CubaWhile many of us have heard the amazing recordings of Ry Cooder and the Buena Vista Social Club, that iconic music is just a sliver of the vibrant culture of dance, music and song in Cuba. Cuba is a land of immigrants, none of the indigenous people survived the spanish conquests. it is a country of stark contrasts, an incredibly rich culture, created by people who live in a system of rations, and making do with less. Tonight we’re going to drive out of the tourist areas, in a car that has questionable headlights, an on-going list of mcgyvered repairs, but rest assured the horn works. Traveling 2 hours east to Matanzas, the birthplace of Rhumba, While Miriam Webster defines “a ballroom dance of Cuban origin in ²/₄ or ⁴/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-close-step and marked by a delayed transfer of weight and pronounced hip movements also : the music for this dance.” and that is true, but we aren't going to go into the ball room with the bright lights and fancy dresses and silverscreen patina for the tourists and visiting dignitaries. {“Recogidito” a beautiful rumba written by the late Julián Mesa IBAE, performed by Rafael Navarro Pujada “El Niño” for over 30 years the lead singer of the emblematic group “Los Muñequitos de Matanzas"(Founded in 1952). Niño is the voice of rumba in Matanzas and some say of Cuba, with an amazing career, he has multiple awards and collaborations with countless top artists around the planet, a dear friend, teacher and mentor to a new generation of rumberos. Joining him and equally amazing is Ana Pérez, master singer and dancer for “Los Muñequitos de Matanzas” also for more than 3 decades. Ana, a priestess, educator and a pillar of the community, has single handedly established an academy to teach children her musical traditions, she has an incredible musical family and hundreds of students around the world. She continues to be a champion for the arts in the province of Matanzas. On drums: Orlando Álvarez “El Yamba” master percussionist, lead drummer for the famous “Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas”(Founded in 1957). Since the early 1900s rumba continues to evolve, not exclusively Cuban anymore, the genre is now played and performed worldwide, mixing it in todays music scene with every possible style from European classical to urban styles like reguetón in the last few years. Regardless of the outcome, we feel as Matanceros that it is important to share it in its most basic forms so that the new generation of practitioners and performers can hopefully learn the “basics” of where this comes from. We always heard “If you don’t know where you come from you won’t be able to know where you are going”. Our elders used to say: “El género no pelea con nadie” (The genre doesn’t fight with anyone) whether you are a student, academic or a professional artist we hope you take this to heart. } - from the 'liner notes' for this video To our Canadian/North American/western music ears, perhaps unaccustomed to music that is so rhythmically layered, the accompaniment percussion can be overwhelming. This music is best made sense of through the body, not numbered in counting or time signatures, but felt. Let it wash over you, resist the urge to find the ‘Down beat’ the pulse will come, let it move your body, perhaps you’ll feel it here *in your heart*, or in long sweeps of the arm, or your hips, or in small staccato steps. Like in meditation, your focus will probably travel to different layers throughout the performance. enjoy the ride The movements that this music brings as you listen may feel strange, unfamiliar, or awkward. Perhaps unattainable to you, let’s sit with that. I too struggle to let my body move in the way this music asks. But the only way to learn those movements is to allow ourselves to let go. So as we listen to the first piece, if you’re comfortable feel free to join the dancers, or we can hangout on the curb, and enjoy watching Rumba Timba. but, let your body do the listening. For the final piece tonight we are going to listen to a traditional Yoruba song, the initial unison melody is a song for Eleggua. Eleggua is one of a pantheon of Orishas, which are a part of the Afro-Cuban religion, closely syncretized with Catholic Saints. This wonderful performance starts with the traditional song, but then takes the harmonizations to other wonderful places.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
What do we do?Join us to be inspired by music from around the world, no preparation, prerequisites, or practicing required. I’ll read a short composer bio, highlight some historically relevant material or interesting context, we’ll listen to a piece of music, and then take the time to reflect on what we heard, ask questions, and explore. Archives
March 2021
Categories |