Shakori Update: Plena Libre, Day 2

Musical director Gary Núñez @ Friday's performance at the Meadow Stage.


Not heeding the "No Smoking" sign (back right), Marcos Lopez and Gabo Lugo turned up the heat Saturday.

Plena Libre's second show Saturday (10/9) at Shakori Hills didn't disappoint. I had my eyes peeled for a repeat of this tune, "Flores," because it featured percussion solos by young talents Marcos Lopez on timbales, and Gabo Lugo on congas. Sure enough, this bit was more extended and even hotter on Saturday, with a jumping crowd packed in within arm's length of the Dance Tent stage:






Victor Velez with pandereta, the drum of plena.


Victor Velez and Chris Nuñez

Shakori People:


Plena Libre's Rafi Falu gives festivalgoer Emma Blackwell a spin on the dancefloor.


Zoe and Josh: Josh is in a marching band and brought his tuba out to Shakori just for fun.


Dianne Freund with WNCU 90.7 FM deejay Bouna Ndiaye, host of Bounjour Africa.

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.

Greensboro Tiene Ya Su Guaguancó

Some pics and commentary from Afro Cuban All Stars at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro last night (4/3):


Juan de Marcos, still the empresario. Behind him: former Cubanismo pianist Ignacio "Nachito" Herrera, who lives in Minnesota, and bassist Alberto Pantaleon who lives in Mexico City.


Representing the old school: Evelio Galán is a nephew of Mañuel "Puntillita" Licea, an original member of the Buena Vista Social Club who passed away in 2000. Galán lives in Dublin and heats up the scene there in percussionist Conor Guilfoyle's band, Havana Son. Juan de Marcos (on stage, behind him) called him "the best singer I have ever heard." Gorgeous voice, like butta. He blew me away. (I like how he strategically placed himself in front of my camera too. These are not bootlegged, I had a photo press pass.)


Calixto Oviedo is a beloved timbero in Stockholm. His 90-year-old mother is gravely ill right now, and although he is very worried about her, it didn't affect his performance. We all hope she will hold on to her health until he finishes out the tour next week and can go down to Cuba to see her. This guy has tremendous musicality on the timbales, and a great attitude!



Behind Emilio Suarez's dancing torso, that's bongosero Pepe Espinosa, who played an unusual solo on bell. He lives in [correction!] Stockholm, I believe. His sister Madelin Espinosa is also a percussionist.


Jose Gil Piñero, aka Jose Gilito, definitely plays well to the ladies.


Here he is down in the open orchestra pit with the dancers. After intermission the concert went into party mode. On stage behind him: Emilio Suarez, Juan de Marcos (arms raised), Evelio Galán.


Don't curb your enthusiasm.
Jose Gilito gets a hug. Behind him on stage: Emilio Suarez, and Juan de Marcos' wife/business manager, Gliceria Abreu (in white).







Yes, that's one nice thing about Cuban bands, they bring the party to you. For anyone who had reservations about this new and unfamiliar lineup, they are the cream of Cuba's talent diaspora. This is an elite orchestra and I appreciated the vitality and fresh faces. They shared with us a sense of optimism that this tour is opening doors, and that Barack Obama will put an end to the cold war on cultural exchange. Soon we will be ready to exhale!

I write this as rumors about Los Van Van's U.S. tour THIS SUMMER appear to be substantiated. It's going to happen, people! This July 28, Durham will get run over by El Tren!

Shout out: Local musicians I ran into in the audience at the Afro Cuban All Stars show included Bradley Simmons, Robert Cantrell, Jose Sanchez and Cesar Oviedo. If you were there, give a holler!

I also talked to Edwin Dubois, the owner of the Greensboro club Rumba D'Cache. He said he did cancel the Niche concert (sounded like he didn't sell enough advance tickets?), and was out of town that week opening another club.

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.