Cubafrican

The two singles I would like to share with you appear to be rather ordinary. But on closer study they are nothing of the sort.

The first of these was given to me in the late 1980s by a brother of my ex-wife. I suppose he felt sorry for me after I had lost a huge pile of records travelling from Bamako via Moscow with Aeroflot (a trauma that haunts me until this very day...). He gave me some singles, including a dramatically sanded down copy of "Whisky Magnin" by Amadou Balaké and this single by Orquesta Broadway.
To be honest the quality of these singles was such that I didn't really listen to them, and they were soon lost in my archive.

As often happens, they resurfaced after moving to our present home. But only recently have I been able to digitise the single by Broadway, and only then did I realise the 'rarity' of it. And I don't mean that the songs on the single are very rare or very special. They should be available either through some online service or through the album "Como Me Gusta". What makes this special is the combination of the B-side "Pa'Africa" with the place where this single was sold. For the single was bought - as can be seen on the back of the sleeve - in Ségou, Mali.

Several Malian musicians of the older generation have told me that Orquesta Broadway visited Mali in the early 1970s. I can find no record of this, only of their visits to Côte D'Ivoire (1973) and Senegal (1974) (more about their history here). But one way or another they had a huge impact on the Malian music scene. As far as I can ascertain these two songs were recorded before their visits to Africa, in 1972. This makes the insertions of the phrases in bambara even more remarkable. In perfect bambara after 1'44: "Let's go to Africa", and "let's go to sleep"(??). And this goes on till 2'24.

As mentioned before, the quality of the vinyl is poor, and if you prefer listening to a cleaner version you can find "Pa'Africa" here or you can buy the A-side "Como Me Gusta" and the album with the same title in several online stores.

SP 10046

The second single of this post was also bought in Africa; to be precise in Gagnoa, Côte D'Ivoire. Again it is by an orchestra that toured West-Africa, although almost a decade earlier. Cuban maestro Enrique Jorrín (wikipedia and a much more detailed biografia in spanish, which shows the intricate web of connections between a great number of Cuban legends) apparently was inspired by the music he heard to such an extent that he actually decided to interpret a song, "Sute Monebo", which he labelled "Folklore guineo".
I have personally never seen a version of this song on CD, - but given the enormous quantity of re-releases of Cuban classics it is possible that it does exist...

This song has had me digging deep in my archives to find an original. An original, which I am sure I have heard at some point in the past, but have been so far unable to retrieve. I have found versions by artists from neighbouring countries, like Ivorian Aïcha Koné (with her the title is "Soutemonebo") and by Malian Toumani Diabaté (Ketama), but these are from a much later date. Perhaps if you know of a version you can let us know. I'm almost certain that when I do find the missing original (or at least the older version I am sure I've heard), I'll go "oh, of course!".

The A-side of this single is very nice too. A simply superb version of that all-time classic and probably most interpreted song ever by Moisés Simons, "El Manicero". Together with the delightful B-side, a single well worth sharing.....

EPA-0011

Go Go

Visiting Cuba as a tourist you may still get the impression that Cuban music is mainly son or cha-cha-cha. Hopping from resort to Casa de la Trova and from Trinidad to Caya Coco, the evolution of Cuban music can go completely unnoticed.
But if you're lucky or walk the streets of Havana or any other Cuban city unguided and open your ears, you will hear other sounds. And if you're even luckier it won't be only (Puerto Rican or Cuban) reggaeton. Even today, there is still a chance you'll catch a shred of a timba track by Los Van Van.

Los Van Van ("The Go Go's") founded forty years ago (to be precise on December 4, 1969) by Juan Formell, who at the time was a leading member and composer in Elio Revé's Orquesta Revé, have played a crucial role in the evolution of the traditional son into the present-day timba genre. The main players within the orchestra were, besides Juan Formell (left in photo), percussionist/arranger José Luis Quintana a.k.a. Changuito and pianist/composer Cesar 'Pupy' Pedroso (right in photo). Both these great musicians have left Van Van since to go their own way.

I have no intention to write down the whole history of this essential Cuban orchestra. Instead I would like to refer you to this interview with Juan Formell from the Cuban newspaper Granma.

I first saw Los Van in the mid-1980s, and was very impressed by the tightness of their performance on stage. I was disappointed however by their studio recordings, which seemed rather sterile compared to the dynamics of their live act. When I saw them again in 1988, I remember several 'official' music critics commenting they should make a live recording. The album "Songo", released by Island Records a year later, was an attempt to capture the atmosphere of Van Van live.
I am not posting that record however. Instead I am posting a classic studio album, recorded in Cuba and released in 1985. And to give you an idea of their live performance, I would like to share some recordings I made myself during the WOMAD festival in July 1988. The quality of these recordings is perhaps not up to present-day standards (also because I was moving around a bit*), but I hope you'll get an idea of the 'ambiance'....

The lp "La Habana Si" is typical of the Van Van sound of the 1980s. It has a polished, modern sound with a focus on 'renovation', while making sure the Cuban reality is reflected in the lyrics (- making sure no one is offended, of course....). It features some classic Van Van tracks, like "La Resolucion", "Y No Me Explico Lo Que Tienes" and, of course, Pupy's great hit "El Buena Gente", which he has refurbished recently with his Los Que Son Son orchestra.

Egrem LD-4282

Live at the WOMAD festival at the South Hill Park in Bracknell Van Van played a selection of their greatest hits of the 1980s, with "La Titimania" (of which you can see this original video here), "Por Encima Del Nivel" (better known as "Sandunguera") and "Y Que Tu Crees". After all these years, and despite the sound quality, I can't help but preferring these recordings to the studio versions.....

Van Van - WOMAD 1988

* calling it dancing would be pretentious...

EDIT November 8, 2012: I've renewed the links.

Guayabero

Faustino Oramas was a sonero from Holguin, Cuba. "Was", because he died in March 2007, at the age of 96, and after a musical career of 81 years. He was nicknamed "El Guayabero", a reference not to his profession (guayabero = vendor of guava), but to a village halfway between Holguin and Santiago de Cuba, where Faustino as he stated "went to earn a living and almost encountered death". He was attacked by the husband of a brownhaired girl who flirted with him, and had to run for his life. On the way back home, the musicians travelling with him sang a song by Pacho Alonso, "En Guayabero", to tease him.

Known in Cuba as 'el rey del doble sentido', his lyrics are full of Cuban idiosyncrasies, of mishaps and -understandings. "Everything about me is serious", he once claimed, "I don't say what the people think I'm saying. I am very respectful, although I can sing one thing and the public will understand another".

He didn't start composing until he was forty, and has not recorded as many records as the length of his career would suggest. In fact, in Cuba I could hardly find any of his recordings, while everybody knew him and could sing his songs.

Here is one of his lp's, released in 1987. I won't attempt to translate tracks or dissect the meaning of the songs. Even if one doesn't (fully) understand his songs, there is plenty to enjoy. For one, Faustino's dry singing style, combined with the thoroughly Cuban sons.

Siboney - Egrem LD-342 (new link November 10, 2012)

Cañonazo

One doesn't have to try very hard to find amazing amounts of latin music on the internet. The majority of this is salsa. And I mean this in the narrow sense of the word as it is accurately described here. Personally I am inclined to prefer the music of pre-salsa times, and for this I refer you gladly to the listentoyourears blog (which in my opinion is on a level of its own*).

Strangely the salsa artists I like always turn out to have Cuban origins. Apparently the son & rumba roots are difficult to lose. This is the case with both Papaito and Monguito, who have unfortunately both passed away (in 2000 and 2006). They both feature on this classic collection from the SAR label with two songs. The remaining tracks are by another artist with Cuban roots, SAR-(co)founder Roberto Torres, and by Conjunto Crema (no Cubans there, I think).

Cañonazo seems a bit exaggerated, but it's certainly an enjoyable collection.

SAR 1041 (new link November 10, 2012)

*despite the use of rapidshare....

Chiquita

To tell you the truth, I had this record for years before I realised the singer was in fact a woman. The realisation coincided with my first trip to Cuba.
I know sleeve clearly states the artist performing is Chiquita Serrano et son ensemble typique, but who was to say that Chiquita was the singer?

In hindsight I should have known it was a female voice. I have listened to a compatriota of Chiquita Serrano, Celia Cruz, for even longer.

I have tried to find out more about Chiquita, but have found little more than that she was a singer with Rico's Creole Band and that she performed and recorded with her own orchestra in Paris in the late 1950s.
This may explain why she appears on this French label with obvious Senegalese 'roots'.

The lp has a remarkably distinct sound, and a nice selection of songs, with three versions of Cuban classics ("Guajira Guantanamera", "Son De La Loma" and "Mata Siguaraya"), a Santeria-related and a carnaval track. My favourites are the opening tracks of both sides: "Negro Bembon" and "Mari Juana"(!*).

Bellot Disques MAG 117

*and this track reminds me of Amadou Balake's "Yamba"...

Musica Exotica

Dave van Dijk, one of the pioneers on Dutch radio of black music in general and latin and african music in particular, has died yesterday. He had been ill for quite a while.

For a lot of music lovers in the Netherlands in the 1980s Dave's radio show "Musica Exotica" was the first introduction into new and exciting music styles. Although broadcast initially in the middle of the night (but always live!), the show soon gathered a loyal group of followers. Dave's expertise lay primarily in latin and salsa music, so he invited others to his show with knowledge of other music styles.

Dave was also responsible for a impressive series of live recordings.

To commemorate this radio legend I would like to share this lp from Côte D'Ivoire featuring one of Dave's favourite salsa artists, Monguito El Unico.

This one's for you, Dave.

Sacodis LS 48 (new link April 12, 2015)

De la calle

If any artist in Cuba can be labelled "de la calle" (from the street), I am sure it must be Candido Fabre. His following can be mainly found, not amongst the reggaeton loving younger generation, but with the housewives and mothers of Cuba. They will go out of their way to see a concert of this sonero, who will turn 50 this year.

He was born in the province of Santiago de Cuba, in very musical surroundings, and from a very young age he started singing in schools and in the streets. Although even at that age his voice was strangely hoarse and certainly no way near 'belcanto', he was popular from the start, especially for the content of his songs. He would change the lyrics of the hits of the day, improvising as he went along. Over the years Fabre's improvisation skill have earned him the title of Cuba's most versatile sonero.

His talent ripened during his ten years (from 1983 to 1993) with the Original de Manzanillo, where he was the number one composer. His compositions have been covered by a wide range of artists and orchestras, including Los Van Van, Aragon and Celia Cruz.
He himself doesn't consider himself a composer: "To be a good sonero you have to be a good improvisor first, - plus a good creator".

If you ask around in Cuba (and, as I said, ask the mothers) you won't find it hard to dig up some bootleg recordings of a local concert by Fabre and his banda. The tracks I am posting here are mainly from a concert during the 2005 carnival in Camagüey*.

Fabre - Camagüey

And, to give you an idea of his talent as an improvisor, here is an excerpt from a documentary by the Tunesian director Karim Dridi about another sonero from the 'calle', Miguel Del Morales a.k.a. 'El Gallo', featuring Fabre playing baseball, Cuba's national sport and a subject of quite a few of Fabre's songs.


*By the way: I don't advise you to visit Camagüey as a tourist during carnival (end of June). Unlike the rest of the year, it is certainly not safe.

El acordeón cubano

As a fan of any type of accordion music I was very surprised to find the instrument in the touristic resort of Trinidad, Cuba. A place well worth visiting, by the way.

The discovery of the instrument was actually a coincidence, because the owner wasn't playing the instrument when we met. He was playing a tres in a small conjunto. He did this with so much fervour that I decided to compliment him. We got to talk about his music and his musical interests, and he revealed that he owned an accordion, which he played sometimes in another bar.

I asked him if I could record it and he agreed.

And here are these recordings, of Ramón Castro. Recorded in Trinidad, Cuba, in March 2002.

EDIT April 12, 2015: The link has been refreshed.

Original de Manzanillo

The Orquesta Original de Manzanillo started just over 45 years in the town of Manzanillo in the Granma province of Cuba*. The first performances were in December 1963 under the name of "Orquesta Tipica", which a few years later evolved to the present name of "Orquesta Tipica Original de Manzanillo".
The most famous member of the orchestra was Candido Fabre, although he was only with the orchestra for ten years (1983-1993).

Of the original orchestra only four remain, and the most famous of those is the leader, pianist and arranger Wilfredo 'Pachi' Naranjo. The 'Original' is very popular in Cuba and have been allowed to tour the world. Nevertheless they have remained very modest and very very Cuban.
Here is a great video from Cuban television from 2006. The track is "Mi Sombrero de Yarey".

*one can't be too explicit nowadays, after hearing the president-elect of the US talking about releasing prisoners in Guantanamo.

Paloma

How can anyone be so sadistic to call a hurricane "Paloma" (dove)?

Paloma is set to hit the Cuban province of Camagüey in a few hours. As this is one of the flattest regions of Cuba, the impact is expected to be enormous. The population is preparing itself for the worst.
Compared to the coverage here in Europe of the presidential elections in the US, the silence* in the media is overwhelming.....

Camagüey, Cuba

* so no sounds in this post

Sensación

I heard Abelardo Barroso for the first time in West Africa. It took me a few seconds to realise that he was singing in Spanish, as his voice fitted in very well with the African surroundings. I can certainly imagine why Bembeya's legendary singer Aboubacar Demba Camara was a fan.

It took me a few years to fit the name with the voice, and the voice with the orchestra. And later still, I discovered that he sounds even better in Cuba!
Ah what a delight, travelling through Cuba with la musica sabrosa of Abelardo Barroso and Orquesta Sensación !

Even without the legendary singer Orquesta Sensación is worth listening to, as you can hear on this lp. Only four of the twelve songs feature Barroso singing lead.
The quality of the lp leaves something to be desired, but this is compensated by the musical brilliance, I think.

El Sonero

Laba Sosseh is perhaps not the best sonero to come out of Africa, he does have some of the best recordings. And he has inspired and still inspires a great number of other singers.

Examples of these great recordings have been released on CD, notably on the Dakar Sound label.
I especially like the sweaty ambiance of the live tracks.

"El Sonero De Africa" which was released in the 1970s on the Senegalese N'Dardisc label has a very different sound, but still is one of my favorite Laba Sosseh albums. It contains some superb covers of classic Cuban sons (including an near ecstatic version of "Guantanamo"), plus one track ("Mama Yassima") which the sleeve contributes to Laba Sosseh himself, but which -if I am not mistaken- is in fact by Jean-Serge Essous.

Here is the album.

La Trova de Camagüey

In the centre of Camagüey, Cuba, on a pleasant square is the Trova. Maybe it's not so hot as the one in Santiago, but it does have one of the best orchestras, - of the tourist hotspots, that is....

Founded in 1936 Los Soneros de Camacho is at present led by the father of Adalberto Alvarez, who plays tres. My personal favorite is the singer, whose name I don't know but who locals referred to as El Pingüino. In this video he demonstrates how to dance well without exerting oneself.

I recorded this in January 2005, but I can't remember too much of that night because we finished off two bottles of Havana Club......