Rumba Na' Ma

Mosaic's Cuban Night, with live drum ensemble Tambor Vivo, was moved to TONIGHT, Thursday (9/24), instead of as originally scheduled last week. Two short sets at 10:30 and 11:30; No cover.

Here's what I wrote about it in July:

"Cuban Night at Mosaic

Primal energies ran high in what may have been the most extraordinary night in the monthly Cuban jam series since they started last year.

Mosaic's Moroccan wine cellar ambience took on a kind of beatnik vibe, where novices and nightclub habitues mingled with rumba aficionados and Cuban homeboys. I saw one New Yorker, a former Palladium dancer, summoning rumba steps from the same deep, mysterious roots that fed the original mambo craze.

More, please."

Beverly Botsford and Tambor Vivo at the Carrboro Century Center in July. Eduardo and Stephanie Winston exhibit flourish as they lead dancers in Afro-Cuban rumba.

Link:
Mosaic Wine Lounge, 517 W. Jones St (corner Glenwood), Raleigh downtown

Church of Palmieri

Finally! I was at the right place at the right time to catch Pako Santiago in a bongo solo. Pako plays timbales often in Carnavalito, and will take up congas in the new incarnation of Charanga Carolina, but I especially like his sabor boricua on the bongó.

Here he is with Sajaso on Saturday, working a pretty hefty chart at the Cary Caribbean Festival: a 1967 Eddie Palmieri descarga on the Tito Puente composition "Picadillo."



Ramon Ortiz follows him on timbales, then Rafael Duque (keeper of the great blog Sentimiento Mañana) on congas.

Sound equipment was not adequate at this event. This is the first year for the all-volunteer Cary Caribbean Festival, and it was a healthy beginning, but the event would benefit next time from a stage manager and sound crew.

The best way to appreciate the music was to stand next to the bandstand, at the back of the speakers, so the sound could travel naturally to your ears. A drum has natural amplification, after all, that is the essence of a drum. Despite the audio challenges, this event was really enjoyable because of hot moments like these--another Eddie Palmieri classic, from the 1964 album Lo Que Traigo Es Sabroso:



Frank Vila tears up the piano, then Rafael Duque solos again (more audible than in the last clip), Serena Wiley on saxophone, and then guest rumberos Cesar Cordero and Rick Radian dialogue on congas and cajon.





Along with the aforementioned, Jade-Lin Chue played bass, Andy Kleindienst trombone, Guillo Carias subbed on flugelhorn, and leader Ramon "Chino" Casiano performed vocals. Dominican singer Nelson [last name?], formerly of son band La Sexta Clave, played hand percussion.

SAJASO @ Cary Caribbean Festival this Saturday, 6 pm

Live salsa band Sajaso headlines the first Cary Caribbean Festival this Saturday (9/19). Many Antillean cultural groups, including bomba and plena dancers from the Asociacion de Puertorriqueños Unidos de NC, will be participating in the free festival, which runs from 2-7 pm in the Herbert Walker Community Center. (See calendar listing.)



Sponsored by the Town of Cary and the Asociacion de Puertorriqueños Unidos de NC.

one more goodbye

Gotta say farewell and good luck to Alfredo Morua Averhoff, who joined our music scene for a short time this summer. Alfredo, a master pastry chef, moved back to New York suddenly for professional reasons, and his presence is already missed. He was an easygoing, adaptable musician who sang rumba and played percussion with Tambor Vivo among others.

Unforgettably, Alfredo sang me a birthday rumba at their last concert at the Carrboro Century Center, with some very beautiful personalized lyrics. That was the icing on the cake.

We will miss Alfredo's smile, his Cuban style, and his bald profile! (Of which he is proud.) He knows he's got friends in Carolina.

Links:
Search Alfredo Morua on Onda Carolina
Indy Best of the Triangle 2009: Alfredo at work at The Mad Hatter

Salsa Summer Splash

Mambo Dinamico, Betto Herrera's professional dance company, this weekend hosts Salsa Summer Splash, a 3-day conference of workshops with visiting instructors, parties and performances in styles ranging from rumba to cha cha cha.



The party starts tonight, Friday (8/21) with a wing ding at Carmen's, and wraps Sunday with an afternoon social dance at Lake Crabtree. In between, workshops with visiting instructors will take place at Carmen's on Saturday (8/22). The door price is $20 per workshop, or $50 for all four. An all-weekend pass to all workshops and parties is available for $60.

Saturday (8/22) Workshop Schedule:

1-2 pm - Rumba Afro-Cubana
w / Alejandro de Armas

2-3 pm - Bachata Dominicana
w/ Juan "Tato" Paredes

3-4 pm - Combo Class
w/ Cristina Zavala & Rodrigo Cortazar

4-5 pm - Chacha Footwork
w/ Alejandro, Tato, Cristina, Rodrigo, Laura, Denisse and Betto

More info:
North Carolina Salsa Summer Splash website

rumba libre: The Free Expression Project

Paso dance instructors Eduardo and Stephanie Winston had such a big response to their FREE rumba guaguanco class last week, that they are doing it again this Sunday (8/2) at 7:30 pm.

See The Free Expression Project for more info.

WHAT: Rumba Guaguanco Workshop (folkloric Cuban dance)
WHERE: Paso Salsa Studios, 1601 E. Geer St, Durham, NC
WHEN: Sunday (8/2), 7:30-8:30
COST: FREE

Tambor Vivo THIS WEDNESDAY (7/29)

Follow the drums to the Century Center this Wednesday, where Tambor Vivo, Beverly Botsford's Afro Cuban percussion ensemble, will be performing as part of Carrboro Parks & Rec's Summerdipity concert series:

WHAT: Tambor Vivo at Carrboro "Summerdipity" Concert Series
WHEN: Wednesday (7/29), 7:30-9 pm
WHERE: Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St, Carrboro
COST: $3/person

I can find no website for this series but recent concerts have charged this admission fee; awaiting confirmation from Carrboro officials.

UPDATE CORRECTION: There is no group rate as previously advertised. Cost is $3 per person. More info on the Carrboro City webpage here.

Tambor Vivo is expanding, with recent additions of Andy Kleindienst (bass/trombone) and Alfredo Morua Averhoff (Cuban percussion, voice). Expect to see live dancing of the Cuban folkloric style of rumba guaguanco from Paso dancers.

Can't think of a better way to spend $3. The drum lives!


Update, posted 8/5:

Video of the closing number--a comparsa. Beverly shows off her aerial shekere skills!

FREE Rumba Class SUNDAY (7/26)

From Paso people Eduardo and Stephanie:

"Paso Salsa Studio is holding a free Rumba Guaguanco class this Sunday, July 26th in order to help Triangle dancers develop better expression through real Afro-Cuban body movement. Grass roots approach as usual, with some pretty cool exercises to help develop a strong foundation for the Guaguanco. The goal is simply to make more genuinely expressive dancers who are better able to connect with their emotions and channel them through physical movement."

WHERE: 1601 E Geer Street, Durham, 27703 (919.338.2464)

Tip for locating the Studio - turn left at Faucette Ave. and drive around back of the storage/business center. It's confusing because it's in the back of the building.

WHEN: Sunday, July 26th at 7:30 pm

Cost: FREE

Rebirth of the Rumba

The Ark was a patchouli-laced sweatbox Saturday night during a modern dance jam session for American Dance Festival participants. Jungle percussion was engineered by local drummers, including Bradley Simmons, Patrick Loebs, Jason [last name?] and late drop-ins including Beverly Botsford and Aaron [last name?].

Vladimir Espinosa, down here from Roanoke for ADF, blazed a wide forest path on his batá drums and timbales. (Vlad, a welcome presence here for 6 weeks each summer, also sat in with Carnavalito in June at their Brightleaf Square concert.)

Like a rhythm See 'N Say, the group dialed through a catalog of world rhythms to inspire full body movement. Here's a snippet of the rumba guaguancó:



Something tribal happened during the samba jam, as dancers locked in to a nightclub thump:



Newcomer to the Triangle music scene Alfredo Morua shook a shekere and added verses to the rumba. Morua, a pastry chef at Mad Hatter who was born in Cuba, settled in Angier 3 years ago after living in Manhattan and New Orleans.

Sweet update: Alfredo's bandmate from his New Orleans days, Mark Sanders, just sent me this excellent photo link of the two of them in 1977 in the band Conjunto Caché. Dashiki heaven!


Alejandro "El Niño" Jesus (vocal, center), Mark Sanders (batá drum), Alfredo Morua (far right, guiro). Photo © by Mark Sanders, used by permission.

Mark runs the incredible Cuban music and photo blog Fidel's Eyeglasses, definitely worth a visit if you've never been there. (It's listed in the "Blogs We Like" sidebar).

Cuban Night at Mosaic

Meanwhile, Alfredo Morua made his local music debut last Thursday (7/16) with Tambor Vivo at Mosaic. Primal energies ran high in what may have been the most extraordinary night in the monthly Cuban jam series since they started last year.

Mosaic's Moroccan wine cellar ambience took on a kind of beatnik vibe, where novices and nightclub habitues mingled with rumba aficionados and Cuban homeboys. I saw one New Yorker, a former Palladium dancer, summoning rumba steps from the same deep, mysterious roots that fed the original mambo craze.

More, please.

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.

RADIO ALERT: "Azuquita Pa'l Cafe" Giveaway TODAY

Today on my radio show AZUCAR y CANDELA I'm going to be giving away the new Tiempo Libre CD, Bach in Havana, AND a can of Café Bustelo! Courtesy of Sony Masterworks. Tune in to WXDU 88.7 FM today, Wednesday (5/13) between 6 and 8 pm to find out how to win!

Read More about the Tiempo Libre Bustelo promotion here

Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre's third major label CD, Bach in Havana fits right in to Cuba's long history of mingling European classical music and Afro-Cuban popular music. The music of J.S. Bach is known for melodic purity and spiritual power. To that, Tiempo Libre has added Cuba's own sacred music (the batá drums and sacred songs of the Yoruba tradition), as well as its rambunctious timba dance rhythms, crafted together with classical reverence and a Latin jazz sensibility. Two of Cuba's finest saxophonists, Paquito D'Rivera and Yosvany Terry, take prominent guest spots.

This album highlights fine keyboard work by pianist and musical director Jorge Gomez, who says he used to lie in bed at night and listen to his father, a classical pianist, play Bach. All the young members of Tiempo Libre studied classical music at strict, Russian-style conservatories in Cuba, where popular music was taboo. However, they inhaled Afro-Cuban musical traditions, such as rumba, son, danzon, timba and Santería, just by growing up there, where music is in the air, in the streets, in private homes and nightclubs. You might say that Bach in Havana takes classical music from the salons out into the solares, the courtyards in poor, black neighborhoods in Cuba where the rumba was born.

It's interesting to contemplate "Air on a G String" [sic] had it been written as a lovesong to a beautiful behind, if J.S. Bach could walk the streets of Miami Beach, sans powdered wig, waistcoat unbuttoned to mid-chest. Tiempo Libre doesn't only loosen up the classics, it breathes new life into them. This album might help a lot of people better understand Cuba's birthright and invention of a creole musical language. As North Americans, it's our birthright too.

Summer Camp for Rumberos

There's a highly recommended Afro-Cuban dance and drum program at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California coming up this July 25-August 1.

I've heard great things from people who've gone there, and it also seems (to me) to be a great value--the whole week-long program of classes is $495, not including travel/lodging. You can also sign up by day rates.

Among the esteemed instructors at this camp: the one and only Francisco Aguabella, John Santos, Mike Spiro, Toto Berriel from Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, founding member of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional Lazaro Galarraga, and drummers and dancers from other top folkloric groups in Cuba, such as Yoruba Andabo and Afro-Cuba de Matanzas. The program also includes scholars such as David Peñalosa who has written books about clave.

Realer, a deal does not get. Classes cover rumba and orisha song, dance, and multi-instrument drumming techniques, at levels from beginner to pro.

"I must mention that our evening rumba parties have become legendary," says program founder and coordinator Howie Kaufman.

"You will not be disappointed!" emphasizes Santos.

Details and registration at the website: Humboldt University: Explorations in Afro-Cuban Dance and Drumming

update - Descarga en Roanoke

I have added a new video to the post about Sandoval's concert in Roanoke. See his sidemen sitting in with the afterparty band here. (Scroll to the bottom of the updated post to watch second video.)

Just Like Being There

Here is some footage I took of Sin Miedo, a D.C. band led by French pianist and vocalist Didier Prossaird, in Roanoke in late January. They played the afterparty for the Arturo Sandoval concert at the Jefferson Center. Three guys from a local college are doing Cuban line-dancing in front; the one with his hat on backwards is Cuban, the others are his proteges. I danced some rueda with them later on.


Sin Miedo from Santa Salsera on Vimeo.
Alfredo Mojica is the talented vocalist and timbalero; Rene Ibanez is on congas, Steve Sachse bass, Antonio Orta sax/flute, Scott Gearhart trumpet.



Sandoval didn't show to the afterparty, but I brought along three of his Cuban sidemen--Philbert Armenteros, Manuel Valera and Alexis Arce (one of the "Pututis"). I have some more video of them sitting in with Sin Miedo... yet to come...



UPDATE
Pardon the shaky video (I'm new at this)--I wanted to edit this down but couldn't figure out what app I have that works, so, here is all 8 and a half minutes of descarga glory.


Descarga Cubana from Santa Salsera on Vimeo.

Solos: Antonio Orta - saxophone, Philbert Armenteros - congas, Alexis "Pututi" Arce - timbales.

You will see Didier directing his band, and Rene (a fellow Cubano, seen above with Philbert giving the thumbs up) setting up mics, etc. as Philbert takes the rumba seat, Pututi mans the timbales and Manuel works the keyboard like a gymnast. Hard to believe Valera's first instrument was saxophone until he came to the States in 1994! Some of you saw him here in October with Dafnis Prieto's spectacular sextet.

Related: More party photos by Garland Gay of the Roanoke Times

Rumba Thursday @ Mosaic

Tambor Vivo will be back at Mosaic in Raleigh again this Thursday (11/13).



What it is: Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble, two short live sets at 10:30 and 11:30 pm, with DJ'ed salsa in between. FREE, no cover.

UPDATE, posted Friday AM:

This party is happening. More and more people turn out each time for this (soon to be regular?) monthly percussion performance, with sweaty interludes of salsa. DJ Steven Feinberg played Bio Ritmo from the new album, the fortified plena/salsa mix "Dime Vida," also some Cuban timba (why wasn't I paying closer attention?), some Willie Colon (I think it was the real thing, "Todo Tiene Su Final") and some Marc Anthony from the El Cantante soundtrack, "Aguanile." Betto and some of his Mambo Dinamico crowd turned out, as well as the stalwarts from Paso, with their rueda and rumba guaguanco students, and members of the NCSalseros Meetup group. It was a good feeling to see a large crowd responding to live drums. Tambor Vivo sounded the best I've heard them at this venue, possibly feeding off the crowd energy. They were doing a samba batucada thing when I came in, at the tail end of the last set. After the intermission, they entered with a shekere procession, and Beverly (Botsford) was in her element. One of her percussion buddies drove in 100 miles from Greenville. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. This wouldn't be happening 20 years ago," he said during the second set's long guaguanco, for which Betto and Beverly improvised some vocals. Like a tiny flame, we shelter it and watch it grow.

All Souls Rumba

As great as it was to have El Gran Combo here in N.C. last night, I can't help but feel some longing as to where else I might have been:



This is fresh footage from the Nov. 1 reunion concert of Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino, the legendary '70s jazz/folklore experiment at the Hostos Center in the Bronx.

If you ever wanted to know what motivates those of us who love rumba, check this clip out and make a commitment to watch the whole thing through to the end. If you don't have 10 minutes, just skip it. Staying power is not encouraged by the current pace of our popular culture, but you have to build intensity to get to ecstasy.

This starts small, but passionate with Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet recitative. Assembled luminaries include Jerry's brother Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Manny Oquendo on timbales, who played in Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta in the '60s. Those who stay to the end are rewarded with some rumba dancing by lead singer/conguero Pedrito Martinez.

If those steps look familiar, you may have seen them before. Pedrito unleashed similar rumba moves at the Cat's Cradle three years ago, in a much more contemporary context--the urban melange of Latin styles known as Yerba Buena.

Rumba Thursday Returns to Mosaic

Bev Botsford sends good news: her Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble, Tambor Vivo, will perform again at Mosaic Wine Lounge in Raleigh this Thursday (10/16), with two live sets beginning at 10:30 and 11:30.



Mosaic is located on Jones St. near the corner of Glenwood, just a few blocks from the Red Room.

Back story: read my review of a Tambor Vivo performance there in August.

Que Orquesta!

It seems obvious in retrospect. But who would have thought, that by pooling the resources of our university, high school, and professional musicians, that we could end up with such a truly grand orquesta, such as David Garcia has fashioned out of Charanga Carolina?

Some scenes from last night's performance at Durham Academy:
(Click on photos to see more)









It's a beautiful experiment. I wish I could have played in a charanga when I was in high school! I wish I could have experienced the joy of Latin music when I was playing violin back then...I knew the intensity of Mahler, the ecstasy of Strauss, even the swing of Gershwin, but I didn't yet know clave, or danzon, or salsa. I envy these students!

An inspiration award goes to Bela Kussin, who had a leading hand in founding the Fiesta Latina at Durham Academy 3 years ago. Her invitation to Garcia and the Charanga to play there quickly led to collaboration, drawing DA student string players into the ensemble.

To see our local Latin musicians on stage with them is also a beautiful thing. Invited guests: Nelson Delgado and Ramon "Chino" Casiano, vocals, Andy Kleindienst (a Charanga alum), trombone, Alberto Carrasquillo, trumpet, Brevan Hampden, congas, Ramon Ortiz, timbales.

Coda:
As the crowd trailed out to catch the VP debate and stagehands wrapped electrical cords, Brevan and Ramon refused to give up the groove. I took a series of pictures of their impromptu descarga, this is the first:

Watch the rumba heat up at my flickr stream by clicking on the photo.

Rumba takes baby steps

Eduardo and Stephanie say they will offer a beginner's rumba class on 9/7. It will be an intensive workshop for first-timers, no reservation required.

What: Intensive Beginner's Rumba Workshop
When: Sunday, September 7, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Where: Upstairs studio at Triangle Dance Studios, 2603 S. Miami Blvd, RTP

Cost: $10, open to all.

Living Drum (Can't Stop The Rumba)

Who would have thought that just a few blocks from all those overcrowded nightspots and the tawdry hubbub on Glenwood Avenue on a Thursday night, there's the hip, relaxed and ample Mosaic Wine Lounge on Jones Street, a seemingly underused oasis?

A nice open air evening meant you could hear Tambor Vivo from around the corner, which worked better than a GPS to find the place: Just follow the call of the drums...


On Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, the Moroccan-themed bar boasts the international grooves of DJ Keith [Ward], a Greensboro native who has travelled here and there, living for a time in Spain and the Dominican Republic. It shows. He spins Latin in a cosmopolitan way with real sabor. I don't know if I've ever heard the "Elena Elena" plena in a nightclub, except when Sajaso mix it into their live descargas.

As anticipated, Eduardo and Stephanie Winston, of Durham's Paso Dance Studios, were there and itching to dance to some Cuban guaguanco.



Click on either of the photos to see a couple more from the rumba at my (new!) Flickr photostream.