"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
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
at the 1980 New Orleans Jazz Festival.
Eddie Bobé, myself and my father playing his favorite
Chekeré at the New Orleans Jazz Festival 1985.
I love the shape of that chekere, unfortunately it's tough to get one like that outside of Cuba...
ReplyDeleteMy old man had "gourd connections" in the Carolinas and in California, I used to go over to his apartment (back in the days) and he would have unfinished gourds lined up on a long shelf... waiting for potential customers.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a skinny long "pickle" shaped one, not as big as my dads... one night after I got off a gig at 4 a.m. in New Orleans... I got home.... took my drums in from my car.... I was so tired, I fell asleep on my bed, the next morning I realized I didn't take my 3 Chekere's in from the car... I went outside and someone had broke into the car and robbed all three, including the my skinny "pickle" shaped one. But my old man made me three new ones that were better than the ones stolen. I do miss that skinny "pickle" one though.
There was one I really liked that my dad made, (that 'John Amira' now owns) it had "ridges" on it, almost like spines along the outside. I'll post a photo of it in the next few days.
The Chekeré with the "ridges/spines".. John Amira told me he doesn't have it, so unfortunately I can't post a photo of it. I have no Idea who he sold it to.
ReplyDeleteHe originally got the gourd from 'Carlos "Go Go" Gomez'. I was really a unique shape, really beautiful.
Hey Mark, speaking of instruments your father made, what ever became of the set of bata that he made that you have a picture of?
ReplyDeleteI sold them to 'Barry Duke' in the mid to late 1980's.
ReplyDeleteHe still has them.
http://1.bp.blogspot.co/_DSoGzKEt12Y/SNBqwix42KI/AAAAAAAACCQ/FPkXbj09_2k/s1600-h/Bata.jpg