Mambo Dinamico 8th Anniversary Weekend

Local dance company Mambo Dinamico celebrates its 8th anniversary this weekend a visit by "Mambo King" Eddie Torres, numerous other guests who will present workshops, and live music by Charanga Carolina. This will be Torres' first appearance in North Carolina.

Torres, former stage dancer with Tito Puente, is known as one of the leading instructors in New York mambo. He will partner with Griselle Ponce for a show during Saturday night's party at Capital VIP (formerly Red's) in Raleigh.

Charanga Carolina provides live music for a dance party following Saturday's show; Capital VIP is a new Latin club with a large, well-maintained wood dancefloor. A door admission of $30 includes the floor show (which promises to be spectacular) and live music.

A kickoff party Friday night at Carmen's with DJ Salsa Mike is also open to the public, for a more modest admission of $10. Consult Betto Herrera's Mambo Dinamico webpage for full event details.


A talented mambo pro, and always a friendly face, Betto has been a positive force in our dance community these last 8 years, building up an infrastructure of dancers, deejays, workshops and social events to spread love for the art form. His Tuesday Latin socials at Carmen's Cuban Cafe have become a fixture and weekly outlet for dancers.

As a mambo specialist, he's a disciplined pro who travels the world to dance and give instruction. By the same token, he's brought outside instructors in to enhance our local dance scene, helping to put North Carolina on the interregional salsa networking map.

But I also know Betto as an avid supporter and follower of live music. As a native Ecuadorian with roots in popular dance culture, Betto understands the richness and diversity of salsa styles, and the folkloric sources they draw upon. While building up his own company, he has contributed to a spirit of cooperation in our relatively small community for Latin dance.

Congratulations, Betto and Mambo Dinamico, on 8 years of bringing high quality instruction and events to the Triangle!

Vaya, Papaya!

Live music highlights through mid-December--see sidebar for details:

THIS SATURDAY (12/5), Latin Project plays a holiday party for the Associación de Puertorriqueños Unidos de NC at Carmen's Cuban Cafe. Advanced tickets are cheaper and can be purchased for $15 at Havana Grill in Cary; singles pay $20 at the door. The Assoc. is collecting unwrapped holiday gifts for children in need. Latin Project equals tasty Puerto Rican salsa de la vieja escuela with members from Charlotte, Columbia, SC and the Triangle.



NEXT SATURDAY (12/12), Charanga Carolina and Orquesta GarDel share an exciting double bill. The price is right at $10, in the UNC Kenan Music Building Rehearsal Room. The party is rather daringly called "Payaya" and is a celebration of the 58th birthday on that date of Nelson Delgado, a sonero with both bands.

Charanga Carolina is UNC's Cuban music ensemble, and when I say charanga I MEAN CHARANGA--violins and cello, woodwinds heavy on the 'bones this year, with decent pianists and drumset, and a professional Latin percussion wing. The perfect formula to perform Los Van Van, whose charts they've added to the book this year.

Orquesta GarDel is the big, bad, bow wow of North Carolina salsa bands. Their bloodline is de pura cepa: Charanga Carolina alums crossed with the Triangle's nastiest rhythm badasses this side of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the DR. They speak timba, and have a terrible weakness for Eddie Palmieri. GarDel is a filament whose pulsing energy source is the clave.

Vaya, Papaya! Salsa dancers, are you ready for the juicy fruit of folclor? Seriously, if you don't go to this one you are soft in the head.

With love for my brother Nelson, and all the brothers and sisters of Charanga who will create the GarDels of our future.

Link: Papaya party invite on Facebook

Service for Peter Heiman SUNDAY (8/2)

At Montas Lounge. Photo courtesy of Pilar Montas.

It's with sadness that I report the passing of Peter Heiman, a friend and local salsa enthusiast who remained an active part of our scene until his death last month at age 79.

I'd heard many exciting tales from Peter's life, about his family's escape from Nazi Germany when he was a young child, and about his trips to Havana in the 1950s where he danced mambo and cha cha cha. Still, I learned a lot I didn't know about Peter's eventful life from this obituary, written by his daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Robert Venier:

Peter W. Heiman obituary published in the Carrboro Citizen, July 23, 2009

Though visually impaired, Peter creatively beat social isolation. At the old Montas Lounge, I first met Peter on the dancefloor. He would dance with me (and all the other ladies) and at the end, request to be taken to the next dance partner.

Peter was also an avid listener to my radio show, Azucar y Candela, Wednesdays 6-8 pm on WXDU 88.7 FM. Once he won concert tickets I was giving away, and when I personally dropped them off at his home, he wouldn't let me leave without giving me something. That turned out to be a giant chocolate bar. His kindness and joie de vivre always left a smile on one's face.


Peter authored a cookbook in 1993. Photo courtesy of Heidi and Robert Venier.

Peter loved life, and he definitely loved Afro-Cuban rhythm. One of his favorite songs was "Oriente" by Henry Fiol, and whenever I played it, without fail, he would call me up at the station and we'd have a nice chat. He always ended our calls by saying, "thank you for playing such beautiful music." Peter was a special listener; I'll miss him.

If you remember Peter Heiman, or have stories to share at his memorial service, please join us at a celebration his life THIS SUNDAY (8/2), 2-4 pm at the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill.


Postscript, updated 8/2:

I will add some notes soon about the gathering for Peter. In the meantime, here is a nice picture I took tonight of his daughter Heidi and her husband Bobby. She's a jazz singer and has worked A&R in the music business, interestingly enough. We sat around at Peter's place and talked about Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, stickball and the Borscht Belt.



Peter faced a lot of obstacles due to his health--among them blindness and Parkinson's. I think he threw himself at the barricades and took his disabilities as carte blanche to be as "out there" as possible, even to the point of sitting on the street with a sign around his neck at Weaver Street Market reading: "I like company. How about a 5-minute conversation?"

Peter used a red cane and and had an old man's shuffle, until you led him to a dancefloor. He could tire out most young women, and had a firm lead. A photo of him dipping his partner, while dancing outdoors at Weaver Street, jogged memories. Heidi confirmed for me that her parents were both inveterate dancers and took part in the New York Jewish-Latin scene, including family vacations at the famed Grossingers resort in the Catskills (where all the Latin bandleaders entertained). Peter moved to New York from Germany at age 4, so he grew up as a real New York kid, and was reportedly a good stickball player. When Heidi was a student at NYU, living right around the corner from the Blue Note, she and her dad went to see Tito Puente and Celia Cruz whenever they could. For me, dancing with Peter was like a time machine, he did these slow rotational turns in a circular pattern that no one in "salsa" does nowadays; that HAD to be Cuban in origin, via the Catskills I suppose. That's stuff you can't learn in books.

He had a great talent for making friends, and giving of himself. I had no idea he volunteered for 14 years at Ronald McDonald House. Everybody had stories of his continuous thankfulness, his priceless sense of humor and pretty much shameless enjoyment of everything from music and dance to cuisine.

He made new friends right up until the end of his life, including Gordon Strauss of Chapel Hill. Gordon just met Peter in March 2009. Nonetheless, he summed up a lot of our comments at the service with this thought:

"Peter had something that all of us wish we had. It was intangible. It was mystical."

I think that's true--the power to see no strangers or obstacles, to find and spread joy in everything, and an absolutely audacious approach to life.

"Mystical" is a word often used by musicians and cognoscenti to describe the quality of Afro-Cuban rhythm that makes us all lifelong hostages to it. Similarly, I was reminded of the call and response of Cuban son by the prayer of remembrance used to close the service, from the Reform Judaism Prayer Book:

At the rise of the sun and at its going down
we remember you

At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter
we remember you

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring
we remember you

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer
we remember you

At the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn
we remember you

At the beginning of the year and when it ends
we remember you

As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us
we remember you

When we are weary and in need of strength
we remember you

When we are lost and sick at heart
we remember you

When we have decisions that are difficult to make
we remember you

When we have joy we crave to share
we remember you

When we have achievements that are based on theirs
we remember you

For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us
we remember you

This same refrain has long been used by soneros to enshrine their musical ancestors:

"Te recordaremos."

--Ibrahim Ferrer (with Chucho Valdes), "La Musica Cubana," from the album Buenos Hermanos.

Whenever we dance, we embody the memories of the lives of those who danced before us. Peter is part of our steps now. I hope I will dance as long and as joyfully.

Rock an' Roll y Guaguancó

Ever wondered what rumba is? Here is your Rosetta stone: a Beatles song performed by Cuba's venerable rumba group, Los Papines.

"Hello Goodbye" rumba (video)

The singer is Yuliet Abreu Fernández, daughter of Jesus, the youngest of the four Abreu brothers from the Havana suburb of Marianao who formed Los Papines in 1962. (Alfredo Abreu passed away in October, 2001.) The band celebrated its 45th anniversary last year with a series of concerts throughout Havana.

Yuliet, a percussion instructor at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA), originally recorded this song in 2000 with her father and uncles for the album Beatles Cubanos: Here Comes El Son. Los Papines continue to perform in Havana every third Sunday at the Casa de la Cultura Plaza.

Thanks to "asere3" Dr. Benjamin Lapidus for the link!


UPDATE 5/19/09:

By coincidence, some bad news breaking: Los Papines booking contact Eli Silvrants says founder Ricardo "Papin" Abreu is gravely ill and hospitalized in Havana. The family is "expecting the worst." Let us hold this great rumba family in our thoughts.

Links:

Some lovely photos of Ricardo "Papin" Abreu at Mark Sanders' blog Fidel's Eyeglasses.


UPDATE added 11:35 pm:

Sadly, he passed away today. I got the word at 9 pm today from Los Papines' representative and family friend, Eli Silvrants.

Ricardo "Papin" Abreu Hernandez
19 dec 1933 - 19 may 2009

UPDATE added 5/20/09:

This obituary appeared today in Cuban Granma (in Spanish).

Granma states that Ricardo formed his first group, Papin y sus Rumberos, in 1959. The article notes that he played the famed Tropicana and brought rumba to the international stage as well, performing in over 50 countries. It states the cause of death, at age 75, to be cerebral hemorrhage. His body is at the Funeraria de Zapata y 2, on the Plaza de la Revolución, no word yet on when and where he is to be buried. In the photo, Ricardo is seated, surrounded by the current incarnation of Los Papines consisting of his 2 surviving brothers Jesus and Luis, his niece Yuliet and nephew Luisito.

Links:

View videos at Los Papines' myspace.

Buzz: Fania's Future? plus Libre Tribute

Word is that the Fania catalog has been sold by Emusica, supposedly to a group called Red Planet Records. People in the industry claim to have confirmed this with Emusica chief Giora Breil, with an official public announcement due in a few weeks. What the sale means for the remastering and reissuing of the classic salsa label and its subsidiaries such as Vaya and Cotique, a project Emusica began in 2006, is uncertain. No details of the current deal are known, but according to Billboard, Emusica acquired the Fania assets for a reported $10 million in 2005.

Post-Oquendo y Libre

Also hitting the ground running is the rumor that Charlie Santiago will be the guest timbalero to fill Manny Oquendo's position in Libre for the tribute concert at the Bronx Museum on May 30. Said spokesman Mike Reyes,

"As long as the public desires to hear quality music and the members of Libre want to continue in honor of Manny, the band will continue to play. Manny's chair will rotate from a cast of "special" invitees. The first set of gigs (NYC, Mexico, Chicago) will involve Charlie Santiago."

Here is a clip of Charlie in action; the first timbalero to solo is Andy Alfonso, who hands off the pailas to Charlie. Thanks to Edgar Omar Arteaga for sending the link.

19 Days

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, The New York Times finally published an obituary for Manny Oquendo. In English, by A. E. Velez. Nice photo. Recommended.

Here is an older video of Libre with Manny on bongo and bell. Nice crowd shots; Jerry Gonzalez takes a conga solo. The tune, by Cuban conguero Francisco Aguabella, was recorded by Tito Puente in the '50s when Aguabella was in his orchestra. Check out this trombone-dense arrangement, classic of the Libre sound.


Now, check out this TV appearance of Libre screaming their Puerto Rican heritage with the classic plena, "Elena Elena." The fluid, forceful Herman Olivera was never more at ease on lead vocal, and count 'em, FIVE TROMBONES feature a young Jimmy Bosch soloing. Manny follows this with a signature solo on timbales:


I also like this one a lot, it tells you why Libre was, is, a great band: flexibility and an inimitable chemistry of groove. Look at flutist Dave Valentin pumping his cintura as he plays! Que sabor maravilloso, reminds me of old Orquesta Broadway videos. The camera blacks out for a little while during Willie Rodriguez' tremendous piano solo, but hang in there; visuals are back for Manny's extended treatment of the pailas. The tune, "Suavecito," is a traditional Cuban son by Ignacio Piñeiro, refitted with Libre's "free" sensibility. They aren't showing off or inventing some esoteric idiom, they're embedding deeply personal and modern utterances in the historical repertoire. It's music made primarily for musicians (themselves) that remains, first and foremost, music of the people.


For more media links, tributes from fellow musicians, and video footage:
Search Onda Carolina for Manny Oquendo

His Majesty: Oquendo

Update: According to his wishes, there will be no public viewing for Manny Oquendo. A funeral mass will be held at St.Margaret's Roman Catholic Church in Queens, NY on Wednesday, April 1st at 11 am. Interment will be one block away at St.John's Cemetery.

St. Margaret's RC Catholic Church
66-05 79th Place
Flushing, NY 11379

St. John's Cemetery
80-01 Metropolitan Avenue
Middle Village, NY 11379

Here's a musician's appreciation [more of these below, see updated post] of Manny Oquendo's legacy, and a detailed look at his career, from fellow percussionist Bobby Sanabria:

"Manny Oquendo was/is one of the last living ties we have to the past in terms of the majesty of Afro-Cuban-based dance music as it is performed in New York City. Majesty is the word. Manny was a big part of the development of that music.

He first started his early career in the band of violinist Juanito Sanabria (no relation) then, as many of you know, he replaced Francisco "Chino" Pozo on bongó with the early group of Tito Puente, then performing with the Vicentico Valdes, Marcelino Guerra and Pupi Campo Orchestras, just to name a few of the many well known groups he performed and recorded with at this time, the early to mid '50s. His work with Tito Rodriguez's orchestra solidified his position as a premiere bongocero, but he had started to come into prominence as a timbalero on the early recordings of Johnny Pacheco's charanga in the late '50s. His work on the Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta recordings in the early to mid '60s solidified his legendary status amongst the cognoscenti of percussion in New York City and the world through the band's recordings and live performances where Manny was prominently featured as a soloist on timbales. These solos have become textbook examples of speaking in the language of clave as Manny transferred much of the quinto solo vocabulary of rumba to the instrument, making them perfect vehicles for dancers to express themselves. They are in fact compositions unto themselves that have been studied by generations of percussionists. But when asked about his style by poet/activist/radio host/TV reporter Felipe Luciano on his "Latin Roots" radio show on WRVR in New York City in the '70s, Manny wryly replied: 'Heavy-handed, but with finesse.'

Manny's skill as bongocero made him the choice of many bandleaders on recordings and that side of his prowess gets little to no attention. Work on seminal albums like Larry Harlow's Tribute to Arsenio Rodriguez are great documents of this; as Larry states, 'Phil Newsom was in awe of Manny. He shared the bongó duties on that album with him. I can't tell which is which because Phil studied his style so much. It's the ultimate compliment when a player does that.' It's only fitting. The word bongó means in the Efik language of Southern Nigeria, drum. But it is also a synonym for, the truth. Manny spoke 'La Verdad' in volumes on el bongó.

Manny's attention to detail and his extensive knowledge and record collection of Cuban music became a source of knowledge to many in the community, becoming an inspiration to bassist Andy Gonzalez. Manny's eventual forming of his own group Libre, in collaboration with Andy in the '70s, became a laboratory, spawning ground, and vehicle for expression for many talented players like Dave Valentin, Jimmy Bosch, Steve Turre, Willie Rodriguez, Jerry Gonzalez and Jorge Dalto to name just a few.

Manny was not one for giving compliments. Why would he. He was part of a generation of musicians who created this genre establishing extremely high standards of excellence. In terms of the Clave Police, Manny was Inspector Chief. So if you got a compliment from Manny, it was a unique, rare thing. Someone asked me last year the standard question, 'What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment?' I replied, 'Getting a compliment from Manny Oquendo.'

A TRUE master of el tambor, native Nuyorican son of Brooklyn, rest in peace Maestro José Manuel Oquendo.

Ibae y aché,
Bobby Sanabria

--Originally posted on 3/26 in the Latin Jazz Yahoo Group; reprinted here with permission.

R.I.P. Manny Oquendo

January 1, 1931 - March 25, 2009

It hasn't hit the English-language media yet, but the Latin music world is rippling with the sad news of Manny Oquendo's passing.

Photo © by Martin Cohen, used with permission.

The timbalero's legacy is towering, from Eddie Palmieri's first band, La Perfecta, to the groundbreaking Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino, to Oquendo's own Conjunto Libre, which was known as a "university" of salsa for all the musicians who trained up in it, including trombonists Papo Vazquez and Jimmy Bosch, and the classy sonero Herman Olivera.

Much more to follow...this is a big one.

With the scoop: Radio Gladys Palmera, Barcelona (in Spanish - nice recent photo)

Of course, Gladys heard it here, from the mother of all Latin music sources, Herencia Latina (in Spanish). Authoritative. Contains a link to their previous interview with "Manolo" conducted by Eric Gonzalez.

Nice piece of information here at Primera Hora (obit in Spanish): Manny was honored last year, along with Larry Harlow and record store owner Rafael Viera, at Z93 FM's Dia Nacional de la Salsa in Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, while we are waiting for an obituary to appear in English, here is a short musician profile for Manny (in English) at All About Jazz.

Puerto Rico, Spain, now Italy. AP, Reuters, where are you? Posted on Friday (3/27), 10:30 am.

The online record store and music resource Descarga.com has published an acknowledgment of Manny Oquendo's death. As a memorial, they offer Roberta Singer's interview (in English) with one of Oquendo's closest musical collaborators, Andy Gonzalez. My Google news searches still turn up nothing in English. I should be over being surprised that a record store on Flatbush Avenue has scooped the New York Times, NPR, etc. --Link added Friday (3/27), 2:33 pm.


UPDATES on Saturday (3/28):

PRESS WATCH:

Word is Felix Contreras is preparing a radio report for NPR. No doubt it will be another accessible, probing, connecting of the dots like his recent piece inspired by the passing of Joe Cuba.

Aurora Flores has sent out an extensive press release, so expect some more mainstream coverage soon. Her comprehensive obit (in English) has now been posted at Herencia Latina, with a totally smokin' photo of a young Manny Oquendo! MUST SEE

Meanwhile, here are some blurbs from fellow musicians and music aficionados reacting to Oquendo's loss, all quoted here with permission:

"One of my favorite timbaleros of all time! Why? A unique combination of sabor with a minimalist approach, while also taking risks."

--Gregory "Goyo" Pappas, music critic, philosopher, associate professor at Texas A&M University


"Manny was the one who made me a true believer of 'Less is More.' I compared Manny's playing with two people having a conversation, the first person speaking at a normal pace, clear, well-spoken, the other speaking at about 100 miles an hour. Someone may say, 'wow,' that guy sure speaks fast...BUT did you understand him?"

--John "Dandy" Rodriguez, bongocero with Tito Puente, Tipica '73, Latin Giants of Jazz, et al.


"The world is a lot less swingin' today."

--Ramon Banda, timbalero with Poncho Sanchez and Banda Brothers


"Manolo's thundering timbales as heard on the ground-breaking mid-'70s Concepts In Unity left an insistent impression which was definitive and absolutely timeless. His aesthetics of rhythmicity is like a sculptural milestone or like an ancient tale which will always live on in the culture."

--Zeno Okeanos, filmmaker/musician/record collector


"During my teenage years, we never went in a bar or a club unless the jukebox had Eddie Palmieri's 'Oye Lo Que Te Conviene' on it. There was always the excitement of that bongo solo by Manny. Even before we could put a face to the name, we felt like we knew him."

--César Diaz


"My first recollection of noticing how I really loved how Manny Oquendo played timbales was at The Embassy Ballroom in the Bronx. I became a diehard Eddie Palmieri fan. I would go see Eddie, Ismael Quintana, Barry Rogers, Jose Rodrigues, a very young Chucky Lopez whenever they performed at The Hunts Point Palace or the Colgate Gardens. Drinking age back then was 18, and we were able to get into theses gigs since we looked so much older dressing in cashmere coats, Stetson (a beaver hat), tailored sharkskin pants, alpaca knit shirts and wearing a pair of gators, lizards or playboys. Manny always looked serious and quiet offstage but when he was playing, man, oh man. We were all blown away with his solo in 'Mozambique' which was the sound I came to expect whenever I see Eddie."

--Eddie Rodriguez, producer/promoter, president of Latin Works Music. Went on to produce many shows for Conjunto Libre.


"Being able to carry Manny's timbales is and will always be one of the highlights of my career."

--Ralph Irizarry, timbalero with Ray Barretto and Ruben Blades, leader of Timbalaye and SonCafe, talking about one night in 1984 when Libre opened for Blades' band, yet Irizarry carried Oquendo's instruments for him.


"His sound and style on the timbal and handbell will stand forever as the real shizzle that separates him from the pack. He was a fierce defender of the traditions and protected them like a mother grizzly bear in the wild with her cubs. I know I am not alone in saying that we will do all we can to uphold the rhythmic traditions that Manny represented and loved and to which he dedicated his entire life."

--John Santos, percussionist


"I studied Manny's recorded timbal solos and tried to memorize as much as I could. This taught me how melodically and in clave he played."

--Bobby Matos, percussionist


"I have fond memories of Maestro Oquendo from the musican's seminar that was part of the Albert Torres Salsa Congress. Manny Oquendo taught the old school timbal class in 2004 and 2005. What a rush that was. When I joined the seminar in '04, I had only been playing one year. He was an awesome instructor and quite the jam session instigator."

--Shelly Lee, timbalera with Los Puros


"Manny is one of the primary sources of the true language of timbal and bongó. I experienced a very old timbalero at the Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba (on real paila criolla) a long time ago, and having had listened to Manny so many times, I thought: Hey, he plays like Oquendo... That's the way Manny Oquendo played, old school. And so hip at the same time!"

--Nils Fischer, percussionist, leader of Timbazo

UPDATES on Sunday (3/29):

PRESS WATCH:

Well, it's happened. A magazine in Havana has scooped American journalism, including Manny Oquendo's hometown paper of record (New York Times?). This appreciation (in Spanish) appears in La Jiribilla's March 28 - April 3 edition.


UPDATES on Monday (3/30):

PRESS WATCH:

I think newspapers are officially dead. The blogosphere is singlehandedly covering this with a flowering of nice tributes and obituaries. It's a matter of dignity. There are stories that need to be told.

Here's one I missed, posted on Friday--at Latin Jazz Corner. Beautiful photo captures the ineffable moment of communication. That's Frankie Vazquez, vocal/guiro, and Andy Gonzalez, bass, with their eagle eyes on the maestro.

Also capturing the moment is independent radio. Andy Gonzalez went on WBAI 99.5 FM's "Barrio Block" yesterday from 2-4 pm to talk about his partner in Libre. The show is archived for 90 days; you can download it or listen online here (look for time slot "Sunday, March 29, 2 pm"). Hosts Ibrahim Gonzalez and Nando Alvaricci also welcome Machito saxophonist Ray Santos, a childhood friend; musical historian Rene Lopez, Oquendo's bandmate in Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino; trombonist and Libre alum Jimmy Bosch; and Orquesta Broadway timbalero Charlie Santiago among other guests.

A gig that Libre was booked to play on May 30 at the Bronx Museum will go on as planned, as a memorial to Manny.

WHAT: Libre Memorial Concert for Manny Oquendo
WHEN: Saturday, May 30, 7:30 pm
WHERE: Bronx Museum, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street


UPDATE added 4/13/09:

PRESS WATCH: The New York Times finally weighed in yesterday with a Manny Oquendo obituary. Better late than never. It's pretty nice, including this:

"While playing in La Perfecta...Mr. Oquendo picked up and adapted the complex carnival rhythm called Mozambique, made popular in Cuba by Pello El Afrokán, and reworked it for the timbales, introducing a hypnotic African beat to the dance halls of New York.

I think that's right. Manny's sound in La Perfecta is iconic in the ears of salsa fans, whether they are consciously aware of his presence or not. Manny Oquendo is one of those people you need in order to imagine salsa.

Note also: All About Jazz has excerpted the New York Times story on the news page of their website.


UPDATE added 5/8/09:

PRESSWATCH: One of the sweetest for last. Beautifully written piece by Alan Lockwood in the Brooklyn Rail.

Salsa Producer Ralph Mercado Dies, 67

Photo © by Martin Cohen, used by permission.
Mercado pictured in 2001.


Word is circulating that salsa producer Ralph Mercado, head of the RMM label in the '90s, has passed away.

Said musician Bobby Matos in a public forum on Yahoo:

"I understand that Ralphie was controversial and sometimes difficult but he was very important in the careers of a number of our great musicians. In addition to being a business person, I always found him interested in the people around him. Descansa en paz, Ralphie, Ibae (como dice los Lucumi)."

This obituary appeared yesterday in the Miami Herald.

Interesting obituary in the New York Daily News.

This 2001 article in the New York Times gets into the nitty gritty of Mercado's business practices, including his bankruptcy that year, lawsuits over copyright infringement and unpaid royalties, and loss of RMM.

This appreciation of the industry giant (en Español) by Josue Rivas appears in La Opinion.

Aurora Flores wrote this story with many details about Mercado's career in 2006. At the time, he was recovering from cancer surgery.

Developing...

RADIO ALERT: This SUNDAY (3/15), 4-6 pm Rocky Mountain Time [6-8 pm Eastern Time], Denver DJ Arturo Gomez will be paying tribute to Ralph Mercado on the KUVO program "Salsa con Jazz." He will give retrospective spins from labels RMM and Tropijazz, and artists such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Hilton Ruiz and more.

R.I.P. Joe Cuba (1931-2009)

Gilberto "Sonny" Calderón, aka Joe Cuba, died on February 15.

Linking to a nice, personal reminiscence posted by blogger Bronxrumba about his first Joe Cuba album.

Another nice post on the same blog from Sentimiento Mañana, from a different generational perspective. Includes Aurora Flores' detailed write-up of Joe Cuba's career.

AP's obit in USA Today

I regret not having seen Joe Cuba on stage. The few times I was in New York it seemed he was always playing a gig somewhere, and for reasons of logistics or whatever, I just never got around to it. I should have gone to New York more often.

Off the top of my head, some of my favorite Joe Cuba songs are "El Pito ("I'll Never Go Back to Georgia)," (probably my favorite among the boogaloo classics such as "Bang Bang," etc.), and "Mi Jeva," "Salsa Ahi'Nama," and "Joe Cuba's Latin Hustle" all from the 1976 album Cocinando La Salsa.

Is this really the only live clip of Joe Cuba on YouTube? Surely that will change shortly:



Spot the Boogaloo dance step: at the beginning of the clip, 3 figures come on stage. First Joe Cuba, who goes to the congas far right, then right behind him Cheo Feliciano who goes to the center mic, then Jimmy Sabater, the lankier fellow who goes to the timbales. As they are walking out, singers Cheo and Jimmy are doing this groovy little slow/fast step (moving on: "1...and-3"). I have it on authority of some old Palladium dancers that that's the way they used to dance boogaloo.

As Aurora Flores pointed out, Joe Cuba pushed a unique sound because his band didn't use horns. Those trademark vibes, just a real simple piano montuno, an English coro that anyone can sing, and Latin soneos, created a laid-back, improvised groove. There is no story line, and the singer (here the great Cheo Feliciano) may play with the message or the sounds of the words in a stream of consciousness way. He says, "come and dance my cha cha cha," which technically you could do to a 4/4 bugalu rhythm. This 4/4 cha cha-like structure reinforcing the African-American boogaloo groove is a classic form of Latin fusion. "Cornbread y lechon," that's the spirit of Latin bugalu.


UPDATE - Links:

--David Gonzalez' first-hand account of wake for Joe Cuba in NYT
--Blog version from one-day earlier--more pictures, details, reader comments

Jillian Armsbury (1962-2009): Pioneer of Charanga R&B

It's with sadness that I join the coro of voices grieving the passing of Jillian, vibrant, soulful singer of Los Jovenes del Barrio who brought R&B attitude to charanga.

It was a super savory mix. At the time, Jillian was married to LJB founder and timbalero Johnny Almendra. The two collaborated on crossover hits that have proved durable, and were a high point of late '90s productions on the RMM label. Their 1996 debut Evolucionando yielded "Telephone" and "Stop Slow Down," which the group performed live (introduced by Lou Rawls) on the BET network.



The following year, she sang in Spanish on the LJB single "Hechicera." She reportedly recorded a demo for a solo funk project which has never been released. Besides three studio releases and a live album with Los Jovenes del Barrio, her discography includes "Every Day I Have the Blues" with the RMM Tropijazz All Stars, and Cole Porter's "From This Moment On," which she sang as guest vocalist on Giovanni Hidalgo's Time Shifter.

Johnny Almendra, an alumnus of Orchestra Dicupe, Conjunto Melao, Fajardo, Johnny Colón, Willie Colón, Orquesta Broadway, Charanga 76 and Mongo Santamaria among others, taught at the Boys Harbor School Conservatory in El Barrio, where the idea for Los Jovenes came to life. The group included students and friends, such as flutist Karen Joseph, now with Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta, violinists Regina Carter and Ali Bello, bassist Victor Venegas, Cuban producer and trombonist Juan Pablo Torres, pianist Kimson Plaut, conguero John Berdeguer and corista Marco Bermudez, now a lead voice with Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

According to friends, Jillian came from the Northwest and met Almendra while working as a waitress at Seattle's Jazz Alley. According to the webpage of New York production and management company Fretless Productions/Management LLC, in recent years she did commercial vocal work in English and Spanish for clients such as eBay, the Connecticut Lottery and HBO. Judging by the vibe among Latin musicians who knew her, she was much loved and admired. In videos it's easy to see she was a funloving, free spirit and a natural performer.



I think this clip of "Telephone" is from a PBS documentary on Latin New York. I like these dancers too, light and elegant, the essence of charanga. Everybody loves that line Jillian speaks, in round urban sass, "se acabó, baby."

It merits mention that this song is told from an empowering and humorous woman's point of view, making reference to social technology and slang...just another way she effectively spoke to the modern cultural moment, while melding with this very traditional, tipica-based rhythm language.

Though the window of influence was a slender one, her impact on that timeless, yet strangely malleable genre of charanga is unique and indelible. I wanted to introduce her to Latin music fans who may not know her work. It deserves to be remembered.

Jillian lost her own battle with cancer, but in life she raised money for breast cancer prevention and was an activist for various causes. She is survived by husband Leon Pendarvis, keyboardist and musical director of the Saturday Night Live Band, whom she married in 2003. The family requests that any donations be made in her name (Jillian M. Armsbury-Pendarvis) to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

With condolences to those who loved her best. If anyone would like me to correct or add anything to this appreciation, please leave a comment, or email me by clicking on my Blogger profile link.

Here are some links to more information about Jillian, Los Jovenes del Barrio and charanga generally:

--Salsaholic Klaus Reiter's Los Jovenes del Barrio page
--George Rivera's 2001 interview with Jillian and Johnny Alendra
--John Child's comprehensive article on Charanga on Descarga.com
--Recent news story mentioning Jillian (2/26/09)
--Herencia Latina tribute by Eric E. González (Spanish)
--...and Eric González' 2000 interview with Jillian (English)

Updated 5/10: In Jillian's own words, I found this account of a children's choir she led at the 2000 Shadow Convention in Philadelphia. It offers touching insights as well into the circumstances of her own childhood and her early determination to be a musician.

Man With A Horn

And now, it's time to pay tribute to one of our local musicians on the eve (literally) of his departure for greener pastures. Jay Kaufman has been a professor of epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health, but many of you know him better as trumpeter in many local jazz and Latin bands during the past decade. Jay is moving to Montreal to take up an endowed chair in Population Health at McGill University.



Jay says he's looking forward to having greater flexibility in his academic research, and to splitting his time between Montreal and Santiago, Chile, where he also holds a teaching post at La Universidad de Chile. (Nice work if you can get it!)

"Eventually, I'll try to time it so I am down in the southern hemisphere for the Canadian winter, which would mean perpetual summer. But I don't quite have that worked out yet!" says Jay.

"Of course I'll continue playing music," he adds. Helping Jay to forge some Montreal connections is Ramon Ortiz, his bandmate in Orquesta GarDel. Ramon moved here 2 years ago from Montreal, where he was very active in the salsa and merengue scenes. Thanks to Ramon, Jay will arrive there with a long list of contacts in hand.


Some background on Jay: He moved to the Triangle in 1999 from Charlotte, and before that has lived in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Nigeria, Baltimore and Puerto Rico.

On the jazz side, his resumé includes John Brown, the Raleigh Jazz Orchestra, Kevin Van Sant, Ben Palmer and Russell Lacy.

On the Latin side, you know him from Charanga Carolina, Samecumba, Orquesta GarDel, West End Mambo, and Sajaso.

"I'll really miss all these great musicians in this area, and especially their really positive attitude and sense of camaraderie," Jay says.

Jay Kaufman, many blessings in your transition, we wish you all the best! Thanks for all the music.

Heavy, Again: Machito!

There is some dispute about the exact date of his birth, but in all likelihood 2008 is the 100th birth year of Machito.

Frank "Machito" Raúl Gutíerrez Grillo came to New York from Havana in 1937 and founded the Afro-Cubans in 1940. He was a talented maraca player as well as a great sonero (as is his sister Graciela, who is still kicking today in her 90s). Mario Bauzá soon became his musical director and together they crafted the early New York mambo sound, which combined Cuban rhythm section and dance music with jazz arrangements and horn section (trumpets and saxes) modelled after the top American bands.

This is the first Latin band to use the term "Afro-Cuban" or any allusion to African descent in its name. Notably it was not only mentioned, it was emphasized: Machito and His Afro-Cubans. The term "Afro-Cuban" is of course, now in standard use to mean any and all styles of music with Afro-Cuban roots.



Machito was one of the three top bandleaders who dominated the mambo dancehalls such as the Palladium, and who therefore were referred to as the "Mambo Kings" or "The Big 3": Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. Today, children of all three bandleaders perform together in a big band called The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra.

Machito died on April 15, 1984 after collapsing during a stage performance in London. He did some very tasty albums in the 80s with his "Salsa Big Band" (no longer called mambo, but essentially still an Afro-Cuban big band) and won a Grammy in 1982 for Live at the North Sea.

Here's a little more information as told by his son, Mario Grillo. The video was made by LP (Latin Percussion) founder and music documentarian Martin Cohen. Mario demonstrates a bit of timbale at the end.



How Afro-Cuban Is It?

You be the judge. This brief piece of video from a concert (not sure where or when, I'm guessing sometime in the late 70s or early 80s) features Candido, Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie AND Machito (whew!). Machito comes in at the end, singing orisha songs to Yemaya and Ochun:



After 40 years living outside Cuba, Machito still greets the African gods in their native tongue. Now THAT'S Afro-Cuban culture with deep roots.

Heavy: Chano

Today is a heavy anniversary: 60 years to the day of the murder of Chano Pozo, the Cuban conguero who molded Dizzy Gillespie's Afro-Cuban jazz style with landmark tunes like "Manteca." Chano was shot down over a drug dispute in a New York bar, El Rio, on Dec. 2, 1948. He was 33, and dancing to music on the jukebox at the time.

Local factoid: Chano's drums were once stolen on a tour stopover in Raleigh, NC! As a Cuban poet friend of mine once commented, maybe they are still echoing around here somewhere...



Above: clip from the 1991 documentary Routes of Rhythm, narrated by Harry Belafonte, that features Dizzy telling how he met up with Chano, and some background on Chano's biography.

More Backstory: Chano Pozo entry with biographical facts and discography at AllAboutJazz.com.

Thanks for the history tip to DJ Arturo "Marcané" Gomez at KUVO-Denver, where you can hear him regularly host jazz and Latin jazz programming, and yes, even dish up his favorite paella recipes.