A fascinating characteristic of rumba is that songs of many different styles can easily be arranged as a guaguancó. Mexican Rancheras, American Pop tunes, Argentine Tangos, Brazilan Sambas, even Peruvian Waltzes have all been turned into great rumbas.
Yet I'm still always a bit surprised when I find out that a song I normally think of as a son or a mambo actually started out as guaguancó.
When the son craze swept Havana in the 1920s, many rumberos began joining sextetos where they could hope to get a steady income from playing music.
Maria Teresa Linares has written that as the demand for son recordings and competition from other son groups began increasing, the soneros were searching for new songs and naturally the rumberos began adapting the rumbas they knew into son arrangements.
Ned Sublette and Cristobal Diaz Ayala once had a conversation (here) about what happened next:
NS: (...) When the son arrived in Havana, I say it became a son "rumbeao," a rumba-ized son. Coming to Havana, it takes on a different character. The people who play bongó are the same people who play rumba, who play batá. They also play arará, maybe. I say that, although they didn't record the rumba of the solar [tenement] at that time, if you want to know how it sounded, listen to the son records. And although they didn't record the coros de clave, if you want to know how they sounded, it's there. You know that what always caught my attention about the Septeto Habanero is -- those records are weird! They sound strange!
CDA: It's an acquired taste, the Habanero. What you're saying is true. It all comes together in the emblematic figure of Ignacio Piñeiro, who gets rid of the four monotonous verses of the original son and replaces them with décima; who mixes the son with the guajiro style, et cetera. And also Ignacio Piñeiro was Abakuá, Ignacio Piñeiro was in the coros de clave. That is, the son kept evolving.
There are many examples in old son recordings of songs that are actually rumbas. (There are quite a few very interesting ones on the Tumbao CD of María Teresa Linares and Rafael Zequeira, "El Legendario Duo De La Trova Cubana: Grabaciones Historicas 1916-1924.")Here we have a nice versión of the classic "Changó ta vení" by Orquesta Riverside. There's also the added bonus of the great Gonzalo Asencio, "Tío Tom" introducing his composition, which is normally attributed to Justi Barreto, another great rumbero and prolific composer.
Now here's El Goyo singing "Changó ta vení" as a traditional guaguancó. He includes an extra verse I hadn't heard before:
E, Changó ta vení Changó ta vení Changó ta vení
Ya empezó el bembé Oye la tambó ta soná Ya empezó el bembé Oye la tambó va soná
Si Sarabanda mayombe mundo va acabá Con un machete en la mano tierra va a temblar
Rumba lyrics are filled with allusions to colorful and evocative characters, mostly anonymous: Pregoneros, gossips, chinos, la china con diente de oro, to name just a few.
Then there are some who have names: Poor Severa and her godmother Latuá, José Nasario who doesn't know where the sun comes up, Maria las Nieves with her strange fear, our friend Arturo and his watch.
But there is one name that appears more than all the others: that of María la O.
Has there ever been a rumba at which her name hasn't come up at least once? Despite the many references, there is scarcely a hint of any personality behind the name. No guaguancó dedicated to her, no details of her life, nothing but a name.
She was destined to be given an honored place in rumba, in one of those "never fails" coros; later in the montuno, whenever the energy starts to drag a little bit, someone will inevitably call out:
¡María la O, kuenda!
¡Kuenda, María!
And time after time, the rumba obeys the bantú command "kuenda" (to go, get a move on, ¡camina!), and suddenly the spirit lifts, the tempo picks up again, and the rumba continues even stronger than before.
There is another refrain heard once in a while, as in the song that goes
Era un domingocuando yo la ví Iba coqueta, iba por allí Iba cantando bajito Un dulce canto que decía así: María de la O, María de la O, María de la O...
But none of these tell us anything about a particular person with that name. So who was she? Is it possible to know?
The Story of (de la) O
"Maria la O" is a shortened form of "Maria de la O," is a surname, not uncommon in Spain.
The origins of the surname are somewhat obscure. There are basically two theories, that it came from the Catholic feast S. Maria de la O or is a Spanish corruption of the French, "de l'eau."
In a discussion on the blog languagehat.com, commenter Roger Depledge writes:
The Catholic Encyclopedia, under Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, says "The feast of 18 December was commonly called, even in the liturgical books, "S. Maria de la O", because on that day the clerics in the choir after Vespers used to utter a loud and protracted "O", to express the longing of the universe for the coming of the Redeemer (Tamayo, Mart. Hisp., VI, 485). The Roman "O" antiphons have nothing to do with this term, because they are unknown in the Mozarabic Rite. This feast and its octave were very popular in Spain, where the people still call it "Nuestra Señora de la O". [Juan Tamayo de Salazar, Martyrologium Hispanum (Lyon, 1651-59)]
Finally, my research has pointed one of the origins of the surname in France, in the region of la Vierge de l'eau. Which means Virgin of the Water, this place is famous because the Virgin Mary apeared over a water spring. Someone took the surname De l'eau, -probably happened around the 1485 by orders of the Vatican (long story)- and consequently when he or she moved to Spain the name changed from eau to O, because the word eau is pronounced exactly like the letter "O" in spanish. I'm sure that the ones of you who speak spanish will understand it better. After one or two generations the name became De La O, hiding it's relation to the virgin. This may be the origin of De La O and it would say that your surname actually means: of the Water...
Our resident francophile Patrice finds this last explanation a bit dubious, and I do as well, mostly because I haven't been able to turn up a single person with the last name "de L'eau."
But none of this probably matters anyway. Although "de la O" is a surname, there is some evidence to suggest that when combined with "María" it's always a given name.
An immigration database at BYU has a link to a document (downloadable here) on Spanish combined given names (such as Juan de la Cruz, Miguel Angel, María (del) Carmen and María de la O) and states:
"Extensive research and study of naming customs indicate that when any of the combinations of names on this list appear in a record they are given names. Some of the names, such as de la Cruz are also used as surnames but not in the combinations listed here."
So it seems safe to assume that whoever our subject was, "María la O" was merely her given name and not her full name.
MUSICAL REFERENCES
The name "María de la O," so strange to anglo ears, is not as uncommon as it seems, and has appeared in Cuban music, particularly in references to blacks or mulatas, since probably well before the 1860's. María Teresa Linares writes:
The composer Sebastián Iradier [(January 20, 1809 – December 6, 1865) ] made the Habanera universally famous when he wrote La Paloma, and many others, among them La Nenguita, which has as its refrain an old Cuban guaracha:
“Me llaman María La O y no hay negra como yo más bonita sí la habrá pero más graciosa no."
The name also appears in a song by Rosendo Ruiz called "El Maine," a line from which was picked up by the Sevilliano cantaor Pepe de la Matrona who spent time in Cuba around 1914, for his song "Recuerdos de La Habana."
"Allá en el muelle Está mi china que me espera. Se llama María la O Ay no, ay no. Y esta china tiene rabia, por Dios. Esta china tiene miedo Que yo al muelle la llevara Y la metiera en el barco Y en el barco la dejara Y esta es la china De quien te hablo A mí me gustaEl anís del diablo."
Researcher Huib Buillet provides more detail on the origins of the reference:
The source: “Rosendo Ruiz Suárez”, in the magazine Música, Serie Nuestros Autores, n° 3, Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, La Habana (1985).
The article has an interview with Rosendo Ruiz, here is the excerpt:
Sí, el Cangrejito es una rumbita mía que yo no inscribí y que luego este músico respetable, Alejandro García Catarla, hizo un danzón con él y lo inscribió a su nombre… Enumerar todas mis composiciones sería muy difícil porque tengo más de trescientas. Esas rumbitas yo las hacía por embullo, pero no soy sonero, ni guarachero, soy trovador. El Maine sí fue un son muy popular:
Allá en el Maine Hay una china que me espera, se llama María la O Ay Dios! esa china tiene rabia por Dios…
Los Papines recorded a guaguancó called "María la O," but that song, a Spanish zambra written in the 1930's by Salvador Valverde, Rafael de León y Manuel López Quiroga enjoyed great popularity, having inspired at least two film versions in Spain by the time Los Papines recorded it, and still quite popular in the repertoire there.
María de la O Que desgraciaíta, gitana, tu eres teniéndolo tó’ Tu quieres reir hasta los ojitos los tienes morados de tanto sufrir Maldito parné que por su culpita dejaste al gitano que fue tu querer ¡Castigo de Dios! ¡Castigo de Dios! Es la crucecita que llevas a cuestas María de la O
Lecuona's María la O
Probably the most famous María la O is that of Ernesto Lecuona's zarzuela, which premiered in Havana on March 1, 1930.
In his thesis on the zarzuela, Henry MaCarthy writes:
There are two sources for the libretto of María La O. The first is based on a real mulata that allegedly lived in Santiago de Cuba sometime during the mid nineteenth century. Edwin Tolón, a theater impresario and close friend of Lecuona, who presented the original production in La Habana, relates an anecdote, in turn taken from oral narratives collected in the Annals of Santiago de Cuba:
[…] en esos años residía en esa ciudad un notable músico catalán llamado Juan Casamitjana. Estaba él recostado en la baranda de la ventana de la casa en que vivía cuando vio venir una numerosa comparsa que dirigían dos famosas mulatas de rumbo, una era María La O y la otra María de la Luz, que cantaban y bailaban una música electrizante. Impresionado el compositor por su baile fue al piano y repitió de memoria los compases de dicha música anónima pasándolos después al papel pautado (49).
[…] around those years in that city, there lived a Catalan musician named Juan Casamitjana. While leaning in the window of his house, he saw a large comparsa directed by two famous mulatas de rumbo, María La O and María de la Luz, singing and dancing an electrifying music. The composer was impressed by the dance and repeated the anonymous melody by memory in his piano, later transcribing it to music paper.
— "Cuban Zarzuela And The (Neo)Colonial Imagination: A Subaltern Historiography Of Music Theater In The Caribbean" by Henry W. MacCarthy
The second source was the Cuban novel "Cecilia Valdés" by Cirilo Villaverde. Lecuona had in fact set out to write his zarzuela based on this book, but when the Villaverde family refused to grant him the rights to the work, he and his librettist began revising the work.
Yet despite this tantalizing reference to a real-life Mariá la O, given that Casamitjana was writing the music for himself and that the incident occurred in 1836, 59 years before Lecuona was born, and nearly one hundred years before his operetta's premiere, it seems likely that the only definite "inspiration" the María la O from Santiago provided was in the use of her name for Lecuona's leading lady.
I also found one other curious reference by colonial music scholar Zolia Lapique. Speaking about the recurring popularity of the conga santiaguera, she says:
Algo similar a este fenómeno contemporáneo de la conga santiaguera ocurrió en 1852 cuando vino a La Habana la comparsa del Cocoyé con sus dos guías, las mulatas María de la O Soguendo y María de la Luz, junto al enanito Manuel que bailaba con el Anaquillé, muñeco de carnaval.
"Soguendo" is indeed a surname, if rather uncommon. Further research is needed to determine if the the surname of María la O from Santiago is known or has been lost to history. If it turns out to be Soguendo, I think a case could be made that the chorus "María la O, kuenda" is a corruption of her name. Until then though I believe the reverse is more likely to be true, as seen here.)
This article was inspired when I was trying to confirm the words to the coro in the video clip at the beginning, which contains another occurence of María la O that I was unfamiliar with, sung by Juan de Dios:
María la O María la O Banderillero africano María la O, ¿quién es?
During the course of the discussion, a Cuban friend of ours, José Luís Gomez, made a great remark, which we will use to close for now (since topics like this are never truly finished):
"In the folklore and general music world in Cuba it has been a tradition to get inspired by personalities and characters that gave and still give color to our way of living... So maybe she existed or not and at the end of the day I don't think that it's that important. The rumba María la O is a killer, the coro is fantastic and Juan really brings it in con chambo y mucho ibiano and that is what counts."
I've often wondered about the words Amalia, and Amaliano, and why they come up so often in rumba lyrics.
Amalia, este su nombre Qué lindo nombre de mujer...
As the song tells us, Amalia is a feminine given name. It seems it was never extremely popular but not uncommon either, especially among the Dutch, Germans, Finns, Spanish and Italians. It seems to have been most popular in the 1800's, declining rapidly after that.
The name Amalia goes back to Amalia van Solms (1602-1675), the wife of Frederik Hendrik and mother of King Willem II. According to historians, she was a strong woman who did not shun political influence. Amalia in ancient Germanic cultures stood for exertion, particularly in battle.
It is said to derive "from the Germanic 'amal' meaning 'work, labor, effort, strain', and also "may be taken as a variant of the Hebrew Amalya, meaning "work of the Lord"." So how does an ancient Germanic or Hebrew name become so common in rumba?
Dicen que en Jesús María Hay una comparsa Que tocan tambores Cantamos, tocamos tambores Para que la gente baile ¿Bueno y qué? ¿Bueno y qué? ¿Qué les hacemos a esos?
Nosotros los Amalianos señores Sabemos divertirnos Por eso los invitamos Para que vengan a gozar A mi Amalia
So it seems Amalia is linked to the barrio of Jesús María. But why?
It's probably impossible to know for certain, but Yamira Rodríguez Marcano tells us one version of the story here:
Poblado hacia la segunda década del siglo XVIII, con el nombre de San José del Astillero, debido al establecimiento de este último, el barrio de Jesús María, en La Habana antigua de extramuros, continua siendo hoy uno de sus términos más populares.
En 1753 en la Calle Real de Jesús María, hoy Revillagigedo, fue levantada una ermita a Jesús María y José que le dio nuevo nombre a la barriada.
Con esta calle se asocia una de las leyendas más vivas de Jesús María.
Cuentan que en ella vivió una negra llamada Amalia, protectora de revolucionarios y esclavos perseguidos por las autoridades coloniales, los escondía y les facilitaba la salida como polizontes hacia Haití u otras tierras, era además la Madrina de los centros ñáñigos del barrio, lo que hizo que los humildes habitantes ayudados por ella, se autonombraran, hijos de Amalia.
Así se conocían en el siglo XIX y de ahí que se derive que a los de Jesús María, se les llame amalianos.
In the second decade of the 18th century, a barrio known as San José del Astillero began to grow up around the extramural shipyards of Havana. In 1753, an hermitage called Jesús María y José was built on the Calle Real de Jesús María (today Revillagigedo), thus giving the neighborhood a new name, "Jesús María."
This street is linked to one of the barrio's most vivid legends.
They say that a black woman named Amalia lived there, who protected revolucionaries and fugitive slaves, hiding them and helping them escape as cops (?) to Haiti or other countries. She was also the madrina of the Ñañigo centers in the barrio. The humble inhabitants whom she had helped began calling themselves "hijos de Amalia" (children of Amalia).
That's how they were known in the 19th century and that's why those from Jesús María are called amalianos.
So phrases like "yo soy de Amalia," "yo soy amaliano" are just the rumberos' way of saying they are from the barrio of Jesús María, and paying tribute to their own "strong woman" who in her own way was doing "the Lord's work," helping the oppressed find their way to freedom.
About another frequent and curious occurrence of Amalia in rumba, El Goyo adds:
La frontera entre Jesús Maria y Los Sitios La avenida Italia, que actualmente se llama Monte. Los rumberos de Los Sitios dijeron: si los rumberos de Jesus María dicen que son de Amalia, entonces nosotros somos de Italia. Es por eso que cuando un rumbero dice "Viva Amalia, viva ITALIA", esta diciendo: "Viva Jesús Maria, viva Los Sitios".
The border between Jesús María and Los Sitios was Avenida Italia (today known as Monte). The rumberos of Los Sitios said: If the rumberos of Jesús María say they are from Amalia, then we are from Italia. That's why, when a rumbero says "Viva Amalia, viva ITALIA, he's saying, "Viva Jesús María, viva Los Sitios."
Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas was founded 50 years ago tomorrow, June 29, 1957. Let's celebrate with a video of this classic performance of their Batarumba style, featuring Teresa Polledo, Saldiguera and Virulilla.
PALO YAYA (Francisco Dominguez)
Yo soy rumbera Desde que estaba En el vientre de mi madre (bis)
Me dijo un congo Me dijo un congo
Palo que nace pa’ violín Desde que está en el monte suena (bis)
Desde niña soy cantora Voy cantando doquiera Canto con Saldiguera Y canto con él que sale Yo canto con Carlos Embales Eminente en guaguancó Y por eso yo le digo Yo soy rumbera Desde que estaba En el vientre de mi madre
Coro: Palo que nace pa’ violín Desde que está en el monte suena
Coro: Ah, ah, ah, yo soy Palo Yaya
If you haven't already, be sure to get the collection of 12 ACdM rarities we posted here.
Guaguancó Matancero (Los Muñequitos de Matanzas), probably late 50's—early 60's. (Photo from "Generos de La Música Cubana" (1981) Olavo Alén Rodríguez)
I was at MisterBryans the other day and was pleasantly surprised to find that Los Muñequitos have a new album out, "Tambor de Fuego." I'm sure it's good, though I really prefer the early Muñequitos recordings, from the original lineup, as released on Tumbao CD 707, and West Side CD 4205, and also the scattered few on Guaguancó Vol I (Antilla CD 565) and Vol II. (Antilla CD 595).
I was certain that between those CDs and the ones in our "Old School Rumbas" post, there were no more of these recordings to be found. So you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when Patrice recently sent me 5 completely unknown (to me) tracks by Los Muñequitos.
We owe these tracks to the generosity of two individuals, "Laly" (Raúl González Brito), ex-member of Clave y Guaguancó, who had the recordings on a cassette and passed them on to French percussionist FRANKOIS, who passed them to us.
With the 5 unreleased on CD tracks in the earlier post, plus these, that makes 10 that seem to have been completely forgotten, not even listed in Cristobal Diaz Ayala's discography. (I sent them to Mr. Díaz, his comments are included below.)
On some of the tracks we are just guessing at the titles (these titles are listed below in quotes), and one track is cut off in the middle. If anyone has any further info on these tracks, (titles, authors, dates, catalog numbers) please get in touch. 1. Canto para ti ("...the group sang as being received in a home, and naturally they are corresponding with their host. That is a very frequent theme of the aguinaldos in Puerto Rico, and certainly a happy coincidence in the folk music of both countries." — CDA)
2. "Salen de Noche"(?) ("...especially good for its lyrics"— CDA)
3. "A tumbar la caña"(?) ("...should have been recorded after 1959, probably 1960, as they sing about "Era mi cuota, Para defender la economía, de mi país, Ay compañerito, tumba la caña..." Its sounds like the first voluntary workers cutting the canes for the sugar factories."— CDA)
4. Chinito ¿Qué vendes tú?
5. Ya están sonando los güiros (cut)
This also seemed like a good time to include 2 rare tracks which our friend George had sent in earler, from the French LP "Carnaval à Santiago de Cuba" (Le Chant du Monde LDX-A-4250), so I tossed them in as well:
6. Ta contento el pueblo
7. La Reforma Agraria
Thanks again to Laly, Frankois and George for their generosity in sharing these great rare tunes with us.
A mí me gusta el danzón, rumbero La conga la guaracha y el bolero Pero cuando siento una rumba por mi madre yo me muero.
¡No me nombres! No... ¡No me nombres! No... Traigo un canto para ti Suave Melodioso Como bien se lo mereces tú Como bien se lo mereces tú Ya hemos recibido de ti Ya hemos recibido de ti El deseado y fiel recibimiento Ahora te vamos a alegrar el pensamiento Por ser sincera tu amistad Te cantaremos De lo mejor que tenemos
Coro: Olufina Taladé, Baba moforibale
2. "Salen de noche..." (?) (Author: ?)
Oigan bien, oigan bien, oigan bien, oigan bien La rumba
(Décima:) Salen de noche el majá y el jubo muy placentero Salen del bibijagüero uno adelante, el otro atrás Tambien la pata sacada sale al oscurecer Salen los perros también por los montes y los llanos Y yo que soy un cubano ¿porqué no lo voy a hacer?
Sale de noche el ratón De la cueva la jutía y antes que amanezca el día vuelve a su habitación. También el cucarachón sale de noche volando y la lechuza cantando se oye pasar por ahí. Y porqué razón a mí si salgo me están velando?
Pero dime qué es lo que te pasa hermano Pero dime qué es lo que te pasa hermano Si acaso es que no te gusta La rumba que yo a ti te canto Brindándote todo el quebranto De mi guaguancó De mi guaguancó Pero dime qué es lo que te pasa, hermano
Coro: Yenye, afinaremos, bailaremos el bonkó
3. "A Tumbar la Caña" (?) (Author: ?)
Pónganse uds. a pensar, caballeros Si al dejar yo de cantar sin finalizar Pudiera formarse un ideal Que haya desaparecido El Guaguancó Matancero Pero fue una tregua que cogí Como deber de patriota Porque al ingenio yo me fui A tumbar la caña Que era mi cuota Para defender la economía de mi país ¡Cuba libre!
Chinito ¿Qué vendes tú? ¿Qué vendes tú? ¿Qué vendes tú? Yo no vende calabaza Traigo la papá de Güines Traigo coles de repollo Traigo el boniato nuevo Traigo plátano maduro Chinito ¿Qué vendes tú? ¿Qué vendes tú? ¿Qué vendes tú?
Coro: Embobá
5. Ya están sonando los Güiros (Author: ?)
(Décima) Un día yo fui a un bembé Que estaban cantando a coro Y había muchas santeritas Que bailaban en un rolo Parece que así rezaban A sus dioses lucumí Y en su alanbanza decían: "Modupué laroye mi"
Ya están sonando los güiros Echú ako Laro yaré...
(cut)
6. Tá contento el pueblo (Author: Florencio Calle) "Los Matanceros" (Los Muñequitos de Matanzas) from Carnaval a Santiago de Cuba; Le Chant du Monde LDX-A-4250
Tá contento el pueblo Que viva el tambor A la escuela niños ¡Vamos a leer!
(Décima) Soy cubano y quiero a Cuba y muero por mi bandera y le brindo el guaguancó de la región matancera La Habana en la cabecera Como capital bendita En ella se encuentra todo Lo que Uds. necesitan Desde un pollo zalamero que le alegre el corazón Hasta el alto magistrado que dirige la nación
A la educación de un pueblo Esto es lo primero Que deben de aprender: Desde la niñez, señores A que esté encargada a defender Los intereses de esta nación
Coro: Oma oma oké oké
7. La Reforma Agraria (Author: ?) "Chanson de la reforme agraire" "Los Matanceros" (Los Muñequitos de Matanzas) From: Carnaval a Santiago de Cuba; Le Chant du Monde LDX-A-4250
Al fin llegó el día más glorioso pa' todos los cubanos (bis) Pero gracias damos a Fidel
La reforma agraria es indiscutible! (bis)
Es la gran liberación de la economia de mi Cuba libre Es la bendición de Díos Encomendada a un hombre Llamado Fidel Y sin temores Rechazando la maldad y la ambición de los traidores Pero como son los menos carecen de la razón y sin piedad los destruiremos
Here is another clip of pregones from CFN. This one is notable for featuring the great akpwonLázaro 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
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).
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
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
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.
"Décima and Rumba: Iberian Formalism in the heart of Afro-cuban song," by Philip "Felipe" Pasmanick.
Don't let the long title scare you, this is a beautiful work of afro-cuban scholarship and essential reading for those wanting a deeper understanding of rumba.
Originally published in the Latin American Music Review in July of 1997, it is posted here with kind permission of the author.
