La Rumba: Part 1 of 3

Here is the first of 3 clips from a 1978 Cuban documentary called simply "La Rumba," directed by Oscar Valdes.

Some excellent historic clips here of AfroCuba de Matanzas, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, and Carlos Embale.

In the Muñequitos sequence, Diosdado is dancing like crazy, and from left to right I can identify (please correct me if I am wrong):

Saldiguera, Jesús Alfonso on 3/2, Goyito on tumbadora, Florencio Calle on maruga, Chachá on quinto... and then I am lost with the singers. Anyone know?

I am also curious to know the name of the group featured in the still photographs at the end.


Click here to download a HQ mp4 clip of this file (88.6MB).

Esteban Vega "Chachá" Bacallao

Founding member of Los Muñequitos de Matanzas Esteban Vega "Chachá" Bacallao celebrates a birthday today, Nov 29 1925, making him 82.

Here is a short clip of an interview with him I found (unfortunately overdubbed rather than subtitled).

(The clip is from a great documentary, "In Cuba They're Still Dancing" directed by Barbara Orton.)

I know some of you out there must have met Chachá or studied with him, feel free to comment, we'd be interested to hear about your experiences. Anyone seen him recently? Hope he's doing well.

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional: More Pregones

Here is another clip of pregones from CFN. This one is notable for featuring the great akpwon Lázaro Ros as "El Tamalero."

Besides Lázaro Ros, the clip also features Juan de Dios García Fernández, Juan de Díos Ramos, Zenaida Armenteros, Felipe Alfonso, and El Goyo.

Click below for lyrics and a link to download. (As always, corrections are welcomed.)



#1 (Pregonero: Juan de Dios García Fernandez as "El viandero")

Son de La Güira, pintón y verde
Son de La Güira, pintón y verde plátano
Oiga diez por una peseta
Oye, maduros pintón y verdes plátanos

Hoy le vendemos casera, coles de repollo
pimientos de relleno, amarilla calabaza
Malanga, yuca y boníato
De tierra prieta los ñames
Bien barato el maíz tierno
Oye, veinte por medio, tomates colora'o, abué

Son de La Güira, pintón y verde
Son de La Güira, pintón y verde plátano
Oiga diez por una peseta
Maduros pintón y verdes plátanos

#2 (Pregonero: Juán de Díos)

¡Óyelo óyelo óyelo!
¡Óyelo óyelo óyelo bien!
¡Óyelo óyelo óyelo!
¡Qué lindo pregón!

Frazaditas pa' el piso
a peseta
Palitos de tendederas
no se le ensucian la ropa
ni se le rompe el cordél
Casera le vendo
tendederas de alambre
para tender la ropa
Y son tan buenas
que no se le cae el palito

Ya son las doce del día
Y el rostro me va sudando
Y yo con mi melodía
me voy y sigo cantando

Frazaditas pa' el piso
A peseta

#3 (Pregonero: Lázaro Ros as "El Tamalero")

Me voy
¡Pican!
¡Tamalero!

Oiga casera
Oiga casera asómete a la puerta
o al balcón
Para que escuches mi pregón

Pero vamos a cenar
Pero vamos a cenar, el tamalero, óigalo
él que los vende llegó
Con picante
y sin picante hay tamales
Hay chicharrones y bollos
Pero vamos a cenar
Caserita cómpreme
Me voy
¡Pican!
¡Tamalero!

#4 (Pregonera: Zenaida Armenteros)

Ya llegó, ya llegó
Público oyente
Pero cómpreme un bollito caliente
Pruébelo y Ud. me dirá
Ya llegó
Pero, ya llegó
la que vende los bollos
calientes
¡Calientes!

Ecó ecó, olele
Ecó ecó, olele

Chicharrones de tripita
Ekrú y bollo caliente

(ecó = tamal de harina de maíz o harina de maíz)
(olele = tamal de frijol de carita, para Ochún y Yemayá)
(ekrú = tamal de frijoles envuelto en hoja de plátano)

#4 (Pregonero: Felipe Alfonso as "El Yerbero")

¡Yerba!

El abre camino
Raíz de jíba
El palo malambo
Traigo palo yaya, casera
Traigo el rompesaragüey
La yerba buena
El toronjil
Pero ay, ay, ay, ay...

¡Yerba!

#5 (Pregonero: El Goyo)

¡Oye mangüeeeeee!
Y de Torrecilla, e
Ya se va la carriola
Oye como llevo mango
¡Oye mangüeeeeeeeeee!

Click here to download a better-quality version of this clip (88MB).

Conjunto Folklorico Nacional: Columbia

Another great clip featuring El Goyo, with El Conjunto Folkórico Nacional...

Enjoy!

Download this video here

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional: Mama'buela

In keeping with the El Goyo birthday celebration, here is a nice (if a bit hard to see) clip of the CFN doing "Mama'buela," featuring Goyo on vocals. This is normally classified I believe as a "rumba de tiempo España," or a "rumba mimética," very old forms of rumba involving pantomimed dancing.

Even if you don't speak Spanish, It's pretty obvious what is going on here. The little boy doesn't want to go to school and Mama'buela is going to administer some old-fashioned persasuion techniques to change his mind. I know it's hard to make out the details in this, but the choreography of the dance is pretty clear. If anyone has a better copy, feel free to send it on.

In the meantime, if you want you can download this version.

Celebrando: Gregorio Hernández Ríos "El Goyo"

¡Felíz Cumpleaños! to El Goyo, born Nov 17, 1936.

A founding member and instructor with Conjunto Folklórico Nacional for 25 years, a folklorist, professor, stage manager, percussionist, composer, and actor, El Goyo is probably best known as a singer, with such classic performances as "Mayeya" on Rapsodia Rumbera, and "La Jerigonza" on Tata Güines' Aniversário solidifying his legend. He has also worked with jazz saxofonist and flautist Jane Bunnet, most notably on her Chamalongo CD and her Cuban Odyssey DVD. But El Goyo has much more in the works...
El Goyo was born in Pinar del Rio, but soon the family moved to the impoverished Havana neighborhood of Las Yaguas. Curiously, his birthday also marks his aniversary as a public performer, in a way.

In the early 40's Gregorio's father, Isidoro, went into business for himself as a "botellero," rising early each morning, going through the streets of Havana with a cart, "pregonando" and buying empty bottles from residents to resell at bottle collection companies.

One morning as Isidoro was preparing for the day's work, Goyo made a request that surprised him. As María del Carmen Mestas tells it in her book "Pasión de Rumbero" (which is the source for much of the info in this article):

"Papá, today is my birthday and for my present I want you to take me with you to pregonar."

"al poco rato ya andaba el chiquillo de siete años lanzando al aire sus pregones entre la admiración de los que disfrutaban aquella voz melodiosa."

("soon the 7 year-old was pregonando to the admiration of those who enjoyed that melodious voice.")

Later the family moved to El Moro, where Goyo really developed an interest in rumba, first as a dancer, then later playing palitos and tres-dos, and finally singing.

It was an opportune moment for a budding rumbero. The advent of the victrola, radio and televisión gave rumba, formerly hidden in the barrios, much more visibility, and new groups "exploded" onto the scene :

"Te digo que fue toda una explosión: nacieron grupos como Alejo y sus muchachos, Los Chicos Buenos, Las Estrellas Amalianas, Los Principales, Rumboleros, Los Parraqueños, y Los Tercios Modernos, hasta llegar posteriormente a ese cuarteto magnífico que forman Los Papines."

El Goyo formed his first duo with Carlos Águila, then later worked with Daniel Sánchez, Jesús Estrella Gutierrea, Fico Fabelo and with Juan de Dios Ramos (both in CFN and later in El Sicamarié, Mambo Chambo and Los Principales.)

A renowned singer of Abakuá, El Goyo became curious about the secret male society with Calabar roots as a result of hearing the many Abakuá references in rumba:

El mundo del Abakuá está muy vinculado al de los rumberos y, especialmente, al de los cultivadores del yambú y el guaguancó; por eso, desde que me inicié en la rumba sentí interés por esa sociedad.

Later he became an Abakuá himself (his "plaza" is Moruá Iyuansá Uriabón) and through diligent study has become an expert in its songs and practices. "Lo que sí sé hacer es hacer al íreme salir del cuarto fambá," he says. ("One thing I know how to do is make the íreme come out of the fambá room.") His mastery of Abakuá song is evident in his work on the Antología de la Música Afrocubana vol. X, a long out-of-print LP collection recently reissued on CD.

Today El Goyo is as busy as ever. In 2000 he gathered the greats of the genre in the studio to tell the history of rumba from the bandos de calle and the coros de clave through guarapachagueo and rumba-rap in the CD "La Rumba es Cubana" (Abdala UN-CD6004).

As for future projects, besides attending conferences in the Festival Guanana 2006 in Cienfuegos, and at the ¨Festival La Conga y La Rumba, en Bejucal, El Goyo has plans for a DVD which he is going to call "De las Raíces a las Síntesis" ("From the roots to the synthesis") about his investigations into the interaction between the Spanish and African roots in the Cuban musical synthesis, especially the contributions of rumba to son.

He also has 3 CDs planned, for which he says he needs "apoyo material." They are "Goyo y sus Amigos," "Homenaje al Tío Tom," and a third as-yet-untitled disc which will explore how rumberos have sung about national and international political events.

Thanks Goyo for sharing your talent and your knowledge with us, and may you spend many more birthdays pregonando to the world the wonders of cuban music.

Gracias Goyo por compartir su talento y su gran conocimiento con nosotros, y que pases muchos más cumpleaños pregonando al mundo las glorias de la música cubana.

For a complete overview of El Goyo's career, download his Curriculum Vitae.

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional: Pregones

Renowned rumbero Gregorio "El Goyo" Hernández Rios turns 70 tomorrow.

Over the next few days I will be posting some clips featuring El Goyo with Conjunto Folklórico Nacional, of which he was a founder and member until 1987.

First comes a presentation of pregones, the cries of the Cuban street vendors. Pregones have been a fixture of Cuban music since at least "El Manisero" in 1931. (Researcher Cristóbal Diaz Ayala has published an entire book about the history of pregones in Latin American music: "Si te quieres por el pico divertir")

Helio Orovio, in his entry for EL PREGON CUBANO in his Diccionario de la Música Cubana, writes:

Sobre la estructura musical del pregón dice [Miguel] Barnet: Los pregones cubanos tienen dos caracteristicas principales. En primer lugar, el melisma, rasgo propio de los pregones de mangueros; estilo comparable con el cante jondo o cante flamenco, el uso del falsete y otros trucos de ejecución, gorjeos o jipíos. En segundo lugar, la apoyatura que se observa al final de los pregones de maniseros, tamaleros y otros vendedores; es como un cierre cortante del pregón en que se rompen la primeras sílabas de una palabra"

(My translation:)

Miguel Barnet writes of the musical structure of the pregón: "Cuban pregones have two principal characteristics. First, the melisma, typical of pregones of mango vendors; a style comparable with cante jondo or flamenco singing, the use of falsetto and other tricks of execution, such as trilling or a prolonged "ay...". Second, the grace note observed at the end of the pregones of peanut vendors, tamale vendors and others is like a sharp close to the pregón in which the first syllables of a word are broken"

[UPDATED 14 Jan 2007:]

First comes Juan de Dios García Fernández, dancer, singer, and general director of Conjunto Folklorico, as "El Viandero."

Then El Goyo as El Manguero.

Next is David Filian, dancer with CFN, as El Escobero:

Escoba doble
Plumero de pita
Escobillones baratos
Paño de hule y de mesa
Escobero
Escobero me llaman a mi
Escobero me llaman a mi
Porque vendo escoba doble

Next is Felipe Alfonso as the yerbero, followed by Zenaida Armenteros.


You can download a HQ (74MB) version of this file here.

Japi Birthday Justi

Justi Barreto turned 83 yesterday. Very hard to find anything online about him. You can read a brief bio in Spanish here.

Does anyone know what happened to him? I haven't heard of his passing, I imagine him still living up in the Bronx or down in Miami somewhere.

Although I always think of him as a legendary percussionist, one thing I never realized about him is how many great songs he wrote. His partial song credits include: Changó ta vení, Rabo y Oreja, Encantado de la vida, Batanga no. 2 and Lo que dice Justi (a great version of which can be found on Arsenio Rodriguez's great album Primitivo, and seems to be going out of print).

Anyway, to kind of celebrate, I have put up a rip of his unreleased-on-CD "Comparsas Cubanas."
(UPDATE!: A reader has kindly sent in a cover scan, thanks!)


Disc info:

Comparsas Cubanas
Justi Barreto y su grupo folkórico
LP Gema 3073
Recorded in New York, June 1969

1. El Alacrán
2. Yayabo
3. Las Jardineras
4. Las Sultanas
5. Los Dandies
6. Las Bolleras
7. Vaya Simón

Click here to download.

While you are waiting for the download, why not pick up a copy of his "Guaguancó 69," reissued on CD not too long ago and quickly going out of print, it seems.

UPDATE: A reader has submitted the lyrics!

El Alacrán
Salimos por el Prado otra vez (2x)
No sé porqué me siento un ruiseñor
El alacrán este año está mejor
Picó, picó, picó
Así lo quiso Dios.
Ya picó, ya picó

Yayabo
Tú que me decías, que Yayabo no salía más. [bis]
Yayabo está en la calle,
con su último detalle
y su ritmo sin igual.
A, a, a, Yayabo ya salió [bis]

Mírala, qué linda viene,
mírala, que linda va.

Es la gente de Yayabo,
que se va y no vuelve más. [bis]
A, a, a, Yayabo ya salió

Las Jardineras
En mi jardín tu nombre está (bis)
Si no te sientes feliz
Ven a mi jardín para mis flores conquistar
Cuando venga, Gardenia, dejaré (bis)

Mosquetero, te saludamos aquí [bis]
Acuérdate bien mi hermanito
En el treinta y nueve, tú estabas en mi jardín
En mi jardin, florido
Dime adiós, Mosquetero, adiós [2x]
A, a, a, las Jardineras

Las Sultanas
Por Dios, que volveremos a La Habana (bis)
Iremos al compás de las Sultanas
Yo no quiero que me cuentes tu pasado
Lo que quiero es que me digas si has bailado
Por el Prado, con el carnaval (bis)

En la Habana, las Sultanas (bis)
Desde La Punta a Maisí,
hasta el cabo de la Fama
En la Habana, las Sultanas (bis)
Vivan la gente con ritmo,
y mi Cuba soberana
En la Habana, las Sultanas (bis)
En el sendero de tu vida triste había una rana
¡Juega, Chocolate!

Los Dandies [sic]
Siento un bombó, Mamita, me está llamando [bis]
Sí, sí, son los Dandy [bis]
Adiós mamá, adiós papá
Que yo me voy, con los Dandy
Con los Dandy, con los Dandy

Las Bolleras
Bolleras somos, no lo podemos negar (bis)
De tiempo antaño que queremos recordar (bis)
¡Sí señor, yo traigo el bollo caliente!

Vaya Simón
Recoge a tu mujer, y explícale que yo
No quiero su amistad (bis)
Porque después resulta de verdad. (bis)
Ella misma dice que la libertad
Se la diste tú, ¡Qué casualidad!
Si fuera así, a mi qué más me da? (bis)
Pero después resulta de verdad
Vaya Simón, no quiero, vaya con tu mujer

Dichosa Habana, not to be confused with "Iyamba beró"

Readers of this site may be familiar with the rumba known as "Guaguancó Callejero," or "Dichosa Habana," by Ignacio Piñeiro, most likely from El Goyo's definitive version on Rapsodia Rumbera. (By the way, this modern classic seems to have gone out of print - does anyone know of an online shop that stocks it?)

El Goyo's rendition is a perfect example of the modern style of rumba known as guarapachangueo. But as you might expect from a song attributed to Ignacio Piñeiro, "Dichosa Habana" has very old roots: it was first recorded back in the 20's as a "clave ñañiga." A friend recently sent me a rare transfer of this song from the 78 rpm disc, and there are some curious differences between the two versions which I will highlight here.

First, take a listen to El Goyo's version:



The lyrics, as El Goyo sings them (or as best as I can tell—if anyone can clarify, feel free), are as follows:

(UPDATE: Thanks to Patrício for submitting the following corrected lyrics:)

O ño ño ño, o ño ño ño, o ño ño ño...

A wá fu mi Elese o iyesá
A wá fu mi Elese o iyesá
Agó agó agó agó agó agó
Elegguá agó Lona
Agó agó agó
Elegguá agó Lona

Dichosa Habana que confunde a la gente
Son muchos los intendentes
que viven a la campana
El que menos tú pienses
Se juró Abakuá
El que está en la levita
entona un guaguancó
Y llama(n) al Iyamba
de los Nkomo sonoros
Como baila el Obonekue
En harmonioso compás

I was always curious about what exactly inspired this song, with its strange lyrics:

Confounded Habana
That confuses people!
There are so many intendentes
Who live by the bell
The least one you would think
Is surely an Abakuá
The one in the suit
Will sing a guaguancó
And calls the Iyamba (Iyamba = high Abakuá priest)
of the sonorous Nkomo (Nkomo = Abakuá drum)
How the Obonekue dances
In a harmonious rhythm

The song was also recorded big-band style in 1952 by Senén Suarez, with essentially the same lyrics.

I first learned of the even earlier version of this song from Abakuá scholar Ivor Miller. In his article "A Secret Society Goes Public: The Relationship Between Abakuá and Cuban Popular Culture" (African Studies Review, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp 161-88), Miller writes:

"[Ignacio] Piñeiro not only recorded Abakuá chants commercially but also wrote lyrics about a little known aspect of the brotherhood: the white males of elite society who became Abakuá members from the 1860's onward...Piñeiro's "Iyamba bero" (ca.1925-28) refers to the local politicians and businessmen he met in the course of playing music for their private parties."

Now listen to this version by Juan de la Cruz Izanaga, Bienvenido León and Alberto Villalón (which Cristóbal Díaz Ayala dates to October 1927):



Besides the obvious melodic differences, the lyrics to this earlier version are somewhat different:

Dichosa Habana
Que confunde a la gente
El mas malo es decente
y vive a la campana
el que menos Ud. piense
es un puro Abakuá
que suelta la levita
y toca el bonkó
y llamando al Iyamba Beró
entona sonoro
como regio Obanékue
un hamonioso compás.

(Miller's translation:)

Lucky Havana
that confounds people
the worst one is decent
and lives the easy life
whom you least suspect
is a pure Abakuá
who takes off his suit
and plays the bonkó
and calling the Iyamba Beró
intones sonorously
like a regal Obonékue
a harmonious rhythm

So the later guaguancó versions have extended the idea of whites, or members of the "suit-wearing" classes, participating in tradionally afro-cuban activites to include not only Abakuá members but also rumberos.

Also added to the guaguancó version is the "O ño ño ño..." and the Lucumí "Awa fumi alansa oyansa" intro sections. These are included in the 1952 version. To me this raises the question if these parts might have a been more-or-less standard rumba intro, then grafted onto the "Iyamba beró" song.

On the other hand, the melodic differences make me wonder if this could have been a rumba first, to which Piñeiro merely added the melody? (There is also a treatment of this section, as well as a brief "Dichosa Habana" verse as a columbia, recorded in the 90's by Cutumba on the "Real Rumba" CD, making it one of those rare songs that crosses between columbia and guaguancó.) It would be interesting to ask El Goyo where he learned this song from to see if he could shed any light on this.

Request: 7 "Lost" Muñequitos tracks

According to Cristóbal Diaz Ayala's discography, the tracks on the Muñequitos' Qbadisc CD "Rumba Caliente 88/77" are drawn from 2 LP's:

LP Areito 3701 "Los Muñequitos de Matanzas - Dir. Gregorio Diaz" from 1977, from which the following tracks were left off the Qbadisc CD:

Glorias Cubanas (Guaguancó by Florencio Calle)
Canto a Angola (Guaguancó by Jesús Alfonso Díaz)
Protesta de Chile (Guaguancó by Florencio Calle)

and

LP Siboney 420 "El guaguancó de Matanzas...Los Muñequitos" grabado en Santiago de Cuba, 1988, from which the following tracks were left off the CD:

Canto Para Ti (Guaguanco de Florencio Calle)
Alma Libre (Guaguancó de JBT)
Ese Señor (Guaguancó de Gregorio Díaz)
Mayeya (Guaguancó de Jesus Alfonso)

(They later recorded the bolero "Alma Libre" on the "Real Rumba" compilation, and "Ese Señor" on 1995's Vacunao.)

Anyone out there have any of these recordings from the original vinyl LPs? Thanks for getting in touch if you do. It would really go a long way towards filling the gaps in the Muñequitos discography.

PS: Ayala also states that the versions on Tumbaos reissue of the old 78s are different than the Puchito recordings on "Guaguanco Vol 1" and West Side Latino's "Rumba Abierta" reissue. I didn't notice any difference, can anyone else confirm this?

Clave y Guaguancó from "...y tenemos sabor" (1967)

"Con cuatro hierros, y cuatro palos, formamos una rumba que no cree nadie!"

I always loved Alberto Zayas' intro to this all-too brief clip of Clave y Guaguancó from Sara Gómez's 1967 documentary "...y tenemos sabor."

This must have been filmed shortly after the group was reunited in 1960 by Argelier León. They are finishing up singing Calixto Callava's classic "Guaguancó Sabroso." A great "solar" setting, rumba de cajones (note the spoons on the cajita for the "guagua") and excellent dancing make this a classic.

I find it interesting that the man playing the claves introduces the coro, but then Miguel Angel "Aspirina" Mesa takes up the inspirations. Miguel Angel Mesa's distinctive voice can be heard most recently on the Rapsodia Rumbera vol 1 and can be seen on Boogalu Production's excellent video "Rumbón Tropical."

One thing I am curious about, maybe someone can help me out: There was a woman who sang with Clave y Guaguancó back then, I think that is her to Miguel Angel's right, behind the caja player. Anyone know her name or anything else about her? Could it be Gloria Mora? She must be one of the great unsung women in rumba history. I've only seen her doing coros though.

This clip is followed by a comparsa sequence.

You can download a high-quality mp4 (58.5MB) of this file from rapidshare here.

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional: Guaguancó

Again from the "Encuentro de la música" TV Special. I believe this is Cándito Zayas on vocals, someone correct me if I am wrong. This is a great version of "Tu eres muy niña." I love how the melody differs slightly from Carlos Embale's version, and he goes to the "A Lala e a..." coro.

This is presented as a "rumba de tiempo españa," with cajones and a nice demonstration of the "rumba mimética" as "Lala" begins scrubbing the floor.

You can download a HQ (68MB) version of this clip here.

Afrocuba de Matanzas: 12 Rarities

Here is a set of tunes by ACdM you may have missed, as they were only released on various compilations here and there. I think some of their finest work is here though: Many feature the legendary Virulilla and Saldiguera on vocals, and Dolores Pérez's singing on "Palo Yaya" is not to be missed. I especially like "La viola de Homero," "Las Leyendas de Grecia" and "Tristes Lamentos." I also believe this yambú to be the slowest ever recorded.

Tracks are:

1. A la sereré
2. Arturo (NOT the version on "Oyelos de nuevo".)
3. El botellero
4. El cangrejo y la jutía
5. El misterio
6. En el manglar
7. La negra caridad
8. La viola de Homero
9. Las leyendas de Grecia
10. Palo Yaya
11. Tristes lamentos
12. Yambú

Download 12 rarities from Afrocuba de Matanzas here

Comments are appreciated.

Cántalo pero Bailalo: Part 4 (of 4)

Here is the final segment I have, and unfortunately it gets cut off at the end. Still a great version of a great song, "Oyelos de nuevo." Does anyone know if there are more segments to this program?

Afrocuba de Matanzas: Yambú Matancero

This is from a VHS I bought from someone outside La Esquina Habanera when the Muñequitos played there in 2002. Not the greatest quality, and there are some wierd edits, but you can't beat Minini, Virulilla and Saldiguera (these last two founding members of Los Muñequitos) in a "mock" controversia de décimas. Some nice footage of Enrique Mesa doing the inspirations as well.

Sorry for the abrupt ending, I had to trim it to get it on Youtube. The original file runs about 12 minutes and is over 100MB. I will try to find a way to get it on rapidshare soon.

(This one is especially for Felipe, author of the Rumba y Décima article posted at the right.)

Los Muñequitos de Matanzas: Cántalo pero Bailalo, Part 3

I love this Abakuá. I never knew it was Jesús and Goyo on harmonies. They look like they are having a great time.

UPDATE: The high-quality mp4 (87MB) file of this clip can be downloaded here.