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Search Results for: Festival

In Barrio Marianao in Havana, Cuba was born Armando Peraza was a Latin jazz percussionist

Peraza (May 30, 1924-April 14, 2014) was a Cuban Latin jazz percussionist.

Thanks to his collaborations with guitarist Carlos Santana, jazz pianist George Shearing and vibraphonist Cal Tjader between 1950 and 1990, he is internationally recognized as one of the most important figures in the field of Latin percussion.

Known primarily as a conguero and bongocero, Peraza is also a skilled dancer and composer. He has appeared on recordings by Pérez Prado, Machito, George Shearing, Charlie Parker, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader and Carlos Santana. Performances with Santana, Shearing and Tjader brought him international fame.

He was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute and had three “Armando Peraza Days” from the city of San Francisco.

One of the most important and respected figures in the world of percussion.

He is a legendary master on both congas and bongoes, whose unorthodox style and story are an inspiration to countless young musicians.

He began his artistic career in the early 1940s, played with singer Alberto Ruiz’s Kuvabana ensemble where he played the bongo and moved to San Francisco in 1949.

At the New York World’s Fair he played congas in an African pavilion with a Nigerian.

This African arrives and says to me: “Man, what part of Africa are you from? I told him, I am from Cuba. He said: “Don’t tell me” He later worked with the orchestras of Paulina Álvarez and Dámaso Pérez Prado, and the Bolero group.

In 1947 he moved to Mexico, where he joined with Mongo Santamaría the ensemble Clave de Oro, and in 1948 they both traveled to New York as percussionists accompanying the dance couple Pablito y Lilón.

At the end of that year, Peraza joined Slim Gaillard’s jazz combo with which he traveled throughout the United States. After arriving in New York in 1949, Armando became a sought-after musician, especially in the contemporary Bebop and Latin Jazz scenes.

Armando built a reputation for impressively fast and complex hand technique, experimental techniques and great talent for entertaining. He flourished in progressive atmospheres that combined jazz with Afro-Cuban styles and was at the center of a new expression called “Cubop”.

He has played on more than 100 albums and is the composer of more than 40 songs. Some of these works include collaborations with Mongo Santamaria, George Shearing, Cal Tjader and Carlos Santana.

Settled in San Francisco, California, in the early 1950s, Peraza began working with pianist George Shearing’s quintet, where he demonstrated his mastery as a player of the tumbadora and bongo; also in this period he recorded several albums of Cuban folk music with Mongo Santamaria.

In the 60’s he joined the quintet of vibraphonist Cal Tjader, with whom he remained for several years and with whom he popularized Chano Pozo’s Guachi guaro. In the 1970s, he joined Mongo Santamaría’s orchestra, with which he participated in the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Later he worked with Carlos Santana’s rock band, in which he remained for 17 years, until his retirement from artistic life in the 90s.

He possessed a great capacity to obtain the most unusual sounds of the bongo and the tumbadora, and distinguished himself for his extraordinary solos on both instruments.

He died on April 14, 2014 in California, United States, as a result of pneumonia.

 

Fuente: https://kripkit.com/armando-peraza/

“Tabaco y sus Metales” the legend of Salsa made in Venezuela

On May 30, 1995, Carlos “Tabaco” Quintana died in Caracas, Venezuela, the city where he was born on September 15, 1943.

Charismatic Timbalero, Sonero and Director of “Sexteto Juventud” and “Tabaco y sus Metales” the legend of Salsa made in Venezuela”

Former member of  “Sexteto Juventud”, founder of the orchestra  “Tabaco y sus Metales”. He was born on September 15, 1943 and began his musical training in the corners of San José.

Youth took him hand in hand with the street salsa brava, the rebellion of Palmieri and Mon Rivera’s trombones and the castinglés sound of Joe Cuba’s sextet.

And it was so long that they began to call him “tabaquito”, a tabaquito who waited for the day to be over to find the musical flavor far from the chore of shoeshine boy and town crier.

He never forgot that he used to go out to 23 de Enero to listen to the rehearsals of a group that was being formed there.

Years went by and rehearsals went by while Tabaquito got to know one by one the members of that group until 1963, when he was twenty years old, his friend Elio Pacheco recommended him to Olinto Medina, the leader of that band.

Olinto was about to rehearse “Guasancó” and the singer was not in tune with him.

Elio’s recommendation took effect and “Tabaco” did its thing, very well. Thus the Sexteto Juventud had a new voice and something more, because Carlos Quintana was able to walk through all the instruments of the group.

He had an almost magical vocal timbre. His voice was astonishingly similar to Ismael Rivera’s and we already know what that meant at a time when Maelo was the obligatory reference from the ranks of Rafael Cortijo’s Combo.

With Quintana the Sexteto Juventud had moments of true glory because although it reflected the influence of Joe Cuba they created a style that continues without copy.

In addition to his vocal art, Tabaco was a good composer, with a good vibe and reciprocity in the town. Every September he would go to play for the prisoners, on the day of Las Mercedes. He felt what a captive felt and that is why he composed “La Cárcel” (Qué malo es estar/ estar entre rejas/ y qué soledad/ qué soledad se siente).

Along with this song he released “Mi Calvario”, a piece that became a classic.

(Quisiera saber/ cuál fue la causa/ de nuestro olvido.And so, between recordings and toques, Tabaco, in the Sexteto Juventud, saw the arrival of José Natividad Martínez, Naty, the flutist and friend. Naty sold the idea of the brass to Quintana and Quintana, buying, suddenly came up with “Tabaco y sus metales” and recorded Pablo Alvarez’s “Una sola bandera” which was a smash hit, “Agua de mayo” and his tribute to the rumberos, “Tuntuneco”.

In May 1984 we published a very rich interview with Tabaco in El Nacional’s Feriado. Almost immediately they called to locate him. He was invited to the Managua 84 festival. It was the first time he left the country by air.

He performed for 30,000 people with Son 14, Amaury Pérez, Pupi Legarreta and Tania Libertad, among others. On his return he told me that the Cubans were astonished because they thought that in Venezuela there was only Oscar D’ León, and that he almost fainted when Daniel Ortega approached him to ask for an autograph, and that he touched the sky when Adalberto Álvarez and Son 14 went up on stage with him to sing “Una sola bandera”.

His dreams: He had two: To record an album as a tribute to Ismael Rivera, and to make another one with boleros. Once in Macuto he sang with Ismael Rivera and for both of them it was a tremendous experience. In Guarenas, the musical and brave, specifically in “Menca de Leoni” was cooking the dream.

With Naty’s help, he began to record Maelo’s on an album that the Sonográfica label did not take care of releasing afterwards. He could not finish it because cancer took him to the hospital where Joe Ruiz was also hospitalized.

That album was vocally completed by Ángel Flores. He, who admired Cheo Feliciano and Tito Rodríguez so much, could not make the bolero album either.

Naty says that in more than one night he managed to get Tabaco out of the hospital to advance the tribute album to Maelo. She knew that Tabaco wanted to do it, and pleased the friend, who also, looking for spiritual relief to his physical pain, went to Los Teques, where he was surprised by death on May 30, 1995.

“Tabaco” Chronology of his musical life 1.943 Carlos Quintana was born on September 15 in the San José neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela.

1.955 as a child he worked as a shoeshine boy and began to be interested in music.

1.959 in his adolescence he attended the rehearsals of a musical group in the 23 de enero neighborhood of Caracas, because of his skinny body and stature they began to call him Tabaco.

1.962 on May 13 was founded the group called Conjunto Rítmico Juventud, which eventually gave rise to the Sexteto Juventud, composed of Olinto Medina as director and bassist, Elio Pacheco on the Tumbadora, Carlos Croquer on drums, Arturo Lopez singer, Juan Medina on guitar and Isaias on bongo.

1.963 musician Elio Pacheco introduces Olinto Medina leader of the group to his friend Carlos Quintana.

1.967 “Tabaco” joins the group and in a short time he becomes the vocalist of the group in his first recording titled “Guasanco”, a 45 rpm single whose reverse side was titled “Cautivo”, this happened on February 22nd of that year.

SB1 Publications

Besides having a voice similar to that of Ismael Rivera, Carlos Quintana performed well on the bongo and other instruments.

On June 11, 1967, the first album of Sexteto Juventud was released, entitled “Guasanco”, it was recorded for the Velvet label and the name of the album was due to the success of its first single “Guasanco”, other songs on the album were “La Jibarita”, “Bógalo” and “Consejos de mamá”.

The same year 1967, this time on September 24th, their second album is announced: “Mas Guasanco”.

A new production of the sextet is called “A bailar juventud”, which contains the songs “Guasanco número 3”, “Hermanos con salsa”, “Soy el Bravo” and “Guajira Sentimental”.

The Sexteto releases the album “Mala” for the same Velvet label, where the numbers “Capricho antillano”, “La calle 10”, and “El Nuevo Guasanco” were recorded.

Two new records that were pressed for Velvet are: “Sabroso tumbao” and a work with the voices of Carlos Quintana and Oscar Mijares who was nicknamed “El chino” titled “La juventud se impone” for the Velvet label, in which they developed rites such as: Guaguancó, Jala jala, Guajira, Guaracha and Mozambique with hits such as “La cárcel” and “Jala jala Navideño” in the voices of Carlos Quintana and Oscar Mijares.

1.971 a new Sexteto album was released, entitled “La magia del sexteto”, which included songs such as: “Con todas las banderas”, “Sandra Mora” which would later be recorded by Naty y su Orquesta, “Caramelo y Chocolate” and “Virgen de los cuatro vientos”.

Also in this year they recorded an album called “A todo ritmo” in which they included “Caramelo Tumbao”, “De nuevo Borinquen” and “Comand Bógalo”, they were awarded a gold record by the Velvet music label.

1.974 On April 22nd without “Tabaco” in their ranks, Sexteto Juventud recorded an LP that we have to mention for its success at the Salsa level, the album was called “Lo espiritual del Sexteto Juventud” with rhythms like “Guaguanco”, “Guaracha”, “Bolero”, “Danzon” and “Guajira” and we highlight the numbers “Espiritualmente”, “Vestida de Blanco” and the homage to the Boricua land with the theme “A Puerto Rico”.

1.975 following the suggestion of his friend and musician the Venezuelan flutist Natividad Martinez, Carlos Quintana creates his own group “Tabaco” and his Sextet. Their first song was called “Una sola bandera” and was very well received by the public.

Also in 1969 he recorded the spectacular album titled “Agúzate”, for Tico Records, with classic songs such as: “Aguzate”, Amparo Arrebato”, in homage to a dancer from Cali, Colombia, “Vive feliz”, “Guaguancó Raro”; “Traigo de Todo” and the bolero “A mi manera”.

Carlos Quintana recorded the album titled “El Sabor de Tabaco” in the Colors studios in Caracas, the album contains songs such as “Maria lienza”, “Pegao”, “Ofrenda” and Yabirongo”.

1.975 records the albums “Tronco e’ baile Tabaco y su Sexteto” for TH records in which appear the themes “Pobre”, “Mata Ciguaraya” by Benny More and the hit “La Libertad”, in which he makes mention of the greats like Benny More, Celia Cruz and Ismael Rivera, half of the themes of the album are authored by Gabriel Carrasco and the other record production of 1. 975 was called “Tabaco y su Sexteto: Mi pueblo – Mi burrita – Nostalgia”, for the Top Hits label, with the production of Tony Montserrat and which has the themes “El Vals de Papa”, the Tango “Nostalgia” and a very salsa number titled “Ponte en Ritmo”.

1.976 his musical work is titled “Tabaco y su Sexteto” with the arrangements, production and direction of Victor Gutierrez, the record was made in Venezuela by La Discoteca CA. And contains a number of authorship of “Tabaco” entitled “Mi Celda”, and other songs like “Amor amor” and “Prefiero mí son montuno”.

1.978 Carlos Quintana changes the name of his group to “Tabaco y sus Metales” and with that title they record for the Top Hits label in the Intersonido CA studios, the album includes songs like “Tristeza y pena”; “Celda de castigo” and “Sinceridad”; both by Carlos Quintana. The orchestra was formed by Pedro Landaeta on Piano, Hector Pacheco on Bass, Pablo Álvarez on Conga, Carlos Quintana Bongo and Percussion, Gabriel Carrasco on Tres, Trumpets by “Pollo” Fuentes and Luís Arias, Natividad Martínez on Flute, Carlos Quintana Singer and the choirs of Gabriel Carrasco, Dimas Pedroza, Álvaro Serrano, Carlos Quintana and Víctor Gutiérrez.

1.979 Tabaco y sus metales publishes a new album under the title “Ni poco ni demasiado” also for the TH label with a number of the same name and other songs such as the big hit “Arrollando”, a version of the song “Todo de los metales”, a version of the song “Todo de los metales”, and a version of the song “Todo de los metales”. a version of the song “Todo el mundo escucha” by Bienvenido Granda and also a number by Markolino Dimond titled “Maraquero”.

With the production, arrangements and direction of  Victor Gutierrez, the recording was made at Intersonido CA in Caracas.

1.980 the musical work of this year was titled “Advertencia”, this work was made in Puerto Rico under TH license, it is a sample of what at that time “Tabaco” meant in Salsa, in this recording participated musicians like Luís Quevedo in the Piano, Polo Huertas in the Bass, Papo Pepín in the Conga and Yayo el Indio and Carlos Santos in the choirs.

The musical direction and arrangements were in charge of Ray Santos. Among the songs on the album are “Agua de mayo” by Pablo Álvarez, “Que ironía” by Carlos Quintana and “Alegría” by Naty Martínez. Regarding this work, Rafael Rivas, Disc Jockey of Radio Aeropuerto, wrote: “Latin music in Venezuela has had several variants, some aimed at fulfilling a certain time, others evidencing the spirit and reality, the daily life with success; precisely to this current or trend belongs Tabaco.

The commitment to sing what he carries inside, to expose with his natural style the things he feels, even his motivations, leads us to reflect on the figure of Tabaco.

It is he, and no other, in our country, who has dedicated himself to present with passion what he suffers, what he sees, what he truly feels.

Tabaco says, his naturalness allows that balance between what he sings and lives, he seems to conjugate, and perhaps that is the truth, to take for himself, what we have logically lived.

Tabaco’s life is here, and we respect his criteria: without a tenacious diffusion Tabaco has managed to sell, to surpass the best; and there is a reason for it: Tabaco has the strength.

He is interested in singing, in carrying a message, and in his own way he has exposed it with sense, with full authenticity.

Tabaco commented to me one afternoon at the Airport: “Tigre, I believe that the important thing is to define ourselves, to express our reality and denounce at the same time: that is why Rafael believes in you, because you are the message, the truth of our movement”.

Tabaco was referring to the content of the songs; he believes in the possibilities of music, in its magic to undertake behaviors and to present the rage, love and passion of our spirit.

Later Tabaco pointed out to me: “What is indispensable is to sing, the way things are felt, the way the people communicate, that is why I make Salsa”.

And that is why Tabaco has a name, a special public, that has known how to understand him, because he has reached us, with sense and commitment. He is the voice of the people aimed at interpreting their process, their experiences, their daily work. Therein lies the reason for his inspiration, the context of his themes.

When he inspires, he shows his capacity to value, his speech evidences his thoughts, his aspirations, and also his repudiation. He hides nothing and what emotion we feel, when he unloads on the timbales, when his voice rises and blends with the rhythm, telling truths, encouraging the spirit, if I understand the dancer, generating relief to the heart, living the cadences, demonstrating his skills as a sonero. He created his own style, and this has consecrated him.

Now we have the new Tabaco, with more maturity, and the experience of the arranger who at this time has a special prestige: Ray Santos.

Ray’s commitment went beyond what we originally thought; Tabaco was a challenge for Ray; he had Santos in front of a marvel, as he described him, the people turned to the figure of Tabaco, who felt he had the best time to undertake the melody.

Ray prepared the arrangements with a concentration that he had never achieved before, he understood the commitment, and Tabaco knew how to respond to the requirements.

Ray confessed that Tabaco is gifted with possibilities, so his work demanded the maximum. For the first time, Tabaco appears with a superband, with a different orchestration, and it was necessary to do it, the time demanded it, his voice has the right to sound to the four winds, it is time that our best (Tabaco) interprets reaches the Caribbean, with height.

Tigres y tigressa, with this LP we will have special music; its quality, its conception, will lead us to take it into account, not only for our rumbas but to enjoy it all our lives.

The producers knew perfectly well the intention of recording with Ray Santos, they knew that Tabaco would keep to his style, without any change or twist that could deviate his personality as an interpreter; what they were basically looking for was perfection in the orchestration, that magic touch that would allow him greater expressive freedom; that is the reason for recording in Puerto Rico.

The best thing that could have happened to Tabaco this year was to meet Ray Santos, and for us, that unity represents the most audacious and wonderful thing that has been done so far. I believe, despite the express prohibition to advertise cigarettes, that this Tabaco is the purest, most inimitable in its Venezuelan flavor, and most authentic of the Caribbean. What are you waiting for? Light it up now! Tabaco y sus metales 1.981 was his next production for Top Hits records, with arrangements by Jorge Millet and Natividad Martínez, in which the songs “Si la envidia fuera Tiña” by Jorge Millet and Carlos Quintana: “Mi Celda” and “A Millet” were recorded.

In 1982 he recorded an album called “Cosa Linda”. The themes of the album are: “Cosa linda”, “Tremendo guaguancó”, “Fiebre de ti”, “El callo”, “De mi rancho a tu casa”, “El cafetero”, “Camarera de amor”, “Consejo a las mujeres”.

(H3) 1.983 Produces the album “Homenaje a los bravos”, also for TH records, which includes “Baranda” by Justi Barreto, “El Timbalito” by Tito Puente and “La Culebra” by Obdulio Morales.

1.984 in this opportunity the album was called “El Timbalero, Tabaco y sus Metales”, which includes two numbers by Justi Barreto: “Timbalero” and “Barito”, the song “Casamiento” by Rafael “Chivirico” Dávila and a song written by Carlos Quintana: “Contestación a mi calvario”, production, direction and arrangements by Andy Duran.

  1. 988 Tabaco y su grupo futuro, recorded for the Velvet label in which they recorded songs like “El taxista” and “El Temporal”, with arrangements by Félix Suárez and Víctor Santana, the members of the group are Carlos Quintana singer, Fidel Antillano pianist, Jesús Torres on bass, Cruz Armando Quintana on bongo, Alirio Castillo on Timbal, Alberto Vergara on Vibraphone, Victor Santana on tres and guitar, Jorge Ruiz on conga, Tambora and guiro in charge of Jorge Orta and the choirs of Carlos Quintana, Felix Suarez, Victor Santana, and Pablo Alvarez.

On May 30, 1995, the Venezuelan musician, composer and singer Carlos Quintana, known in the salsa world as “Tabaco”, died in the city of Caracas, victim of cancer. His voice died, but his legacy of thirty-two years of artistic life remains for all the followers of his musical work in Venezuela, Colombia, Latin America and the world.

Cabaret Sauvage’s 25th Anniversary with Latin Essence

This atypical room located in the Parisian capital will offer Latin music for a month

Originally, Cabaret Sauvage was a Magic Mirror installed for only a few weeks in 1994.

A quarter of a century is the occasion for Cabaret Sauvage will celebrate its anniversary month with a Latin music festival. From July 1st to August 6th enjoy a colorful summer at Parc de la Villette – 59 boulevards Macdonald 75019 Paris, France.

This mythical place was created by Méziane Azaïche in December 1997. This first urban cultural park located in the heart of Parc de la Villette is surrounded by nature, has a terrace overlooking the Canal de l’Ourcq, has a circular dance floor, tables, benches, lights, and beveled mirrors. In the summer of 2019, they modernized this place with a new tent making it the first soundproof Magic Mirror in the world.

At Cabaret Sauvage you can eat, drink, dance, meet your neighbor from the next table, or even lounge on the terrace. Through its diversified program, you will be surprised by the quality of circus shows, dances, and night concerts with artists from all over the world.

During this anniversary month, Cabaret Sauvage https://www.cabaretsauvage.com/agenda welcomes attendees in a spirit of unity and acceptance with mixes of rhythmic genres for their knowledge and enjoyment, starting with Yuri Buenaventura on Saturday, July 9th. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the price is €35.

Yuri’s Salsa is marked by the lyricism of Europe and the drums of Africa. During his childhood, he listened to Gregorian chants, French songs, and classical music (melodies admired by his father) just as he enjoyed moving to the rhythm of percussion, marimba, and songs from the African continent that still sounds on the Buenaventura’s beaches (Colombia), his native island.

Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz “Compay Segundo” was the leader of the Compay Segundo y Sus Muchachos band.

The Latin music festival continues with Grupo Compay Segundo – Buena Vista Social Club on Friday, July 15th, and tickets are €25.99 (pre-sale price). Doors open from 8 PM on this day.

This group revives Cuban music before the revolution and expresses its distinguished stamp with a warm and unique sound.

This ecliptic music venue will bring Los Van Van in August, specifically on Friday, August 5th, and the doors open at 7:30 PM, and the ticket price is €35. On this occasion, César “Pupy” Pedroso will join this orchestra.

Los Van Van or better known by many in Latin America as “the Rolling Stones of Salsa” are a band created by Juan Formell in 1969 and has been a school for many current Salsa artists.

Cabaret Sauvage’s anniversary month ends with Chico Trujillo + Sidi Wacho on Saturday, August 6th. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the price of admission is €27.

Chico Trujillo began his musical career in Valparaíso (Colombia) in 1999. His project combines traditional Colombian Cumbia with Punk and has become today the standard-bearer of this new wave of traditional Colombian music accepted by many fans and exported for a long time to the European and American stages.

Likewise, the Sidi Wacho group is nomads born on the island of Valparaíso (Colombia), Roubaix (France), Lima (Peru), and Barbès (France). Their band is made up of two MCs (Rap vocalists), a trumpeter, an accordionist, and a percussionist who mix sounds and dialects accompanied by their war cry “La Lucha Sigue” (the fight continues) in an environment of Cumbia, Balkans, and Hip Hop.

Oscar D’ León Will Celebrate his 50th Anniversary In Europe

50th Anniversary Europa Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria

In 1997, the album Sonero del Mundo, in collaboration with Willy Chirino, was nominated for a Grammy.

Salsa legend Oscar D’ León “El Sonero del Mundo” will celebrate his half-century of a uninterrupted artistic career with a tour of six European countries, and tickets don’t exceed € 70, so hurry up because there are few left.

The 50th Anniversary Europe Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria (Latin Beach Boom Festival), and he will continue in Germany (Frankfurt – July 12th, Munich – July 13th, and Berlin – July 16th). After, he will visit the city of Milan in Italy on July 14th, then land in Spain for a concert in Barcelona on June 15th, Tenerife (June 23rd), and Madrid (June 27th – The last live of the tour). Oscar D’ León will continue his Tour through Paris (France) on July 17th and Amsterdam (Netherlands) on July 22nd at Kwaku Festival.

“Who will share this tour of Europe loaded with hits and #Saborrr?” The Sonero de la Salsa wrote on his Facebook page on June 7th.

The king of Salsa, Oscar D’ León http://oscardleon.net/ was born on July 11th, 1943. His youth grew up in the popular area of ​​western Caracas (Antímano). This singer and self-taught bassist, since his debut in Latin music, has become one of the most representative artists of the Afro-Caribbean genre. He has been praised for his participation in orchestras such as La Dimensión Latina and his work as a soloist.

His first jobs were as a driver of a school bus and a taxi during the day, along with his apprenticeship in the execution of the string instrument, double bass, and his numerous night performances in different clubs in the Venezuelan capital. His success came in 1972 with the orchestra La Dimensión Latina and since then, D’ León has remained at the top of popularity as one of the most respected and admired Salsa artists of his time, with more than four decades of experience in unsurpassed live performances and more than 50 albums of their own and collaborations.

Oscar D’ León sang “Mundo Perfecto”. Song in Spanish from the animated movie The Emperor’s New Groove (Disney – 2003)

He paved the way for musicians of his genre by being one of the pioneers to tour the Asian continent (Japan) and the first Latino to sign a record deal with the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom.

Between the 1980s and 1990s, Oscar recorded the hit “Ariel” with the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra as a tribute to Billo Frometa and Benny Moré. He launched the version “Qué bueno baila usted” with the Venezuelan orchestra Los Blanco. He was a special and permanent guest at important Salsa and Latin Jazz festivals, in addition to sharing the stage and recordings with famous artists such as Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, and Tito Puente. Starting in 1998, every March 15th is celebrated in New York City as “Oscar D’ León Day”, and for seven years (May 14th, 2015) it has been “Oscar D’ León Day” but this once in the California state (USA).

In 2013 he received the Award for Musical Excellence awarded by the Latin Recording Academy and two years later he dazzled with his presentation in Viña del Mar (Chile) taking the Gold and Silver Gaviotas (Seagulls).

This year the master Oscar D’ León celebrates 50 years of trajectory and will celebrate it with you in Europe. So don’t miss this opportunity to sing his greatest hits such as El Frutero (1976), Llorarás (1986), Detalles (1986), Mi bajo y yo (1990), Frenesí (2001), and La Mazucamba (2002).

Bandleader Edgardo Cambón talks about the teaching of music and his strategies on stage

Here you have our interesting comversation

We are here with Uruguayan bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, and percussionist Edgardo Cambón, who currently lives in Oakland. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Cambón. What a pleasure to have you with us today.

Hello, Karina. It’s a pleasure to have you here too despite the distance. I also send my regards to the followers of salsagoogle.com and to salsa fans around the world because this is an international connection. Thank you for the opportunity to connect with so many people.

Uruguayan bandleader and singer Edgardo Cambón next to new MOPERC walnut, 7 & 9 inches drums

On one of your Facebook pages, one can read that the conga is your main instrument, but you also play many others. In that sense, is the conga the instrument you most enjoy playing or are there others?

That’s a very good question. I am a percussion lover in general and, being Uruguayan, I also came into Brazilian percussion. The instrument to which I always gravitated around and returned to very strongly was the tumbadora or conga (commercial name). To study that instrument and the batá (the most religious Afro-Cuban music) I went five times to Cuba from 1989 to 2006. I have a very deep connection with Cuba and with all the countries in which the tumbadora is used. This is also the instrument I play while singing, which makes me have a very special connection with it. Jokingly, I say that I feel naked if I don’t play something while singing. I always try to play a güiro, maracas or another instrument because I always have.

You also teach music and percussion. It is well known that the teacher teaches students, but also that tstudents can also teach the teacher. Could you tell us what you have learned from your students?

That’s a very important and lovely question. I could tell you many things. The first thing you learn is to be patient with yourself and your own progress because the musician never stops progressing. The human being never stops progressing. When I see a student who is very nervous and isn’t patient with himself, I always try to make him understand that performing one instrument well takes a long time.

I learn a lot about what to do and what not to do. I learn to be patient with them, to rewind the cassettetape and to get back to the basics of what I learned in Cuba when I started traveling. My students also teach me to be grateful to my own teachers and connect with the instruments. When you reach a certain level, you become overconfident and it’s harder to connect with the instruments. Classes force you to pick up an instrument without being obliged to do so, which the professional musician tends to leave out after a long career.

My students remind me of what I was doing when I was learning and force me to keep practicing despite the experience. I always learn from them.

Edgardo Cambón in front of El Floridita

You teach both in person and via Zoom. What teaching strategies do you implement at home?

The difference between one mode and the other is huge and it was hard to get used to this situation. I was receiving a lot of proposals to teach via Zoom before the pandemic. I was avoiding at all costs the use of digital platforms even though many people were interested. I have a lot of online videos with great success and positive feedback, thank goodness. This has caused many people to ask me if I can teach them on Zoom.

The pandemic forced me to build that dormant muscle, so I think I achieved a very good system for giving online classes. In person, I use some applications that allow me to play certain songs I can slow down. These apps can work like a metronome, but funnier. Some of them are Percussion Tutor, Salsa Rhythm, Amazing, Slow Downer, among others.

In the case of Zoom, I suggest my students download these apps on devices other than the one they are using to meet with me. The biggest problem with digital teaching platforms is the delay sound between the student and the teacher. Now, amazing things have been done like the fact that a symphony can play in one country, while the conductor is in another conducting them. There have been improvements.

It may also be the case that there are students with excellent quality equipment, but others who have devices with outdated operating system and low download speed. So, we have to find a way for everyone to learn as well as possible. This system consists of doing a demonstration first, getting the student to play the rhythm from his side through the metronome or the application. Many times, we can spend a whole class trying to solve technical issues, but once everything is solved, you can establish a rhythmic relationship between the student and the teacher.

There are situations in which the mismatch between the sound and image prevents errors from being corrected, so we use phone calls to counter these issues effectively. This is how I look at the video image of the student (if there are no delays) and hear the sound at the right time.

The good news is that I can have students from around the world and doors are opened me for an broad international spectrum that I never expected.

Edgardo Cambón with a Pandeiro in a studio

Strategies on stage (título 3)

Radically shifting the issue, according to your website, one of the main defining things about Edgardo & Candela is that you know how to read the crowd very well and what the audience wants at that moment. How do you do that? What techniques do you use?

That’s a very good question. That’s a technique which is a bit instinctive. I must confess that that technique does not belong to the full orchestra, but to me as the lead singer and the orchestra leader. The guys know that I ask for a set list and even send it in advance. Several of them have their iPads and the music there in digital format, but others don’t.

I have over 240 songs in the repertoire, but I don’t get them all with me. On average, you play about seven songs in each set for an hour, which means that you’re thinking of 14 to 16 songs for two hours. It also depends on how long each song lasts.

If you’re playing to an American audience, you’ll probably have to slow down, play one or two songs in English and light beats such as cha cha chá. You have to include digestible things if you’re not playing to a salsa audience.

If I’m playing for the Mexican community, I have to include cumbia and medleys of local bands and artists like Maná, which is a very important Mexican group.

I have four original score albums. The first one was called ilusiones and released on vinyl in 1989. We produced it here in the Bay Area when there were few groups making original music around here. Following a trip to Cuba the same year, I decided to go back and focus more on my melodies, my songs and my lyrics. Another thing I wanted was to keep the Uruguayan essence in salsa and add a bit of candombe, which is the Afro-Uruguayan rhythm par excellence.

Edgardo and Candela at The Seahorse

I’ve had a lot of popular songs on certain digital platforms, but I wouldn’t be honest to say that I had a big hit like Llorarás by Oscar D’ León and Yo no sé mañana by Luis Henrique. I can use these things to push my original music a bit harder in general. You can have your original music, but you also have to play music known by the public to accustom people to your style and make them learn to digest your thing a little bit.

In the 70’s in New York, the bands only played original music, but those times has disappeared. That’s why I mix original music with familiar music, but I focus on making the result digestible and danceable for people. I play at least four times a week and, if I want to maintain that rhythm of work, I need a repertoire that includes Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican, Dominican music, among others.

What made you get involved in Charley’s project?

No self-respecting musician can allow his career to revolve around two or three clubs because these venues can open and break.

What I liked most about Charley’s was its proposal so similar to that of the 80’s, the decade when I arrived here. They were more stable clubs that had organization and the collective participation of artists such as DJ’s, dance instructors, radio folks, among others.

Also, Charley’s is a nice place and has a size that I think appropriate. When clubs get too big, there comes a point when the vibes can get cold, something that doesn’t happen in this place due to its moderate size.

The only downside is that gas is $6.25 and it’s far away for people from San Francisco, but people from closer areas can go.

Your music reaches audiences from all over the world. Have you had the chance to play abroad?

Yes. In 1996, we were at the Benny Moré Festival in Cuba. A few years later, we were on the island of Guam on the occasion of 5 de Mayo sponsored by Budweiser.

On both occasions we were very well received by the audience.

Most recently in May this year, we just played a large concert with over 1500 people at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel in Kona, Island of Hawaii. On that occasion, everything was arranged by the Salesforce company.

This last work was impressive because of the high technical and professional level of the entire production, since in addition to our Latin music, the popular pop singer Kathy Perry closed the show…

International jobs, and simply out your city, give another angle to the career encouraging the musician to present his original music.

After playing in Cuba, Guam and Hawaii, I jokingly say that I only get booked to play on Islands (chuckles).

Traveling on my own (without the orchestra) gave the pleasure of performing in Sweden and Argentina with the support of local musicians from those countries.

Cambón at Brooklyn Basin in Oakland

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.