Monday, February 23, 2009

Juanito Marquez - "Pa' ca" 1964 & '71 Cuba



Juanito Márquez Urbino
Composer, arranger, guitarist
and creator of the
Cuban ritmo "Pa' ca".
Born in Holguin Cuba on July 4, 1929

"Arrimate Pa' ca"
The "Original" 1964 LP cover on Egrem.
With sessions at the correct speed.


"Arrimate Pa' ca"
The "reissue" CD on 'Caney'
Unfortunately everything on this "remastered/reissue" is at the wrong speed.
With additional materiel taken from the original 1964 Egrem LP and from several LP's that Juanito Marquez played on with 'Pacho Alonso' y Los Bocucos.
(includes "Billy The Kid", composed by 'Enrique Bonne')



"Marquez" - early 1970's
Out of print.

2. "Que Cosa Es Esto" 


5. "Clap Clap Pa' Ca" 


7. "Ohe Le Le" 


8. "Melao"


9. "Barahunda" 






This is one style of playing Pa' ca



 Juanito Marquez with his Orch.
The rhythm is Pa'ca which he created.
The Conga plays Pa'ca while the bongo
player plays an Okonkolo Batá drum part.

A video of 'Orq. Aragon' with guests Elena Burke, Los Zafiros and at the beginning, Juanito Marquez comes out and plugs his guitar into his amplifier.
The song is "Pituka La Bella" writen by Juanito Marquez - Ritmo Pa' ca


Orq. Aragon playing "Arimate Pa' Ca" 
written by Juanito Marquez - Ritmo Pa' ca

'Juanito Marquez' - "Sax Cha Chá"
Vinyl LP on Velvet

"Juanito Marquez y Su Combo"Areito vinyl LP
1960's

Tumbao N°. 11

"La Mejor Guitara De Cuba"
Vinyl LP on Duher

Stock market indexes fall to 1997 levels

Major Stock market indexes fall to 1997 levels
Febuary 23 2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

Video: Cuba - Orq. Neoson & Orq. Sensacion 1983, 1982


Orq. Neoson 1983
"Toma mi saludo de amistad"

Orq. Neoson 1983
"Tremenda Timba"


Orq. Sensacion 1982
"Que me decia Irma"

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

'Noraida' - (widow) Wife of 'Beny Moré (La viuda de Beny Moré)

Noraida and Beny Moré
in a car right after their wedding
.
Cuba.

Noraida and her two sons, "Los Moré".
Noraida studio photo.
Noraida on 'Replica' magazine cover.
Her two sons in background
.
Noraida on TV show

'Noraida Hernandez'
married Beny Moré in Cuba, but by the time she left Cuba and arrived in the United States, she had become his widow.
(La Viuda de Beny Moré)
Beny Moré died in 1963.

'Noraida'
recorded 4 LP's that I know of,
four of them with Tito Puente and his Orq.

Her two sons,
"Los Moré" played a part in her act, but I have no idea what they did, maybe dance or sing coro?
'Noraida'
never created the kind of "public sensation" or excitement that her record companies; "Tico" & "Coco" had hoped for (as did 'La Lupe'), so she never became so called "well known".
Definitely a proficient singer, she just didn't have that "certain something"
(bankability $) that 'Tico' & 'Coco' records needed.

Absolutely the best thing about these recording sessions is 'Tito Puentes' band, the band is a monster, totally kicks ass and allows her to shine.Her first LP has been reissued on CD and also "Noraida y Los Moré - La Barbara" has been reissued on CD, you can still find them on the internet, but the other two are long out of print and now very obscure.

"Tito Puente Presenta Noraida; La bárbara del mundo latino".
Her first LP 1971 - Tico
(arreglistas: T.Puente, C.Palmieri, P. Jimenez)

1. Se Paso Noraida
2. Moyuba
3. Besos Brujos
4. Estoy Haciendo Camino
5. A Santo Domingo
6. Me Siento Muy Sola
7. Yo Si Bailo Cumbia
8. Me Lo Dijo Paco
9. Mi Son Maracaibo
10. Venezuela Estoy Aqui

2. Moyuba



"Me voy a desquitar" - Noraida 
With Tito Puente & Orq.
Her second LP 1971 - Tico

3. Soy De Las Lajas

5. Mosaico De Congas

6. De Mis Recuerdos
(Comp. 'Juan Formell')

10. Chola Wengue
(misspelled on LP as: 'Anguerenque')


"Outro discubrimento de Tito Puente - Noraida"
 Tico vinyl LP

1. A Gozar Con Noraida
2. Tu, Tranquillo
3. A La Luna No Voy Yo
4. Juega Palomita
5. Bomba
6. Santa Isabel
7. Un Solo Golpe Na' Ma
8. Portate Bien Pamameño
9. Jaleo
10. Bolero


1. A Gozar Con Noraida

2. Tu, Tranquillo
 
3. A La Luna No Voy Yo
(*great bass player
*)

6. Santa Isabel
 
  7. Un Solo Golpe Na' Ma


"Noraida y Los Moré - La Barbara" 
Vinyl LP on Coco
1. La Luz
2. Mi Negro
3. Somos Diferentes
4. Tu si me quieres
5. La Barbara
6. Voy Pa'Caracas
7. Sobre tu tumba una rumba
8. Feliz Viaje
9. Canto a Colombia
10. Los hombres no lloran

7. Sobre tu tumba una rumba

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tumbadoras made by Gonzalo Vergara - Cuba



Tumbadoras (Congas) made during the 1950's and 1960's by the Cuban master drum maker Gonzalo Vergara are the "gold standard" which the two best American drum makers; the late 'Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz' and 'Jay Bereck' of "Skin On Skin" based their drums on in both style and shape.

(The major difference between "Skin On Skin" and "Junior" Tirado's drums is that Jay Bereck "steams" the wood into shape, and Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz used horizontal "cuts" to bend the wood into shape, which is what Gonzalo Vergara did.
The third American drum maker currently making drums with "root retention" going back to Gonzalo Vergara is Matthew Smith of "Ritmo".
(though his drums are more an "excellent hybrid" of both "Skin On Skin" and "Juniors")


Two Drummers playing three tunable tumbadoras made by
 Gonzalo Vergara. Photo in the Panart recording studios
in Havana with José Fajardo on flute,1950's.

"Jabuco" de Conjunto Roberto Faz,
playing a
10½ inch Vergara.


Fajardos drummer playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
 Oscar Valdés Sr. playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
(Father of Oscar Valdés Jr. ex Irakere singer)

Rogelio "Yeyito" Iglesias
Posing with a
10½ inch Vergara 1950's.


The late Luis Abreu
with a 10½ inch Vergara 1963.

A young Beny Moré playing
a 10½ inch Vergara Mid 1950's.

Beny Moré with two Vergara's in the car.
The original RCA LP cover 1960-'61.

A Vergara on a Celina y Rutillio LP cover.

A 10½ inch Vergara on the cover of Sensacion's LP.

Enrique Lazaga from 'Ritmo Oriental'
posing with a Vergara 1959 or '60.

Juan Claro Bravo from 'Ritmo Oriental' playing 
a Vergara (and wearing "The Eyeglasses")
 Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's 1950's with Tito Puente's band.

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's with his band 70's.
 

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria in his house,

his two Vergara's behind him on the right.


Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria with Tjaders quintet
'59-'60 with his two Vergara's.

 
Mongo with his two Vergara's
  Mongo with his two Vergara's, the red
one he had covered in fiberglass in the U.S.

Cuban drummer Marcelino Valdés
playing two Vergara's, early 60's.

Ernesto Tito Puente,
posing with a
10½ inch Vergara.

Ray Baretto
With his two "old beat up" drums made by Gonzalo Vergara.
They were given to him by Mongo Santamaria
.
(Info via 'Dario' "El Rey de las tumbadoras Cubanas" en Miami)


Ray Baretto
(con "Los Espejuelos" de verdad)


An Oak wood Vergara, restored by
master drum maker, Matthew Smith. 
Photo: Matthew Smith, Ritmo Drums.

In memoriam: 'Gilberto Miguel Calderón - "Joe Cuba"'

'Gilberto Miguel Calderón' aka: "Sonny"
("Joe Cuba")
b; April 22 1931 Puerto Rico - d; Feb.15 2009 New York City

R.I.P. / Ibayé bayé tonu

'Eduardo Davidson' - "La Pachanga" 1959 Panart LP

'Eduardo Davidson' - "La Pachanga"
Panart vinyl LP
-2048
(the drum in the photo made by 'Vergara')

'Eduardo Davidson', best known for his composition "La Pachanga" which became a major international hit for Jose Fajardo before Fajardo left Cuba.

'Eduardo Davidson' wrote dozens of other great songs,12 of them that
'Panart' released on this 1959 LP as a compilation of 'Eduardo Davidson's' work.
Many became very popular hits for the bands that recorded them, including the bands on this record: 'Orquesta Sublime', 'Roberto Faz' y su conjunto, 'Julio Valdez' y su Orq., 'Carlos Diaz' singing with 'Carlos Barberia' y Kubavana & "Yoyo" Casteleiro and two great 'Eduardo Davidson' compositions "Elegua Inkió" & "Ochun Del Cobre" with 'Gina Martin' singing with the 'Obdulio Morales' Orq., with 'Jesús Peréz' y sus tambores Bata.

This Panart LP with these
particular 12 of 'Eduardo Davidson's' collective works has never been reissued.
Although many of these songs can be found on the individual bands LP's and CD's.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Edy Martinez... accident at 10,000 feet

Colombian Pianist, Edy Martinez
Edy and I were on an airplane coming back to N.Y.C. after we had done a tour along the coast of California and Tijuana Mexico with Gato Barbieri, Edy was coming back from the bathroom... when the airplane suddenly lost altitude really fast. He fell down in the aisle and twisted his ankle. After the flight attendant gave him a bag of ice... I took this photo.
"Una gira memorable"

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Video: Cuba - "Orq. Orestes Lopéz" 1979


El Maestro...
'Orestes Lopéz' at the piano with his band playing his composition, "Cacha Cachita" from Cuban television 1979.

"Cuba Alegre" - (Egrem-Areito sampler) LP - 1967 Cuba

"Cuba Alegre"
Egrem/Areito LP

Another 'Egrem/Areito' record released during the 1960's specifically directed towards markets outside of Cuba.
Commonly with a "variety" o sea "potpourri" of bands and styles of music.
Sometimes songs by these artists & bands would only appear on these "sampler" LP's.

LP album cover has a photo of 'Ricardo Abreu' playing Quinto (a 'Vergara') on stage at the Tropicana club with his brothers ("Los Papines")

With a 1960's killer original version of 'Enrique Bonne's' Pilón; "Pepe Cabecita".
'Enrique' with Pacho Alonso & 'Ibrahim Ferrer' in the coro.

3. "Que Vivan Los Titis" - Orq. Aviles
'Juanito Marquez' Comp. (Ritmo Pa' ca)

5. "Llegaron Las Glondrinas" - Celeste Mendoza
Danzonete

6. "Pepe Cabecita" - Pacho Alonso y sus Bocucos
'Enrique Bonne' on drums, 'Ibrahim Ferrer' coro
'Enrique Bonne' Comp. (Ritmo Pilón)

8. Dengue En Faz - Conj. Roberto Faz
Roberto Faz Comp. (Ritmo Dengue)


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