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<p>Hi Charles and others,<br>
<br>
It all seems ages since Charles made his original post, so
aplogies for the tardy response, but there's been quite a lot
going on in the interim. <br>
</p>
<p>I'm afraid I can't offer any suggestions for the identity of the
bongo player in the film clip, or indeed any specific recorded
examples of virtuoso percussionists from the era before the fusion
of jazz with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music. All the pre-1945
Cuban and Brasilian recordings I've heard have not been kind to
the percussion sections: they're generally quite far back in the
mix, so contributions of individuals are hard to make out and the
overall section playing is often a bit *blurred*.</p>
<p>I'm sure Charles already knows about this, but it might be of
interest to listmates who haven't delved into the development of
African drumming in the Americas. The transplanted rhythms brought
across the Atlantic by slaves found a natural refuge in the
syncretised religions of Cuba (Santeria), Haiti (Vodun) and Brasil
(Candomble or Macumba), where the rituals and gods of West African
religions were merged with the saints of christianity. In their
rites the percussion section playing involves teamwork to build
complex patterns from initially simple building blocks, but, with
individuals improvising within these structures, the complexity,
intensity and excitement is rapidly increased. These techniques
were carried over into social dance music where they combined with
European instruments, and proliferated throughout the Americas in
a wide variety of styles and forms. Over time these developed into
danzon, rumba, bolero, son, mambo, salsa etc (Cuba), maxixe,
samba, baiao, choro etc (Brasil), beguine (Martinique/Guadeloupe),
calypso, ska, reggae (Jamaica/Trinidad) etc, etc.</p>
<p>One of the best records I've come across to demonstrate the
African influence on Cuban music is Volume 3 (Rumba) of the Tumi
Cuba Classics series (Tumi CD052). This is authentic Cuban Rumba,
in which, after the clave is established, the percussionists get
so far away from the basic groundbeat that orientatation becomes
difficult. It also pinpoints a widespread problem many musicians
have with the names of latin rhythms, certainly here in the UK
and, I suspect in USA too. The complex rhythms and drive of
genuine Cuban Rumba bear no resemblance to the simple, repetitive
rhythm which most musicians here call *Rumba* but which in fact is
really a Bolero. Meanwhile, the endlessly repetitive rhythm of
Ravel's Bolero must have sprung from Ravel's imagination as it's
nothing like the real thing. <br>
</p>
<p>Likewise, I've heard musicians who ought to know better asking
for a *Beguine* rhythm, when what they really want is that simple,
repetitive Bolero. Just because Cole Porter wrote a song called
When They Begin the Beguine doesn't mean that the rhythm generally
used for it bears any relation to a real Beguine (ignorance is
bliss!). A real Antillean Beguine has the basic pulse of a
Habanera overlaid with a rhythm remarkably similar to what can be
heard on many jazz recordings of New Orleans Creole melodies. That
shouldn't be too surprising considering their common French and
African roots and the trading which occurred between them. Try
this: <br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfW0U3Q61Tk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfW0U3Q61Tk</a></p>
<p>Even more perplexing is the occasional instruction to "just play
Latin", as if that might narrow it down a bit.</p>
<p>A Happy New Year to all, a Guid New Year tae ane an' a' (Lallan'
Scots), Bliadhna Mhath Ur (Scots Gaelic), as we variously say in
Scotland.</p>
<p>Ken<br>
</p>
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