Banda De Pífanos de Caruaru & Carnaíba - Brasil

"Santo Antonio do Carnaíba"
Banda de Pifanos De Carnaíba
Vinyl LP

"A Bandinha Vai Tocar"
Banda de Pifanos De Caruaru
1980 vinyl LP
5. "São João do Carneiriñho"


"Banda De Pífanos de Caruaru"
1976 vinyl LP
(My favorite)

1. "Pipoca Moderna"

Caruaru and Carnaíba are cities in the
state of Pernambuco, in the northeast of Brazil.
In 1976 I had a girlfriend who was from Recife,
we used to listen to the 1976 LP a lot.

O Mestré, "João do Pifano" talking, playing and
making a Pifé in Caruaru, Brasil.



Banda de Pífano de Caruaru



Banda de Pífano de Caruaru



"Scuriñho" giving short demonstrations
of Northeast Brasilian ritmos on his 'Zabumba'.
Xote-Xaxado-Biaio-Maracatu-Marcha

Grupo Los Herederos - Miami, Florida

Grupo Los Herederos

Miami, Florida

1. "Omi Tuto"

2. "Yo Quiero Regressar"

3. "Atrevimiento No"

4. "Potencia Brava"

5. "En La Union Esta La Fuerza"

Grupo Dilanga - London U.K.

Grupo Dilanga
E.P.

A nice project from the U.K., an E.P. with four tracks.
From the info on the bands web site, the members appear to be both Cuban and British.
According to the web site, the name "Dilanga" means "times past", though for me, this style of rumba is not really a "times past" style and is more of the contemporary style of rumba played by most every young band playing rumba these days.
Excellent singing and great drumming make this a very cohesive group.
Tasteful quinto.
They do a very nice version of Omelé.
(The more I listen to these, the more I like them)

1. "Dilanga"

2. "Pressure Drop"

3. "Columbia"

4. "Omelé"

Sierra Maestra - Sonando Ya - Cuba

"Sonando Ya"

Sierra Maestra
2010 CD

I'm not really crazy about this most recent 2010 CD by Sierra M., there's only one track that I like and that's # 8. Juan Andrés.
Not a terrible CD, I'm just not into the singers voice and I don't care for the "American Be-Bop" derived trumpet solos in a few tracks.
Unfortunately, for me the sound of this band changed after bongocero Carlos González and Juan D' Marcos González left the band and singer José Antonio "Maceo" Rodríguez
died in 2005.

This 2010 CD can be downloaded free on most of the file sharing sites all over the internet.

8. "Juan Andrés"

Los Bucaneros - 1960 - Cuba

Los Bucaneros
Vinyl LP-Areito/Egrem

5. "Provocando Mi Piropo"
(Ritmo Pilón)

6. "Ven Pa'Ca"
(Ritmo Pa'Ca)

Los Modernistas - '63-'64 - Cuba

Los Modernistas

Vocal quartet founded in Havana in 1960.

6. "Que Es Esto Que Llega"
(Ritmo Mozambique)

12. "Diga Lo Que Digan"
(Ritmo Mozambique)

Los Meme - 1960's - Cuba

"Los Meme"
El Cuarteto de Meme Solís

"Farah Maria"
El Cuarteto de Meme Solís
(Ritmo Mozambique)



Moraima Secada 
con El Cuarteto de Meme Solís
Vinyl LP

"A la Quimbamba"

Moraima Secada con El Cuarteto de Meme Solís

Photo: Beny Moré & Felix Chappottín

Beny Moré & Felix Chappottín

Conj. Chappottín & Conj. Chapottin Valdés

A 1991 CD release on the Artex lable.

With two different bands.

Track # 1-9 featuring the band 'Conjunto Chappottin Valdes', with Ignacio "Mazacote" Carrillo and Eugenio "Raspa" Rodriguez on vocals and "El Niño Rivera" playing tres (Andres Echevarria).
"Niño Rivera" plays his ass off and takes several excellent tres solos.
The 9 sessions were re-released in 2000 on the French 'Sonodisc' label on a CD titled: "Quiquiriñao".
("Chapottin" incorrectly spelled with one "P").
Which is now out of print, though "used CD's" can be found on Amazon and Ebay.

"Quiquiriñao"
Conjunto Chappottín Valdés

Track # 10-20 are Conjunto Chappottin with Felix Chappottin, Miguelito Cuní and "Arturo" playing tres. All 20 songs recorded very well, with excellent sound.

4. "Mi Grato Son"
Vocals: Eugenio "Raspa" Rodriguez
and Ignacio "Mazacote" Carrillo,
Tres: "Niño Rivera".

5. "Sacando Palo Del Monte"
Vocals: Ignacio "Mazacote" Carrillo,
and Eugenio "Raspa" Rodriguez.
Tres: "Niño Rivera".

10. "Y Que Paso"
With Felix Chappottin, Miguelito Cuní

LP covers - Irakere - 1978

I first started listening to Irakere

via short wave radio in New Orleans in 1973,
but my first two vinyl LP's were
these two on the Mexican 'Ariola' lable
from 1978. They were licensed by Egrem.
They both had 'stickers' on the front that said:
"La Autentica Salsa"... but when I peeled away
one of them to see what it originally said underneath...
it says: "La Sensacion Moderna Cubana".

Great photos of the band, with my favorite
Conguero, the late Jorge "El Niño" Alfonso
looking very happy. (he later committed suicide)

Posters from 'Snug Harbor' -New Orleans 1980-1986

These are posters from gigs I did in New Orleans

at the jazz club 'Snug Harbor' during the 1980's.
I found them while helping my Mom clean out her closet.

This was my band.
1978-1986

I was fortunate to be a member of the band
of legendary "Master New Orleans drummer"
the late 'James Black'. (R.I.P.)

This was the band of New Orleans 7 string
guitarist, 'Steve Masakowski'

Orq. Riverside - "Una Notche En Tropicana" LP cover

"Una Notche En Tropicana"
Orq. Riverside
The original Puchito LP cover

Los Muñequitos LP's '77-'79 - Cuba

Two Muñequitos LP's from the late 1970's.

It was these sessions that were reissued on CD by
Qbadisc in 1992 and 1994.
However there were "two songs that were not included" (missing) on the 1992 CD reissue, most likely due to Qbadisc being too "politically intimidated" to include them.

"Canto a Angola" and "Protesta De Chile"
These LP's included the late masterful quinto player,
Victoriano "Tití" Espinosa.

"Los Muñequitos De Matanzas"
The original Vinyl LP 1977

On "Canto a Angola", they start the song singing the melody for "Stranger in Paradise" which is a popular song from the 1953 American musical "Kismet", the melody was based on the original music by Russian composer *'Alexander Borodin', the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens," from 'Alexander Borodin's "Polovetsian Dances". (*1833-1887)

6. "Canto a Angola"

9. "Protesta De Chile"


"guaguanco columbia yambu"
The original Vinyl LP

Drums made by Candido Requena in La Habana, Cuba 1950's 10½ inch oak

Candido Requena made bongoes and tumbadoras, he was the bongocero who played with Orq. Casino De La Playa in the late 1930's, he also played with Conjunto Kubavana.
( before Armando Peraza)
Candido Requena was one of two Cubans said to be the first to create and add a "metal tunable system" to the bongoes. (the other is said to be the bongocero "Severino")

Two drums originally made in La Habana, Cuba in the 1950's by Candido Requena.
Both drums have been beautifully restored and have an elegant "classic Cuban" shape.
One is owned by 'James' in Berkeley, California.
The other is owned by 'Juan Ramirez' in Covina, California.

A 10½ inch oak Candido Requena drum.
Hecho en los 1950's, en La Habana, Cuba.
Owned and restored by 'James' in
Berkeley, California.

Photos: 'James'.

A 10½ inch Ceder (Cedro) Candido Requena drum.
Hecho en los 1950's, en La Habana, Cuba.
Owned by 'Juan Ramirez' in Southern California.
Restoration by Matthew Smith in PA.
Hardware re-chromed in California.

Before

Crown before and after re-chromed.

Plates & hardware before and after re-chromed.

Photos: 'Juan Ramirez'.
The excellent re-chroming job was done by
'Universal Metal Plating' in Azusa, California.

The now classic 1950's LP cover by
"Los Mejores Musicos De Cuba",
with a drum made by Candido Requena
on the cover.

Bobby Carcasses artwork - Cuba

Bobby Carcasses is also a talented artist,
this is an ink drawing by him titled "Cosmobajófono"
interestingly.... it's similar to the artwork
on the LP cover of Grupo Yoyi.

"Cosmobajófono"
Artwork by Bobby Carcasses

The LP cover of Grupo Yoyi below.

Mike Collazo timbalero dies March 2010

Mike Collazo
74 years old
1935 - March 1, 2010
R.I.P.

Mike Collazo, Manny Oquendo, Tommy Lopéz
with Vicentico Valdés.

Felix “Pupi” Legarreta - six 1960's LPs

Felix “Pupi” Legarreta, Cuban violinist, flutist, singer, arranger, pianist, and guitarist who has participated in several landmark periods of Latin music. Legarreta was born in 1940 in Cienfuegos, Cuba and started playing the violin when he was seven years old.
When he was a teenager, he played with some of Cuba’s most famous musicians, performing live on both the radio and television.

Legarreta left Cuba in 1959 and moved to Chicago to play in the second Charanga group formed in the United States. He taught himself to play the Cuban five-key flute in the 1960's, and toured throughout the United States during the 1970's and 1980's.
Legarreta has been in Philadelphia, PA for the past 30 years, working with and teaching local musicians, working as an electrician, and playing and recording music on a regular basis.
He is in the unique position in his field to be a master of violin, flute, piano, vocals, and arrangements.
Felix “Pupi” Legarreta is a 2008 recipient of a "Pew Center grant for Folk & Traditional Arts".
(Via pcah.us)

Not a complete "discography",
Just early original and mid 1960's sessions.

"Salsa Nova"
First LP with his own band 1962
(reissued on LP in 1976)
Totico: vocal, Carlos 'Patato' Valdez: tumbadoras.
Osvaldo "Chihuahua" Martinez: güiro.

8. "Toda La Verdad"


"¡Que Lío...!"
1965 LP

1. "Que Lío"

"Ritmo Jala Jala"
1966 LP
Vitín López and Rudy Calzado: vocals

7. "Son De Mayari"
Vocal: Rudy Calzado


"Pupi En Venezuela"
196? LP

5. "Harina Con Boniato"


"Pupi y Su Charanga"
196? LP

1. "El Platanal De Bartolo"
Violin solo: "Pupi" Legarreta


"Soy Campesino"
1966 LP
(Alfredo De La Fé plays here when he was "12" years old)