Arsenio Rodriguez - Happy Birthday!

'Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull'

Born Gúira de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba.
August 30th 1911 - December 31st 1970 L.A., Calif.
Feliz cumpleaños! 99

"Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso"

"Sobre El Arco Iris"
Arsenio Rodriguez y Su Conjunto

In memoriam: Senator Ted Kennedy

Senator Ted Kennedy dead at age 77

1923-2009
Champion of civil rights, education, the minimum wage,
health care, champion of the worker.

R.I.P.

"Along The Malecon Blogspot"

http://alongthemalecon.blogspot.com/

Grupo Candombe / Cuba early 1980's

Grupo Candombe
"A Color" 
Vinyl LP
(Obscure)

Grupo Candombe.
Recorded in La Habana.
Early 80's 'Onda Nueva Areito' funketeo.
Great trap drummer, great Conguero, killer electric guitar.
Vinyl LP.
All 12 tracks "cleaned" and trimmed" with GoldWave v5.23

1. Eterno El Son De Me Cuba

3. El Bailador De Mi Cuba

6. IO Monte IO

7. El Pueblo Manda

10. Si, Ay Ay Ay

Street festivals and parade this weekend in Manhattan

Saturday, August 15 08/15/2009
6th Avenue Festival
6th Avenue 23rd - 14th Street

Saturday, August 15 08/15/2009
Waverly Place Festival
Waverly Place to Broadway - 5th Ave

29th India day parade
Sunday August 16th

The 63rd year of free independence from British colonialism

Video: Cuba - 'Los Rumberos De Cuba'

Gina Martin - 1957 - Cuba

'Gina Martin'

Vinyl Panart LP/LD

With 'Jesús Peréz' y su Tambores Bata on
Track #2 "Elegua Inkio" and track #8 "Ochun Del Cobre"

(both written by 'Eduardo Davidson')

12. "Baila Que Se Paso"
(with Tata Güines & El Negro Vivar trumpet solo)

Pancho Amat y su Grupo Manguaré 1985 + 2009 Yo Traigo Un Son

An early photo of 'Pancho Amat' in 1971

I prefer 'Pancho Amat' with "Manguaré" and his playing during the 1980's.
This is my favorite song by Grupo Manguaré with Pancho Amat playing tres.

7. "Traigo El Guayo Y El Bongo"


"Yo Traigo Un Son"
Pancho Amat

"New York City"

Photos: Edy Martinez Quartet - N.Y.C.

This is a gig at the now defunct "Zinc Bar" on Houston street in Soho with the Edy Martinez quartet.

Edy Martinez: Piano.
I forgot the bass players name (sorry).
Phoenix Rivera: drumset (the late 'Mario Rivera's' son).
Myself;: tumbadoras, bongoes, Chekeré.
Ernesto Simpson: sitting in.

Photo: John Amira with his Chekeré -N.Y.C.

August. 6th 2009

'John Amira' with his Chekeré made for him by my dad over 20 years ago.

Cubano vs Cubano (en New jersey) YouTube

This is some funny shit!... COÑO!!

Toque Güiro - Cuba

Toque Güiro from the film "Historia de un Ballet"

Below: a young Lazaro Ros singing,
a young Carlos Aldama and Trinidad Torregrosa drum.

Photos: The "pickle" Chekeré

"Melgarez y su Chekeré"
Photo: 'Pierre Verger' Cuba 1957

"Melgarez y su Chekeré"
Photo: 'Pierre Verger' Cuba 1957

Of all the Chekeré's my father made in his lifetime... this shape was his favorite, which was influenced by the Chekeré in the 'Pierre Verger' photos above.
He made this one for himself and it was the only one he liked to play. He called it "The Pickle".

Photo: by my dad

Me playing my fathers Chekeré ("The Pickle"),
at the 1980 New Orleans Jazz Festival.

Eddie Bobé, myself and my father playing his favorite

 Chekeré at the New Orleans Jazz Festival 1985.

Omelé - Los Muñequitos De Matanzas & El Goyo + Papi Oviedo - Cuba

Two versions of Omelé, the original version by Grupo Guaguancó Matancero and a re-worked version by Gregorio Hernández Rios "El Goyo", from his 2001 CD titled; 'La Rumba Es Cubana'.. El Goyo".Gregorio Hernández used the same tresero as the original version; Papi Oviedo (de Matanzas)
(I like the original version best)

Omelé
Grupo Guaguancó Matancero
 The original version
Papi Oviedo; tres guitar

Omelé
Gregorio Hernández 'El Goyo'
 Papi Oviedo; tres guitar
The re-worked 2001 version

Photo: Thomas Altmann in N.Y.C.

Percussionist Thomas Altmann from Hamburg, Germany was in N.Y.C. this month.
The day before he left, we hung out at my place, played Chekeré, drummed, listened to music and had fun. A great person and great musician.