Video: Cuba - Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo (Rehearsal 1988)

Cambrón Jr. Vol -1 & Vol -2 Changüi - Cuba

"Dime Si Hay Instrumento"
Cambrón Jr. y Su Changüi - Vol-1

7. Meta Yamandu El Bongó

8. Dime Si Hay Instrumento

10. El Guararey Es Contigo

"Cambrón Jr." is the son of the late 'Carlos Borromeo Planché' ("Cambrón") Cambrón Sr. was an important member of 'Grupo Changüi De Guantanamo' during the 1980's.
(in the 80's the most prolific group playing Changüi tipico in Cuba)

Cambrón Sr. playing guayo

I bought these two CD's from Cambrón Jr. while in Cuba and also a pair of typical Changüi Bongoes that he made.
(Different in size and shape, as well as playing technique from standard "Son" Bongoes)

"Yo Vengo De La Loma" 
Cambrón Jr. y Su Changüi - Vol-2

3. Homenaje a Elio Revé

11. Auxilio Guardia

12. Changüi Sucu Sucu
Ritmo Sucu Sucu y Changüi


Cambron Jr. Video #1
Cambron Jr. Video #2
Cambron Jr. talking in the street Video #3

Grupo Changüi De Guantanamo "Changüi y Cumbancha"

"Changüi y Cumbancha" '
'Grupo Changüi De Guantanamo'
Vinyl LP on Siboney.
Done in the Siboney recording studios in Santiago De Cuba.

Accompanying insert notes by 'Danilo Orozco Gonzalez'


Changüi bongoes brought back from Cuba, 1997.
Made for me by 'Cambron Jr.'

Alberto / Alfredito Zayas Y Su Grupo Folkorico - 1959 Cuba

"Afro-Frenetic" was later reissued on the

American 'Capitol' record label as "Hi-Fi Cuban Drums" 
For me, the "Afro-Frenetic" standout tracks are
the Abakúa #3 "Aseré" and #6 "Yenguelé Maria".

Yenguelé Maria

"Guaguanson"
The Alberto Zayas classic 1959 Panart LP.
Never reissued.

Alberto Zayas wrote 10 out 12 songs.
This features the beautiful singing style and voice
of Manolo Furé he sings lead on most of this LP,

Manuel 'Manolo' Furé

2. Ponte Saya Colora 
Manolo Furé: lead vocal

7. Pa' la mar serena
Manolo Furé: coro

8. Mayari Monte Adentro
Manolo Furé: lead vocal
(Zayas sings once briefly before the tres solo)

11. Cumayé
Manolo Furé: lead vocal


* * * * *
Cayetano Baila
Manolo Furé with Los Hermanos Castro.
Manolo Furé: lead vocal

La Timba
Manolo Furé with Tony Tejera y su Conjunto
Manolo Furé: lead vocal

Alberto Zayas was a singer as well as prolific composer and interpreter of 'Rumbas' and 'Sones'.
Born in Matanzas, Cuba Feb. 14 1908, died in *Guanabacoa in1983.
*Guanabacoa was the first place to have an African "Cabildo" in Havana.
His family moved to La Habana when he was one year old.
He began singing at age 14.
He also worked and collaborated often with musicologist & author, 'Fernando Ortiz' as a music consultant when it came to presenting authentic Cuban folkloric music/s.

Superb tres playing especially the solos on 7. "Pa'la Mar Serena" & 8. Mayari Monte Adentro", Saxophone on tracks 2 & 10, Nice 'Marimbula' played by Zayas himself on track 12 and some very tasty piano solos. The bongo playing style is simple and pure Cuban art.

The most beautiful thing about this classic LP..... is the singing, the sweetest, prettiest harmonies you'll ever hear. This was one of my fathers favorite LPs... I remember first hearing this when I was 7 or 8 years old. Of the two LPs, "Guaguanson" is my favorite.

This is Cuban music "free" & "unpolluted" by American rap, funk and Be-Bop"

I've painstakingly "cleaned" & "trimmed" both vinyl's with
'Goldwave V.5' Both ripped from original vinyl LP's.
"Afredito" Zayas is 'Alberto Zayas'.
'John Amira' has told me he believes the musican on the back cover wearing the straw hat & playing the Bata drum to be a young 'Mario Jauaregui'.

Gilberto Valdés y Su "Valdimbula" / Jesús Peréz y Su Bata

These two LP's were both bootlegs of original Cuban recordings.
The Maype LP with the yellow cover, "Rezo De Santo" was put together by Gilberto Valdés.
It had a brief narration before each song by Carmelina Poldo.
There were no drums used on the Maype LP, instead they used the instrument known as Marimbula. Gilberto Valdés decided to take the end of his last name... 'Valdés' and the end of Marim"bula", put them together and he came up with "VALDIMBULA".

However, when the LP "Santeria Cubana" on the Tecca label came out.... they took all of the songs from "Rezo De Santo", cut out the narration before each song, then added them along with several more songs not originally on the first LP, including several poorly recorded tracks with an unknown batá group.
I put everything together in one file, totaling 26 tracks.

'Terceto Yoyo photo / Cuba 1920's

'Terceto Yoyo'
The Cuban trio with a 14 key Marímbula.
There is only one recorded song
that I have ever heard from them.
'El Cangrejito'
El Terceto Yoyo

"Marímbula"
Cover photo from Luis Conte's CD:

The actual 9 key Marímbula used for the above CD cover was made in Jamaica W.I.
My father bought it in N.Y.C. and gave it to me in 1978.
My dad took off the original rusted piece of metal that held the keys down and replaced it with a "brushed" aluminum strip of metal.
I sold it to my long time friend Luis Conte in 1986.
(L.A. based percussionist originally from Santiago De Cuba)

You can buy his CD "Marimbula" directly from the link to his web site below.

http://www.luisconte.com/recordings/recordings.html

A Cuban Marímbula used for playing Changüi,
with 7 keys, a "bass" key in the middle.
Photo: Daniel Chatelain

An older Cuban 8 key Marímbula