Friday, April 29, 2011

Grupo Changó Yelé - "Praises To The Orichas Yoruba" 2000 - Miami

"Praises To The Orichas Yoruba"
Grupo Changó Yelé
CD 2000

One of, if not my most favorite 'Toque Güiro' recordings.
With former N.Y.C. homeboy, Jess Feldman in the group.
The drummer playing 'Caja' (lead drum) has a nice style.
Great Akpuón's and coro along with a nice choice of cantos.
Recorded in South Florida, U.S. 2000
((****))

6. Obatala

"Pa' ti' Baba"

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Photo: Rumba in Central Park 1961

Rumbiando en Parque Central 1961
Manhattan, N.Y.C.
The Man on the left is playing a 10½ inch drum
hecho por/ made by Gonzalo Vergara en Cuba.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Enrique Jorrin: "Stevenson" - Cuba


"Al Ritmo Del Cha cha chá"
Orq. Enrique Jorrin
1986 EGREM Vinyl LP
(1987 Venezuelan pressing)

'Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence',
born 1952 in Jamaica, W.I., grew up in Las Tunas. Cuba.
He was only the second heavyweight boxer the history of
the Olympics to win three gold medals, 1972, 1976, 1980.

A song written by Vicente Bartuti, a tribute to the former
Cuban heavyweight boxing champion, Teófilo Stevenson
on a 1986 LP by Enriqe Jorrin

Orq. Enrique Jorrin
4. 'Stevenson'
Comp: Vicente Bartuti


Track # 6 "Como Pompas De Jabon"
was written and sung by Bobby Carcassés,
who also was born in Jamaica, W.I. then moved to Cuba.
You can download this LP from Yoyo's great music blog:
http://listentoyourears.blogspot.com/
which is where I downloaded it from.





Former President Fidel Castro presented Stevenson with a mansion in an exclusive residential area of Havana.
In 1999, he ran into trouble at Miami International Airport, when before boarding
a United Airlines chartered jet that would take the Cuban national boxing team home, he allegedly headbutted a 41 year old United ticket counter employee, causing him to break his teeth. He was arrested, but soon after, he was released and returned home to Cuba.
Stevenson defended himself, saying he was provoked by a torrent of verbal abuse.
  
Teofilo Stevenson and Muhammad Ali
1970's


Teofilo Stevenson
 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Gig tonight Sunday @ Thom bar N.Y.C.

I will be playing at the Thom Bar tonight Sunday April 24th.
Thom Bar is located inside
The Thomson Hotel, 60 Thomson st.
Soho, Manhattan, 10p.m. - 1:30
Gratis, no cover charge.
(Cuban Son, Guaracha, Cha cha chá, Bolero)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Reunión de mujeres babalawos en Holguín Escrito por: Dimas Castellanos

Reunión de mujeres babalawos en Holguín, Cuba.
Escrito por: Dimas Castellanos
http://www.desdecuba.com/dimas/?p=563

Art: Mad Magazine cover 1963


Everyone knows that in 1963 the CIA had a plan
to give Fidel an exploding cigar, which hopefully
would assassinate him.. obviously it never happened.

Mad Magazine cover from Oct. 1963

Friday, April 22, 2011

New guidelines issued for travel to Cuba

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday issued new guidelines for travel to Cuba more than three months after President Obama announced he would loosen restriction that bar most Americans from legally visiting the Communist island.

The action frees up U.S. organizations to apply for new licenses to organize Cuba trips and also clarifies which U.S. citizens may travel to Cuba without applying for a Treasury Department license. Most Americans, however, are still barred from legally visiting Cuba.

NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT IS ONE OF 8 AUTHORIZED NEW FLIGHTS TO CUBA

Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans was one of eight cities that have gained federal approval to schedule charter flights to and from Cuba, opening new gateways for Cuban Americans to visit relatives in the communist island nation and for other limited travel, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on March 8. In addition to New Orleans, CBP officials said such charter flights can now be scheduled from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport, as well as Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and international airports in Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Previously, such flights were only allowed from Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The decision to add airports comes as part of an expanded effort to reach out to the Cuban people announced by President Obama earlier this year.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Orlando Guerra "Cascarita" - Cuba, Mexico

Orlando "Cascarita" Guerra
Born: Sept. 14, 1920 in Camagüey, Cuba
Died: Mexico City, 1975 at the age of 55


"Cascarita: Pruebe y compare"
A very nice CD on Discomedia from Spain
Nicely remastered sessions originally from
live sessions on Radio
CMQ en La Habana.
1949 and 1950
These 20 live
recordings by Cascarita are my favorites.
SWINGING!

4. Rumba en el Pueblo Nuevo
(nice solo on a "tack head" tumbadora)

8. Hay que Dejarse de Cuento
(Ochún Taladé)


((Consíguelo))

"El Guarachero con la Orquesta Casino de La Playa"
Cascarita with Casino De La Playa Orq.
((Consíguelo))

Cascarita "El Guarachero"
A compilation bootleg.
((Consíguelo))

"Cascarita"
With Memo Salamanca y Su Orq.
Vinyl LP recorded in Mexico 1966
Cascarita was 46 years old at his time.
Nice arrangements, but the Orq.
sounds rather "stiff" on these sessions.

Dia de La Patrona de Cuba, Caridad Del Cobre Sept. 8th. 2010

Caridad Del Cobre
La Patrona de Cuba.
"Mamá Cachita"

"Bella Criolla"
Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Piñiero
(de nuevo)

Conjunto Caney - Cuba


Two CD's by Conjunto Caney.
Caney plays in the classic (tipico) "Conjunto" format, that of
Sonora Matancera, with the harmonic use of four trumpets,
timbalitos (not pailas) one tumbadora and tight crisp coros.
It's this "tipical conjunto" sound that was responsible for
forming bandleader Johnny Pachceco's early musical style.

Swinging.

"Conjunto Caney y sus Invitados"
Reynaldo Hierrezuelo "Rey Caney" on several songs.
With Caridad Hierrezuelo singing on several songs.
Pio Leiva on several songs.
I prefer this to the "Greatest Hits' CD below.
The band, the singing and coros are tight.

1. El Plato Roto
2. El Kilo No Tiene Vuelto
3. Aunque Me Cueste La Vida
4. Eres La Candela
5. Como La Habana No Hay
6. Morire De Amor
7. No Volvere A Enamorarme
8. La Rosa Oriental
9. No Pierdas Este Disco
10. Pregones De Ayer
11. El Amor De Mi Bohio
12. Tu Suplica/En El Balcon Aquel
13. Lalle, Lalle
14. Sonaron Los Ingenios
15. Cuando Te Vuelva A Encontrar
16. Asi Quiero Vivir
17. Boda Negra-Sobre Una Tumba Una Rumba
18. Son Del Tocororo
19. Mi Rumbón
20. Luz Que Alumbra-Que Mala Suerte La Mia

8. La Rosa Oriental

13. Layé Layé


"Grandes Exitos"
Conjunto Caney De Cuba
With Caridad Hierrezuelo singing on several songs.
Free on all "the usual" music blogs and file sharing sites.

8. Sabor a Caney

10. Mi rumbón


"Musica De Cuba"
Conjunto Caney
A beautiful cover photo on an EGREM/Areito LP

Monday, April 18, 2011

Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñero (de nuevo) 2010 - Cuba

"¡Sin Rumba No Hay Son!
Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñero (de nuevo)
CD 2010

Pa' mi... Franciso Oropesa es "El Hombre"!

1. Embale tiene la llave


6. La Rumba no es como ayer


Sunday, April 17, 2011

50 year anniversary of the Bay of Pigs, La Habana, Cuba



Members of Fidel Castro's militia gather in Cuba's
Escambry Mountains during the ill-fated
"Bay Of Pigs" 1961 invasion.

Newsweek January 16, 1961 cover
asks: "Can They Survive?"
We sure know the answer 50 years later.


Saturday, April 16, 2011

"Jabuco" Tumbador de Conjunto Roberto Faz - Cuba

"Jabuco"
Tumbador de Conjunto Roberto Faz.
(playing a 10½ inch 'Vergara')

Conjunto Roberto Faz
"Jabuco": tumbadoras y solo
Rumba A La Vida


Video: Cuba - Tipica Hermanos Izquierdo "Moliendo Cafe" 1979 - Cuba


Tipica Hermanos Izquierdo
"Moliendo Cafe"
(En El Pilón De Mamá Inés)
Swinging + a great drum solo.
1979

Thursday, April 14, 2011

"Por Amor": music from the movie "The Closest Farthest Away" - by composer Sage Lewis.

"Por Amor"
The music from the movie
"The Closest Farthest Away"

Orchestral, folkloric, and popular music
collaborations between Los Angeles and Havana.

Music by Sage Lewis Los Angeles-based composer
who uses concert, theater, film/video, and new media to
explore concepts of local, virtual, and international space.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Naná Vasconcelos - Sinfonia & Batuques - Brasil

"Sinfonia & Batuques"
Naná Vasconcelos

((******))

((((scans))))



Sunday, April 10, 2011

Orquesta America "La Vacuna Salk" 1955 - Cuba


Doctor Jonas Salk

"La Vacuna Salk"

Conjunto Son 14 - Cuba


This was the band... "Son sabroson".
Their best early works.

"A Bayamo En Coche"
LP 1979

1. A Bayamo En Coche

6. Se Quema La Trocha


"Son Como Son"
LP 1981
Felix Valoy sings one song, Pancho Amat tres on one song.
((Consíguelo))

"Adalberto Alvarez Presenta Son 14"
LP 1983
With the great Ubaldo Canes on tumbadoras.

1. Agua Que Cae Del Cielo
(Carlos Aldama: batá)

5. Luces De Mi Santiago
"Pa' ti L.C." (Santiaguero)

6. Divina Silvia
(Fransico Amat a.k.a. "Pancho Manguare": tres solo)

7. Las Hojas Blancas


"De Una Manera Mejor"
LP 1984, '85
(sin Adalberto A.)

4. Harina de Maiz Criolla


"Y Sigue El Sol"
LP 1987
(sin Adalberto A.)
((Consíguelo))

"Tocame Un Son Mi Sonero"
LP 198?
(sin Adalberto A.)

1. Tocame Un Son Mi Sonero
2. Que Esta Pasando Con Nuestro Amor
3. Cuidate de Vladimir
4. Mi Viejo Agustin
5. Con tus recuerdos
6. Dos amores
7. El pastelero

1. Tocame Un Son Mi Sonero
Even though the tres dos is "cruzao" with the Clave
at the begining of this song, it still swings.

2. Que Esta Pasando Con Nuestro Amor

4. Mi Viejo Agustin

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