn on English subtitles.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Chano!

Afro-Cuban culture, Cuba

Chano and Dizzy – in color for the first time
No, you never saw this before because we made it.

Speaking of Chano, I don’t know who the genius was at Pro-Arte who had the wisdom to record this, but God bless him. Thanks to Reid Whatley for making the video and sharing the platters.

If anyone knows the history behind this recording, please drop me a line and let me know.

Mystery solved…Thanks to Louis Laffitte for the following. The recording was made and marketed by SMC – Spanish Music Center – which was owned by Garbiele Oller who was a central figure in the Latin music scene in New York City in the 1930s and 40s.

On a tragic note, according to Max Salazar’s book “Mambo Kingdom”, when Oller passed the age of 85 as a resident of Las Vegas, his estate included an office building filled with thousands of phonograph records, twenty-five to a box, as well as session information, contracts, photographs and other documents. The heirs had it carted off as garbage.

I’m not telling this story to depress you, but to point out we need to take better care of the historical record. Also, we should appreciate producers like Laffitte who went through the hard work of organizing and recording sessions and getting them out to the world. It’s marvelous to hear Chano as something other than a sideman.

Anyway, on with some music…

Chano Pozo – a brief sketch

Chano Pozo was born Luciano Pozo González on January 7, 1915 in a poor neighborhood in Havana.

In his early teenage years, he was introduced to Santería, also known as “La Regla de Ocha”, an Afro-Caribbean religion derived from the beliefs of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. He was also involved in the Abakuá secret society and Palo which has its roots in the Congo.

Pozo had a colorful, energetic character and was engaged in all kinds of activities, some legal, some less-than-legal, but he was best know for his drumming, dancing and the award winning compositions he wrote for Carnival parades.

His tune “La Comparsa de los Dandys” is to this day a kind of unofficial theme song for the city of Santiago de Cuba and is a familiar standard at many Latin American carnivals.

Chano was involved in the battle to break the color barrier in the Cuban music industry which at the time excluded dark skinned blacks from professional opportunities.

In 1947, he moved to New York City for better opportunities encouraged by his friend Miguelito Valdés.

That same year he met Dizzy, recorded with him and many others, and went on tour in Europe. A year later, his promising life was cut short in a pointless act of violence on a New York City Street.

Click here for the story of how Chano and Dizzy cooked up Manteca.

Great news!

You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!

Click here for instructions on how to turn on English subtitles.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details

The Pedrito Martinez Group – Tuve Una Revelación

Afro-Cuban culture, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio

From Tiny Desk Concerts, one of the best things NPR does.

Recent work from the Pedrito Martinez Group…

“Tuve Una Revelación” (I had a revelation)

Medicina para el alma en el siglo XXI.

Great news!

You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!

Click here for instructions on how to turn on English subtitles.

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details

Remembering Arsenio Rodríguez – Maestro de maestros

Afro-Cuban culture, Blog, Cuba, The Cuba-US connection, Video and audio

Rene Lopez pays tribute to Arsenio Rodríguez (Ignacio de Loyola Rodríguez Scull) born Güira de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba, August 30, 1911.

The Arsenio piece that Lopez refers to in his talk: “Yo Nací en África” (“I Was Born in Africa”)

A tasty instrumental version of “Bruca Manigua” recorded in 1963. Ffrom the album “La Magia de Rodríguez”

And while we’re at it, why not the original 1937 recording with Miguelito Valdés and Casino de la Playa?

– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube

P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.

Go to Cuba with Jazz on the Tube as your guide:
Click here for details