It’s nothing less than the Mother Ship of Afro-Latin music.
With its habanera, danzon, changüí, son, son montuno, rumba, mambo, cha-cha-cha, timba, and wide variety of Afro-Cuban spiritual musical forms, Cuba has been as important to the music of the world as the United States has been with its blues, jazz, rock and rock, and gospel music.
But getting information about the Cuban jazz scene is not easy…
It’s scarcely covered by major jazz magazines. Even getting a list of jazz venues in Havana isn’t easy.
Ken’s Cuba List is filling the gap with videos and articles that will help you put Cuba’s music in perspective and educate yourself about its riches past and present.
We’re also sharing practical information including travel tips and a weekly listing of what’s going on in the clubs in Havana (the only source of this particular info on the Internet.)
– 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.
Amado Borcelá “Guapachá” (Voz)
Chucho Valdés (Piano y Director Musical)
Carlos Emilio Morales (Guitarra Eléctrica)
Orlando Lopez “Cachaito” (Bajo)
Julio Vento (Flauta)
Papita Ampudia (Pailas)
Cala (Bongos)
Jazz on the Tube Interview with a Havana musician who lived in this scene
Note: A “milliner” is a hat-maker, not a millionaire.
Gilberto Valdés Zequeira was born in Havana on August 16, 1928.
As a kid, he listened to Chano Pozo’s rehearsals in the Colon neighborhood of Havana.
His vocal group had a weekly gig at the San Souci nightclub in Havana and he appeared on Cuba’s pioneering television channel twice a week in the 1950s.
Roy Haynes introduced him to American jazz drumming and gave him his first set of drumsticks.
He performed with his old friend Bebo Valdés when the two of them found themselves in Europe in the early 1960s.
He spent time as the #2 man at Egrem.
He was Dizzy Gillespie’s host when Dizzy visited Havana in 1977.
He introduced Irakere to Columbia Records and toured the world with them as their manager.
He helped save Cuba’s most important jazz club La Zorra y el Cuervo from being turned into a pizzeria.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Gilberto’s remarkable life.
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.
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.
Things are good, just very intense and insanely busy.
I hope things will settle down by September.
But hey, the show must go on, even if intermittently.
There are TWO clips here. Make sure you look at both.
The first clip is the English language section of an excellent documentary on Machito.
The second clip is the entire documentary.
The entire video
– 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.
Perez Prado with Juan Bruno Tarrazaz (Cuba) and Chamaco Dominquez (Mexico)
What Mambo looked like
Between Swing Jazz and Rock and Roll, there was Mambo
– 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.
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.
Art Blakey