Photo: Howard Levy, my Father and myself 1975 N.Y.C.

 1975 N.Y.C

Howard Levy, my Father and myself .

Playing for the Syvilla Forte dance class.

Howard is playing his 1970's Gon Bops quinto,

my Father is playing a drum he made and carved,

 I'm playing my drum made by Natalio 'Junior' Tirado Ruiz

Photo: Pello El Afrokan y Su Grupo 1963 LP cover

Pello El Afrokan y Su Grupo 1963

I wonder how much that hat would sell for on Ebay?

Photo: Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria

Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria

playing one of his drums made by
Gonzalo Vergara.

Mongo wearing a very hip lightweight
Seersucker jacket, a hip hairstyle and
do you notice something about his hands...

Photo: Grupo Lulu Yonkori con Oscar Valdés Jr. 195? Cuba

Grupo Lulu Yonkori

early 1950's
with a teenage Oscar Valdés Jr. playing quinto
(photo courtesy Barry Cox via Chan de Yoruba Andabo)

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.

"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

"Los Principales" 196? - La Habana, Cuba

 "Los Principales"
Photo courtesy Barry Cox,
via Raúl González Brito "Lali".
(Photo restored by me)
 (Original photo before I restored it)

"Aleda Va Por La Calle" 
Los Principales con Celeste Mendoza

"Se Pierde En Este Vida"
 Los Principales con Celeste Mendoza

Photos: "Los Ágbe"Hortencio Alfonso "Virulilla"; Esteban Lantri "Saldiguera"; Juan Bosco Mesa

Julito Collazo, Trinidad Torregrosa, Raul Díaz

Julito Collazo, Francisco Aguabella, Mongo Santamaria

L-R: unknown, Trinidad Torregrosa, Jesús Peréz

"Melgarez y su Chekeré"

"Ya Están Sonando Los Güïros"
Grupo Guaguanco Matancero
Cantan; Juan Bosco Mesa,
Hortencio Alfonso "Virulilla",
Esteban Lantri "Saldiguera"

Photo of myself, Jason Camacho and Lisa Knauer

Photo of myself, Jason Camacho and Lisa Knauer

at the rumba for Lisa's birthday 12/6/2010

Photo: Tito Sandoval, my Father, René Lopéz Jr.

Tito Sandoval, my Father, René Lopéz Jr.

playing Chekeré's made by my Father.
Central Park Rumba on a Sunday, late 80's early 90's
Photo: courtesy of Tito Sandoval
(las cenizas de mi padre están alrededor de ese árbol)

Profiles in greatness: Agustín Gutiérrez (selected bongó solos)

1925
Agustín Gutiérrez a.k.a. "Manana"

(pictured with Abelardo Barroso playing Clavé)
Born: La Habana 1900 - died: ?

It's often thought that Agustín Gutiérrez created
the "Cuban" rhythmic form called the "Martillo"
which is the basic pattern played on the bongoes.

Agustín Gutiérrez was a member of the Abakúa in
La Habana and is often thought to be one of the first
bongoceros to introduce the technique of using the
thumb and middle finger to produce a glissando effect
by running the finger across the skin, producing a
low pitched "braying" or "mooing" sound, which in
actuality was derived from the highly secretive
Ékue drum which plays a major role in Abakúa
rites, never leaves the Fambá (temple) and is rarely
ever heard by non Abakúa societal members.
The sound is meant to replicate the call of a Leopard.
(originally rooted in the Calabar region of Nigeria)

Agustín Gutiérrez - 1927

Agustín Gutiérrez - 1928


Agustín Gutiérrez third from left.

El coro dice:
"Agustin el bongocero, que tiene fama mundial 
ahora le va a repicar hasta que se rompe el cuero"
 Cuarteto Caney -1936 
Panchito Riset: vocal
"Sabrosito bongó"
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

 

*************

"Loma De Belén"
Sexteto Habanero 1925
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

"Yo No Tumba Caña"  

Sexteto Habanero 1926  

Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

"Elena La Cumbanchera"

Sexteto Habanero 1927  

Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

 
"El Bongó Del Habanero"  
Sexteto Habanero 1928
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

 

*************  
Septeto Nacional recorded in Madrid,1929

Bienvenido León: voc.

Juan De La Cruz: voc.
Lazaro Herrera: trumpet. 

Ignacio Piñeiro: bass.
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes.
Eutimio Constantín: guitar. 

Francisco Solares González: tres.

"El Que Siembra Su Maiz"
Septeto Nacional 1929
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

"Bururún Barará"

Septeto Nacional 1929

Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

 

"A La Loma De Belén"

Septeto Nacional 1929
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

"Aurora"
Septeto Nacional 1929
Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes

"Maruxina"  
Septeto Nacional 1929 

Agustín Gutiérrez: bongoes 

 *************

Agustín Gutiérrez with Conj. Clave y Guaguancó -1967

3. "Tumba La Caña"

Agustín Gutiérrez: quinto-cajón

 

 5. "Cuando Me Toca Mi"

Agustín Gutiérrez: quinto-cajón

7. "Sarabanda Kimbansero"

Agustín Gutiérrez: quinto-cajón

8. "Coco Mondanséré" 

Agustín Gutiérrez: quinto-cajón

Conjunto Nasako

Agustín Gutiérrez playing Chekeré
Luis Santamaria (Mongo Santamaria's cousin) singing.
Jesús Pérez playing el hierro (guataca).
Sonia Calero dancing.
(3 drums made by Candido Requena)

"Ochun"

The drummer on the left in the photo below on the classic

Panart 'Guaguancó Afro-Cubano' LP is in the video above.

The drummer on the left is playing a tumbadora made by

Candido Requena... and the other drummer on the right is

playing my absolute favorite Quinto for the last 45 years.

I'd kill for a drum that exact shape and size.

(Nicolás Mauro: quinto)

Ebay auction: older Mahogany quinto made by Natalio "Junior" Tirado

An older Mahogany 9½ quinto made by

by the late Natalio "Junior" Tirado Ruiz.
Circa 1970's early 1980's.
Currently for sale on Ebay, needs work.



(Photo: Ivan Ferrer)
N.Y.C. rumbero José Rivera playing a
Mahogany 10½ drum made by the late
Natalio "Junior" Tirado Ruiz.

Kevin Nathaniel plays Morty Sanders Shekeré

Barry Cox sent me this link to a video
posted on Youtube by Martin Cohen.
It's a video of percussionist 'Kevin Nathaniel' playing a
Chekeré that my father made for him over 20 years ago.

It's somewhat beat up... net torn, missing beads
and looks like the top of the neck is cracked, but
it still sounds great.

Kevin Nathaniel plays
Morty Sanders' Shekeré

"Los que saben ... saber" - Jay Bereck and Matthew Smith

Jay Bereck and Matthew Smith are in my opinion, the only two Master drum makers that are currently making traditionally styled "Cuban" percussion instruments in the U.S.A. that literally have "Soul" in them.

The "Soul" of both Jay and Matt go into every "organic" wood drum they make.
Drums made of fiberglass and plastic are absolutely "soulless".

Their drums do not look like they belong in a circus,
nor do they look like: "novelty salt and pepper shakers"

These are photos of Jay Bereck and Matthew Smith.
The very definition of Master "Artists-Artisanos"
"Los que saben ... saber"

Jay Bereck - "Skin On Skin"®
Made in the U.S. not cheaply made
on an assembly line in Thailand.

1986 - Brooklyn, N.Y.

I took this photo of Jay Bereck in his workshop with his drums around him. The drum in the middle in front was made by Natalio "Junior" Tirado, it had been stained black by Junior, I had Jay refinish the drum to show the natural grain of the Mahogany.

1994 - Brooklyn, N.Y.
I took this photo of Jay Bereck in his workshop
with four of his Oak drums around him.
The small drum in the front was a 8½ inch
'Requinto' I asked him to make for me.

Oak 8½ inch 'Requinto'
with plain black oxidized bands.

1994 - Brooklyn, N.Y.
At Jays workshop, picking out skins to buy.
This was when the quality of skins were much better than the
"overly processed" skins that are currently available.
No two skins looked alike.

Jay Bereck's "Skin On Skin"® Oak tumbadoras.
With thin "clean looking" brushed steel bands.
Photo: Juan in California

Jay Bereck's "Skin On Skin"® Oak tumbadora.
With thin "clean looking" brushed steel bands.

Jay Bereck's "Skin On Skin"® Oak tumbadora.
With thin "clean looking" brushed steel bands.
Photo: James in California

Jay Bereck's clean looking "V"
Photo: James in California

Jay Bereck "Skin On Skin"® tumbadoras.
"Economy line" made of Cherry wood with
plain black oxidized hardware.

Jay Berecks "Skin On Skin"® Oak bongoes
Photo: Dario, Miami

Jay Berecks "Skin On Skin"® Walnut bongoes
Photo: Dario, Miami

Jay Berecks "Skin On Skin"® Batá drums


Matthew Smith - "Ritmo"®
Made in the U.S. not cheaply made
on an assembly line in Thailand.

Hecho de Walnut, Matt Smith - "Ritmo"®


Matt Smith - Tumbadoras de Oak

Matt Smith - Tumbadoras de Mahogany - "Ritmo"®

Marca "Ritmo"® por Matt Smith

Marca "Ritmo"® por Matt Smith

Marca "Ritmo"® por Matt Smith

Marca "Ritmo"® por Matt Smith

Matt Smith's "V"


Matt Smith's bongoes - "Ritmo"®
Tres variedades de madera.

Matt Smith's bongoes - "Ritmo"®

Matt Smith's Mahogany bongoes - "Ritmo"®
Photo: Dario, Miami

Matt Smith and Jay Bereck
both made of Oak, the one on the right is mine.
"Que viva la memoria del gran Gonzalo Vergara "
Y el gran Natalio Tirado Ruiz a.k.a. "Junior"