Pachito E Che

One of my favorites from perhaps the greatest sonero. Perfect mambo for a relaxing, slightly jazzy Sunday. 

Ned Sublette's Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo

I finally finished Ned Sublette's Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo and am quite impressed. Though clearly not written in an academic style, Sublette clearly possesses an erudite knowledge of Cuban musical history as well as first-hand experience of various Cuban genres. Occasionally Sublette makes some errors (such as referring to the Hausa people of West Africa as nomadic or semi-nomadic, like the Fulani, and suggesting a highly unlikely Chinese derivation of Yoruba divination), but his massive tome (which takes one from ancient Cadiz and the Mediterranean world to the 1950s) is accessible, humorous, informal, and an excellent overview of the various ways African and European creolization in the Caribbean developed through music.

He demonstrates how  various West and Central African religious and musical concepts fused with European traditions to give us new, beautiful creole music: danza, danzon, son, rumba, mambo, charangas francesas, bolero, guajiro, and salsa. The 'zarabanda' and the influence of West and Central African music on the European classical tradition was also quite interesting, as well as African influences on Iberian music before and during the European conquest of the Americas. In addition, Sublette clearly and expertly explains how Yoruba, Dahomeyan, Kongo, and Abakua religious traditions (such as Santeria), sacred music, instrumentation, and secret societies influenced Afro-Cuban culture and shaped Cuban culture overall for the last 500 years, finding its way into more European-derived traditions. Thus, one can clearly see how African rhythms and styles entered the Cuban musical landscape, giving us the tumbador, bongo, marimbula, African rhythmic approaches to playing the tres and European instruments like the guitar, horns, etc. African musical aesthetics of blending wood and metal in percussion found its way into Cuba, as well as gendered pairing of percussion and the Kongo baile yuka, the palero tradition, Lucumi (Yoruba) bata drumming, etc.

Furthermore, Sublette provides the reader with enough context and detail to understand what's going on in Cuba and its environs during this time. Clearly, one cannot study Cuban music in isolation, because it's in a state of constant communication with Mexico, the United States (especially New York and New Orleans), Puerto Rico, Haiti, France, Colombia and elsewhere. So Cuban society, political developments, changes in recording technology, the Cuban diaspora in Mexico and the US, the Cuban struggle for independence, and Cuba under US imperialism are all inextricably linked to the brilliant music of Cuba. Slavery, naturally, occupies a key role as well as the class and racial dynamics of Cuban society from the colonial era to the 20th century.

My only wish is that the second part of this book could finally come out so I can read Sublette's take on the latter part of the 1950s, the Cuban Revolution, Bebo Valdes, Celia Cruz, and the rise of salsa. If you are interested in learning more about Cuban music, this book is one of the best introductory texts. Enjoy!

Bebo Valdes

Bonito y Sabroso and Old Merengue

Came across another beautiful mambo-era song by Benny More, one of my favorite Cuban artists. "Bonito y Sabroso" expresses the kinship between Mexico and Cuba and the popularity of mambo in that country. Indeed, so good are Mexican dancers, one would think one is in Havana! Lest we forget, one of the giants of the mambo craze, Perez Prado, actually moved his band to Mexico during this period so it's not too big of a surprise that Cuban music was huge in Mexico. In addition, Mexico's 'Caribbean' Veracruz region is home to many Cuban and other immigrants over several generations, as well as Afro-Mexicans, descendants of Mexico's slave trade over the centuries. "Mueven las cinturas y los ombros!"

In addition, while watching a strange pro-Trujillo song on Youtube that a friend shared with me, I decided to look up some older merengue artists. Angel Viloria, who was popular in Port-au-Prince in the 1950s, actually sounds quite good. Indeed, there's a lot in common between his form of merengue and that of some 1950s Haitian kompa. I am not sure how much of this is due to Dominican influence or a common origin in Africa (or the older Haitian mereng perhaps being a product of Haitian rule and migration in the Dominican Republic since the 19th century?). but it's infectious music! Check out "El Merengue en La Empaliza" and note the similarities, particularly in the horn arrangement and the rhythms. Not bad, I think I can like some (older) merengue, as long as it's not too fast. Anyway, either I'm already ancient and think all older forms of music are better or today's merengue is just plain awful?