Search Results for: Trumpet and Percussion

From Parroquia San Agustín del Sur is Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa…!

In order to delve a little into what the group Son Marín was, we must necessarily refer to the late musician Jesús Blanco or “El Pure” as everyone called him.

Jesús Giselo Blanco was his first name, born in Mirandino, but settled in Caracas when he was still a child.

To talk about his musical beginnings is to evoke part of the history of the Son in our country, since “El Pure” before arriving to the San Agustin Parish had already participated with old groups such as Conjunto Rex and the well remembered Sonora Caracas.

Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa...!! — Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa…!!

El Pure Blanco was recognized in San Agustin Marin as a true builder of musicians since, with his work as a musical artisan, besides having created the first music school in Marin, many young people were nurtured and formed with his teachings.

Jesús “el Pure” Blanco was a key character in the formation and integration of several groups in Barrio Marín, among them we remember the aguinaldo group Los Juveniles, Los Gaitetricos, Los Super Cremas, La Nueva Generación and of course his biggest dream, the “Son Marín”.

The group Son Marín had several stages, starting in 1981 when in Barrio Marín an improvised musical group was organized to receive at the International Airport of Maiquetía the Grupo Madera that was arriving from an important presentation in an International Festival in the city of Avignon, France.

That small group was formed by: Eliel Rivero (trombone), Jorge Rondón(flute), Enrique Palacio (Bass), Arnaldo Blanco(tres), Renny Mendoza (Bongó), José Luis Mendoza (Tumbadora) Luciano Reyes (singer), Pablo” Pabloco” Martínez (singer) and Jesús “Pure” Blanco was the director.

As fate would have it, that group, which was only a provisional “vente tú” organized by Pure, later became another of the emblematic groups of San Agustín, SON MARÍN.

In particular we remember pleasantly the participation of Son Marin as a representation of the San Agustin del Sur Parish, in the Afro-Caribbean Music Festival “La 5ta Esencia de la Salsa” held on June 17, 1983 at the Nuevo Circo de Caracas, by then the group had not yet recorded their first album, but we had already had the opportunity to listen to a demo with a couple of numbers that came to promote the announcer Hector Castillo in his radio program on the now defunct Radio Aeropuerto.

Over time the group grew and new instruments were added; and of course the inclusion of other musicians, such is the case of Jesus Guzman the popular “Paicosa” who enters as guitarist to later become the bassist and musical director of the group, it was the idea of “Paicosa” with the support of “Pabloco“, to expand the group’s equipment incorporating Hugo Olivero’s sax, Josue Silva’s trumpet, Randal Monasterio’s piano, while the percussion was reinforced with Juber Ramirez.

Already with a more solid group and with a view to a greater projection within the Venezuelan salsa music scene, the only thing missing was the recording of the album, which began in September 1986, with the collaboration of Mauricio Silva in the arrangements and the inclusion of several guest musicians.

Unfortunately, a month after the recording began and without being finalized, Jesús “el Pure” Blanco died, however his voice and feeling were reflected in this album that was finally released in 1987, quickly gaining strength and penetrating the taste of the music lover public after the composition of Pablo Martínez, AQUÍ EMPEZO LA COSA, a tribute to this neighborhood that has given so many important musicians, a cradle of soneros as Gonzalo Martínez says in the song.

The voice of Pure Blanco was recorded in the song LA CAÑA; all the numbers were original pieces except for the song “Sin Compromiso” by the Brazilian Chico Buarque, but with an excellent adaptation of the lyrics by Pablo Martínez and Joseito Romero.

To end this biographical sketch, I leave here part of the thanks contained in the back cover of the album from Son Marín.

JESUS BLANCO “Pure” every joy lived with this work, makes us feel you more.

SON MARIN… This is where it all began!!! (1987) Mucer International DL-7140

SIDE A

1.- HERE I STARTED THE THING (Pablo Martínez)

2.- SIN COMPROMISO (Chico Buarque) Lyrics Adaptation: Pablo Martínez/Joseito Romero

3.- YOUR HOLY BLESSING (Pablo Martínez)

4.- EL BUHONERO (Pablo Martínez)

SIDE B

1.- LA CAÑA (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

2.- RECUERDOS (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

3.- VOLVAMOS A EMPEZAR (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

4.- BENITO EL CHICHERO (Jorge Rondón)

Members:

Randal Monasterio (Piano)

Arnaldo Blanco (Tres)

Jesús Guzmán (Bass, Conductor)

Josue Silva (Trumpet)

Hugo Salinas (Trombone)

Hugo Olivero (Saxophone)

Jorge Rondón (Flute)

Jimmy Fariñas (Congas)

Fidel Martínez (Bongo/Campana)

Juber Luis Ramírez (Timbales, bongo, bell)

Gonzalo Martínez (Vocal)

Pablo Martínez (Vocal)

Jesús Blanco (Vocal)

Pablo Martínez/Gonzalo Martínez/Arnaldo Blanco/Mauricio Silva/Daniel Silva (Backing Vocals).

Guest Musicians:

José Pepe Vera (Saxophone)

Raúl Agras (Trumpet)

Mauricio Silva (Piano/Trombone)

Felipe Blanco (Conga/Güiro)

José “Cheo” Escobar (Conga)

Douglas Guevara (Tumbadora)

Daniel Silva (Bass)

Other Credits:

Arrangements and Musical Direction: Mauricio Silva

Recording Technician: Fernando Hernández

Sound Engineer: Fernando Hernández and Mauricio Silva

Executive Production: Wolfgang Roldan

General Direction: Mauricio Silva (Cortesía Sonográfica)/Son Marín (Mucer Internacional)

Recording Studio: Sonomatrix

Photos: Pedro Hernández.

Also Read: If you want to listen to Tasty Salsa tune in to Ritmo Sabor y Salsa with Nesmary J. Gómez

Jerry Ferrao says in salsa key: “My life is a drum”.

With a lifetime dedicated to folk music, singer-songwriter Jerry Ferrao has been bringing us some good salsa for some time now. With seven recordings to his credit; Restauración, Esto sí es Navidad, Paisajes de mi Negrura, Puertorican Folkloric Jazz, Tiempo al Tiempo, De Guerreros y Batallas and Desafío, it is clear that the salsa path he decided to take a couple of years ago brought a lot of musical experience, and a very tasty one at that.

Jerry Ferrao afirma en clave de salsa “Mi vida es un tambor”

I invite you to listen to his latest single ‘Mi vida es un tambor’, also available on YouTube:

The track -whose musical arrangement is by Jerry Ferrao and John Rivera Rosa- features the participation of great recording studio musicians, such as: Efraín Hernández on bass; Juan Gómez on piano; Angie Machado, Jaimar Vázquez and Javier Meléndez on trumpets; Benny Marín, Víctor Román and Noel Abel on saxophones; Pedro Dueño on bongo; plus a parade of top-notch guests: Endel Dueño on timbal, Kachiro Thompson on tumbadoras and Luis Aquino, in a masterful trumpet solo. Backing up Jerry Ferrao’s lead vocals, we hear the voices of Flor Angel Guilbe, Wiki Gonzalez and Nandy “El Sinsonte” on backing vocals.

“I do it first out of a desire to explore new horizons. I’ve been in the bomba and plena for many years. I was with La Familia Cepeda for more than 20 years and with Los Hermanos Ayala from the town of Loíza for six to seven years. I was a disciple of the great masters: Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles, Marcial Reyes Arvelo and Tomás Flores, among others. The time has come for me, I am a composer! I have composed songs for several orchestras and folklore groups, it was time to write for myself! I said to myself, I am a composer and singer and I am going to design my own music,” he said.

He lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina while studying cinematography. There, Ferrao sang with the salsa orchestra La Clave Genética. It may have been there that the definitive leap to salsa was conceived.

Following the scourge of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2017), Jerry dedicated a salsa track titled ‘Retoñando’ (available on YouTube) to the memory of all his compueblanos who left in the aftermath of the hurricane.

Jerry Ferrao relates that he began receiving suggestions for him to record salsa because his voice excelled in that sound. “That must be because I have been listening to salsa, enjoying and appreciating it since I was a child. I have a family of well-known musicians, particularly because they are percussionists, timbaleros, congueros, bongoseros,” he said.

Con toda una vida dedicada a la música folclórica, el cantautor Jerry Ferrao ha estado trayéndonos salsa de la buena

In 2012 he published what could be considered the most important documentary on the history of the Puerto Rican bomba, Ayeres de la Bomba. This document has been praised by prestigious ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, sociologists and researchers specializing in Puerto Rico’s black history. I add with certainty, that our Jerry Ferrao must be considered as the authority on our folkloric rhythms.

Since he was a child, he was influenced by the art of Afro-Antillean roots music, especially salsa and guaguancó. With uncles like percussionists Pedro Dueño, Ángel Dueño and Endel Dueño, nicknamed “Los Hermanos Dueño” in the popular artistic scene, who have been recognized in different parts of the world, mainly by salsa and Latin jazz lovers, it should come as no surprise that Ferrao has grown up immersed in the rhythm and flavor that continues to dictate his creativity.

Determined to focus on salsa, he affirms that his contribution to Borikua folklore was also his musical foundation. “Yes, it is something that lives with me and I will continue to cultivate it in some way. Who knows if in the future I will do my own little things for the public, that I will sneak in some bomba or plena between salsa and salsa. I have been in folklore since I was about eight years old”, Ferrao said shortly before affirming that with the album Desafío (2022), which contains 12 songs of his inspiration, he made his formal entry into salsa. Jerry Ferrao bets on salsa, and salsa fans bet on Jerry. His efforts have not gone unnoticed and as a salsa artist, the excellence with which he has produced his musical deliveries is striking. “I swear it was a tremendous challenge to do all this. For different reasons, the production took about three or four years. All the songs and arrangements are my own, and I don’t even play guitar, although I would love to!” he shared.

The images are by Kali Torres

Also Read: ¡Attack Sergio! Unbreakable: A fun read because of the contradictory content

Yilian Cañizares, an excellent Cuban musician, studied in her hometown in the strictest tradition of the Russian school of violin

Yilian Cañizares is a Cuban and Swiss musician. She has lived in Switzerland since 2000.

Born in Havana, Yilian Cañizares began studying violin in her hometown, in the strictest tradition of the Russian violin school.

At the age of 14 she obtained a scholarship in Caracas and in 2000 she moved to Switzerland to complete her studies at the Freiburg Conservatory.

Soon after, the main orchestras in the area began to contact her and once settled in Lausanne, she collaborated for six years with different ensembles.

Yilian Cañizares excellent Cuban musician

In Switzerland, she opened up to jazz and decided to embark on a new musical path, including singing in her career as a professional artist.

It was during this period that the artist decided to form a quartet with musicians from Germany, Venezuela and Switzerland (and later Cuba), and the group “Ochumare” was born, with which, just six months after its creation, in 2008, she won the prize of the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition.

From that moment on, his career has been growing steadily. In recent years, she has shared the stage with Ibrahim Maalouf, Omar Sosa, Youn Sun Nah, Richard Bona, Chucho Valdés, Roberto Fonseca, Dhafer Youssef, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra and El Comité.

She also teaches violin at the Ecole de jazz et de musique actuelle de Lausanne (EJMA).

The success of her albums “Ochumare”, an independent production released in 2013, followed by “Invocación”, under the direction of Alê Siqueira (who has collaborated with Roberto Fonseca, Omara Portuondo), has consolidated her notoriety as an innovative artist, capable of venturing and transcending musical boundaries.

Yilian Cañizares, an excellent Cuban musician, studied in her hometown in the strictest tradition of the Russian school of violin.

She was listed by the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur as “revelation artist of the year” for her great virtuosity and charisma with which she is able to sing and play the violin.

“My sound reflects the richness and mix of cultures that I carry with me to this day and represents who I am: woman, Cuban, musician and citizen of the world”, said the artist.

Her second album “Invocación” reached the top of the Qobuz – World Music chart and was re-released in a Deluxe edition.

“Aguas”, the album produced in collaboration with Omar Sosa, saw the light of day in October 2018.

Accompanied by another compatriot, Inor Sotolongo on percussion, the duo created an intimate and personal album that reflects the views of two generations of Cuban artists living far from their homeland.

This album is a mix of energetic rhythms and emotional ballads that clearly reflect the unparalleled musical chemistry that exists between the two artists.

It constitutes a powerful and unique fusion of Afro-Cuban roots, classical music and jazz.

On November 15, 2019 was released the new album “Erzulie”, with its new formation Yilian Cañizares & The Maroons and dedicated to the Haitian deity of love and freedom.

This album was recorded in New Orleans and features the participation of numerous guests such as Christian Scott (trumpet), Michael League (double bass), Bill Laurance (piano), Bobby Sparks (organ) and Justin Stanton (keyboards).

Yilian Cañizares es una música cubana y suiza. Vive en Suiza desde 2000.

His style reflects the variety of his influences, with touches of jazz, classical music, Cuban music, with a large space left to improvisation.

The French magazine Les Inrockuptibles speaks of a jazz orchestration mixed with Yoruba ritual percussions.

She sings in Spanish, Yoruba and French and one of her distinctive features is that she sings and plays the violin at the same time.

There are so many influences on this album; Cuban, jazz, Venezuelan, Swiss, that it is difficult to pinpoint in each song which track falls into which category. In fact, they don’t.

Today it is too easy to want to pigeonhole music into one category: this is jazz; this is soul; this is funk. Yilian Canizares, in this wonderful album, breaks the stereotypes and that is why it is a pleasure to listen to it.

Sweet musical outbursts, explosions of improvisation that jump all over the place. He even finds a place to rap on “Iya Mi” and, obviously, it’s brilliant!

If we had to put a label on it, which I’m not thrilled about, I’d say this is a warm jazz album with Latin infused touches and tricks.

The meandering melody of “Beroni Abebe Osun”, the first track on the album, is a good indicator of this.

The throbbing bass, the heartbeat of the track, with its plucked violin, the blood pumping through his veins.

Cañizares is also a linguist, in case that wasn’t enough for us all to admire her.

The way he transitions from Spanish to perfect syllable-perfect French in his version of Edith Piaf’s “Je Ne Regrette Rien” (a beautiful version, by the way) is seamless and you could be forgiven for thinking it’s his first language.

It’s not easy to cover songs as big as Piaf’s classic, but Cañizares does it with style, class and, most importantly, grace.

Anything less than grace in a song like this makes it a bad version. It could be its own track, the strings perfectly light to complement the calmness of the voice and the ease with which Piaf’s lyrics take the weight of the world off our shoulders. I don’t regret a thing.” So simple. Yilian Canizares, we salute you.

And we’ll be on the lookout for the next album.

(kreolmagazine)

Yilian Cañizares – Invocación (2015).

Musicians:

Yilian Cañizares (Violin and vocals).

Daniel Stawinski (Piano)

David Brito (Double bass and electric bass)

Cyril Regamey (Drums and percussion).

Guests:

Akua Naru on Iya Mi

Gabi Guedes Gã & atabaques Rum, Pi, lé

Blaise Lambelet English horn on Laïla

Caxeiras do Divino da Família Menezes, Graça Re Reis & Bartira Menezes Caxeiras & Bartira Menezes &

Brazilian choir in Beroni

Julia Stuller, Gàbor Barta, Ivan Zerpa strings in Non je ne regrette rien

Luis Carbonell Voice in Canciòn de cuna para dormir a un negrito (Lullaby to put a little black boy to sleep)

Juan Carlos Toca Voice in Mapucha

All the songs by Yilian Cañizares except Beroni Abebe Osun (traditional/ Y. Cañizares) and

Non je ne regrette rien (Vaucaire/Dumont)

String arrangement (Non je ne regrette rien ) by André Mehmari

Cyril Regamey uses exclusively Istambul cymbals, Vater drumsticks and Aquarian drumheads.

Information provided (December 30, 2023)

Yilian Cañizares

Also Read: José Alberto “El Canario” and his orchestra enjoy a great international reputation in the Latin music scene.

Héctor Martignon has been one of the most sought-after pianists on the Latin jazz scene in New York

New York based-, Colombian born Hector Martignon has composed, orchestrated, produced, performed and recorded music in a wide spectrum of genres, from Classical and Crossover, to Jazz and World Music, to Rock and Pop.

His five albums as a leader, two as co-leader (MOZART’s BLUE FANTASIES and BACH’s SECRET FILES) as well as his work on over a hundred albums, scores for five feature films, three Broadway Musicals and multiple other projects, showcase his wide-ranging area of expertise.

At Mozart Studios recording Carlos Jimenez’ second CD, + Ruben Rodriguez + Vince Cherico. A pleasure!

After several nominations as a sideman, two of his five solo CDs were nominated for a GRAMMY Award (REFUGEE, 2008, and SECOND CHANCE, 2010).

He arranged and performed parts of the score of Ang Lee’s OSCAR-nominated movie EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN.

His first professional recording was at age 18 (Mikis Theodorakis’s “Canto General”) while one of the most recent was on legendary rock band CHICAGO’s latest production, the Latin-tinged “EXITOS”.

He has written symphonic orchestrations, performed and recorded by the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and compositions like ABRE LOS OJOS, CIERRA LOS OJOS, commissioned and premiered by the MUSICA DE CAMARA STRING ORCHESTRA at St Patrick’s Cathedral in April 2011.

Hector Martignon is currently working on a first CD with his BANDAGRANDE Big Band + String Quartet as well as an album with selections out of a series of 7 solo piano recitals at the Ludwigsburg University of Education (Germany), where he conducts a “compact seminar” on Classic Music-based improvisation every November.

As a requested sideman he has toured the world with such greats as Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Barretto, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre, Don Byron, Tito Puente and was featured pianist with Max Roach’s PROJECT AMERICA at the 92 St Y.

His joy of teaching has made him a requested guest-lecturer and performance teacher in music faculties and academies in several countries of Europe, Japan, North- and South America.

Hector wrote an instructional book on Latin piano commissioned and published by Hal Leonard, the SALSA PIANO BOOK.

Martignon’s abilities as a pianist have always been enriched by his interest in varied musical genres.

He paid for his studies of classical piano and composition at the prestigious Freiburger Musikhochschule in Germany by performing with the best Afro-Cuban and Brazilian bands of Europe, backing stars like Celia Cruz and Ismael Quintana on their European tours, and recording with Tata Güiness and Arturo Sandoval.

At the same time he was attending seminars of contemporary composition with masters like Gyorgi Ligetti, Luigi Nono and Karl Heinz Stockhausen.

He also performed classical music in recitals and concerts in Germany, Italy and his native Colombia, specializing in Chopin, Bach and Debussy.

One of his latest endeavors has been a Jazz-Classical crossover project, co-lead with star virtuoso trumpeter Joe Burgstaller, in which the music of the classics, from Bach to Ellington is re-created in a chamber-jazz setting, to be enjoyed on their two releases, “Mozart’s Blue Fantasies” and “Bach’s Secret Files”.

Living in Brazil for a one-year love affair with that country and its music, Martignon soon became a requested studio musician and worked for star producer Carlinhos Brown.

Since relocating to New York City, Martignon has been one of the most sought-after pianists on the Latin jazz scene.

He’s toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia with the bands of Mongo Santamaría, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre and Don Byron, who had him record in his latest CD.

He was featured pianist with the bands of Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, Chico O’Farrill, Paquito D’Rivera, and Max Roach in his “Project America.” Most notably, Martignon was pianist for the late Ray Barretto’s various ensembles.

During his eight-year association with Barretto, his contributions as pianist, arranger, and composer were fundamental in shaping the sound of the now famous New World Spirit Sextet.

One of his last collaborations with Barretto, “My Summertime,” was a favorite nominee for a Grammy award. Martignon’s versatility has also made him extremely active in the film and television industries.

Besides playing all piano parts, he arranged and produced many parts of the score for the Oscar-nominated film “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman” by Ang Lee and performed the piano and keyboard parts for many movie scores (i.e., “Gloria”, “Relativity”).

He is composer of the original music of two feature films, one of which, “Septimo Cielo”, won international awards. He also collaborated in the production of many Broadway musicals (“Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, Paul Simon’s “The Capeman”, “Selena Forever”) as conductor, arranger, and co-composer. In the fall of 2003 Hector visited Slovenia and Russia to collaborate with singer-songwriter Vitaly Osmsçko’s first symphonic CD.

The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra recorded in Moscow the orchestrations written by Hector.

As a composer, producer and arranger of TV and radio music his record is no less impressive. In 2001 he landed two spots for HBO Latino, and one for Coca Cola.

HECTOR” S FOREIGN AFFAIR In 1998 Martignon performed with his quartet “Foreign Affair”at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s famed annual festival “The Next Wave” on a triple bill with Tito Puente’s “Top Percussion” and Don Byron’s “Music for six Musicians”.

This proved to be a turning point for him and his ensemble, which evolved from the strictly acoustic trio sound of the first two CDs to a more eclectic and electric quartet sound.

The new configuration that evolved from that memorable concert started a series of concerts and recordings, with guitarist Mark Whitfield, Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona and Cuban drummer Horacio “Negro” Hernández.

This quartet performed and recorded live during a weeklong stint at New York’s famous Birdland.

The group has also performed on BET television festivals, at jazz clubs in Manhattan, and made various appearances in clubs and open-air festivals in his native Colombia and in Europe.

Martignon’s third solo project, to be released in the fall of 2003, is not only a reflection of the group’s new musical direction but also of his interaction with other world class musicians.

Eddie Gomez, Jeff Watts, Mathew Garrison, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Willard Dyson have all made their unique contribution to this, Martignon’s new sound of Jazz.

Hector In Amsterdam with daughter Leticia

Hector Martignon never fails to surprise, challenge and delight us. Stay tuned and get involved in this affair.

Site: Héctor Martignon

Also Read: “El Sol de la Música Latina” el primer premio Grammy para el histórico disco de Salsa Eddie Palmieri

We welcome Patricio Angulo from Rumbaché to ISM

The San Francisco Bay Area, California, has a lot of talented artists, many of which we have had the privilege to interview in this section to learn all kinds of details about the Latin music scene in this area of the United States. This time, we managed to have an interesting conversation with Patricio Angulo, leader and founder of the orchestra Rumbaché, who kindly answered all the questions we had.

Rumbaché is one of the most important salsa and timba bands in the Bay Area and has a varied repertoire of salsa and contemporary Cuban music that enchants any audience that hears the group perform.

The following are some of the most important issues related to this Latin band and its history.

Patricio playing the timbales — Patricio Angulo playing the timbales on stage

Patricio Angulo’s beginnings in the music world

Patricio has had a long interest in music, which he developed by himself, since he did not have family musicians to encourage these activities in the little boy.

He started playing violin and trumpet, but it was not long before the young boy found he liked drums and orchestral percussion better. He also played some classical music and learned a lot about instruments used in this genre.

When he went to high school, there were several music programs from which Patricio could choose to develop this branch of art depending on his tastes and finally decided on a jazz group with which he started learning to play congas and timbales. This group wanted an extra Latin touch in their music and the boy was chosen for the role.

The musician was very inclined to Latin Jazz at the time, but then, he was listening to other Latin genres until he discovered Cuban and Caribbean Salsa, which would be very important in the musical future of the artist.

Recruiting talent for Rumbaché

For years, he group Rumbaché, previously called Quimbombó, was forming from musicians Patricio considered played well, since for him this is most important.

However, he emphasized that each orchestra has its own needs and highlighted the vocals as an example of that, as they are very necessary for dance music like the one they play. Likewise, professionalism and experience are two aspects taking into account by him when evaluating a candidate.

In another order of ideas, the musician considers that Latin roots are not a key element in playing salsa or other genres of this type very well, since there are many singers and musicians who have never had contact with Latin genres or instruments can learn to play them without any problem. It is a matter of effort and discipline.

Whole orchestra Rumbaché — This is the whole orchestra Rumbaché posing for the camera

Origin of the name Rumbaché and the Yoruba Religion

From what we have read about Rumbaché, the origin of the name and its relation with the Yoruba religion caught our attention. Rumbaché is a combination of the words ”rumba” (This word can mean ”party” and ”celebration”) and ”ache” (in the Cuyuní language, ”ache” is something very good and pleasant).

Something that Patricio wanted to clarify is that the music of his orchestra is not religious and has nothing to do with the Yoruba religion beyond some choruses and words as there are in many Cuban songs. In fact, they try to have a varied repertoire so as not to bore the audience.

Rumbaché’s activity in clubs

Rumbaché has featured heavily in festivals and renowned clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area such as Sausalito Seahorse, The Cigar Bar & Grill, Rassela’s Jazz Club, Moe’s Alley, Blue Note, among others. It is undeniable that the group has ample experience in performing in these types of venues.

That is why we took this opportunity to ask Patricio how the movement is going in these places when it comes to hiring orchestras in recent years, to which he replied that the presence of orchestras in local venues has decreased dramatically in recent years, especially after the pandemic.

Likewise, because of this same situation, there were many clubs that began to close their doors indefinitely, making it very difficult for Rumbaché to play live regularly.

Once the pandemic was relaxed, Patricio says that a few venues survived, but there were too many orchestras for the few available stages. This led them to opt for festivals, concert series and private shows.

Every night there was a pen club, but that has changed radically and Patricio and the other members of Rumbaché have had to adapt to the circumstances.

Rumbaché live — Rumbaché performing live

Oye Productions

In addition to Rumbaché, Patricio also has his own entertainment company called Oye Productions, with which he is responsible for providing live music for all kinds of events. Obviously, he gives priority to Rumbaché, but he also offers the services of guitarists, trios and all sorts of musicians.

What the company seeks to focus on is providing musical entertainment for private parties such as a business meeting or something more personal such as a wedding.

He always tries to hire musicians who play all kinds of instruments and genres to perform varied shows for each event. He also seeks to look for artists he knows beforehand and who he is sure will do an excellent job.

Activities outside Rumbaché

Patricio also indicated that one of his most important occupations outside Rumbaché was teaching congas, timbales and drums. He also teaches drums to children once a week.

These activities bring happiness to the musician and he always looks for the opportunity for these youngsters he teaches to have some knowledge of Latin percussion and get to know our music much better.