Top Afro Cuban Samples

"Blen, Blen " is rumba/afro. The claves were originally the sailing ship pegs that they used for percussion as it was illegal to play hand drums in Cuba up till the mid sixties. I think the colonists there thought that all the slaves would revert to savagery and eat the lot of em'   Actually in Cuba a slave could buy his own freedom with the system they had but getting the money to do it was another matter.

js wrote: Sounds good Matt, I'll check it out. Right now I'm listening to a bunch of Afro-Pop I recorded off the radio in SF back in the 80s, wonderful stuff. The radio shows out there were the best.

I used to record the African music show here as well on cassette. Got some great music that way. That is where I got my first copy of Franco's "Mario"

This one of  Machito ( Frank Grillo) and His Afro Cubans is none other than the Mario Bauza composition "Tanga" recorded 14/11/1950 with another recorded in November the following year at Birdland.

I really liked those first two, definitely recognize that sound. Those two also use the mixolydian scale mentioned earlier common to early reggae and African rhumbas etc.

Matt wrote: Todays music additions   First up the great Cuban tres player who was actually blind after being kicked in the face by a mule as a child being Arsenio Rodriguez and his songs are still performed today in contempary manners by many a Latin musician.   Arsenio though was the man who ushered in the great Cuban format of "The Conjunto" during the mid to late forties. Previous to that it was either an Orchestra or duos and trios. Where as you may question Sexteto Habenero they did not use the instruments that are within a conjunto being guitar,tres and percussion primarily. A Conjunto consists of Congas, bongos or perhaps timbales today,  piano, trumpet or trumpets, tres, guitar, bass and vocalists.   This man is the real deal and one of the greatest musicians. One may laugh at the comparison but he is the Cuban Hank Williams and recognised as such within the Latin community.   One other note another thing that does have similarities is Bluegrass started in a similar manner in the late forties from duos etc to till Bill Monroes construction of a typical Bluegrass band but today it is Cuban Conjuntos   This track is "Dundunbanza" recorded in Cuba 1/12/1949   A superb young "Chocolate" Armenteros is on trumpet in the conjunto who is all over many of the Sar recordings in the seventies.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddKqtbqAAEw

Guaguanco'

I will be listing the definitions for the rythmn and lyrics in another thread soon. I will admit I have not started ( a little last night) but just starting to organise but if I know as the samples come up I will list what they are. As the music becomes more contempary it gets a lot harder and actually impossible to list many as they are a mix at times of many or Western influence's permeate.

Edited by Matt - 01 Jul 2012 at 3:38pm

This one is a Guaracha and there is no better person to sing them than the great Celia Cruz and great really is an understatement for Celia, she could sing with one fabulous powerful voice, but here it is early days and this recording was done in Cuba betweeen 1951 to 53 with La Sonora Matancera.

Next is the "Cha Cha Cha' with this being the first actually recorded in Cuba 1953. Ninon Mondejar was the leader of Orquesta America and actually The Cha Cha Cha is from a Danzon formula with a rythmn change and boy did it take off.  The Cha Cha Cha is known as classic  Latin music today as soon as the sound is heard. The video lists it as a Charanga which is what the orquestra played previously with a more French leaning but this is Cha Cha Cha number 1. The actual name of the tune is "La Verde Palma"  

js wrote: You go Matt, I'll check all these later, I have young students to deal with now.

js wrote: Based on the samples provided, I'm guessing that "El Manisero" is based on Guaracha rhythms, not Son. Correct?

John it is Son/Pregon. The original has a more traditional Cuban sound (1930), Don Aziazu's Orchestra was behind him.  I actually prefer the original but was not available on YouTube. Yesterday before I went out I was trying to put up some Maria Teresa Vera from pre 1920's. There is some stuff but not what I was looking for  ( with Rafael Zequeira) but I will find something that can be used.. That is the old "Trova"...........rural style....accoustic. tres, guitar and vocals. I am bleeding there is no Cheo Marquetti tunes ( Conjunto that played glorious sleazy Son)...........he was awesome I may come across something though while going through You Tube over time yet.