John Santos Discipline(S): Music
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EDUCATOR GUIDE Artist/Organization: John Santos Discipline(s): Music SECTION I - OVERVIEW...............................................................................................................2 SUBJECT .........................................................................................................................................2 CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS OBJECTIVE STORY SYNOPSIS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES EQUIPMENT NEEDED MATERIALS NEEDED INTELLIGENCES ADDRESSED SECTION II – CONTENT/CONTEXT............................................................................................3 CONTENT OVERVIEW THE BIG PICTURE RESOURCES – TEXTS RESOURCES – WEB SITES VIDEO RESOURCES BAY AREA FIELD TRIPS SECTION III – VOCABULARY.....................................................................................................8 SECTION IV – ENGAGING WITH SPARK ................................................................................10 Still image from SPARK story, 2007. SECTION I - OVERVIEW EQUIPMENT NEEDED SUBJECT SPARK story on John Santos on DVD or VHS and John Santos and the Machete Ensemble related equipment Computer with Internet access, navigation software, GRADE RANGES speakers and a sound card. K‐12 CD player and musical samples selected from the Resource section of the guide CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS Music MATERIALS NEEDED Access to libraries with up‐to‐date collections of OBJECTIVE periodicals, books, and research papers To provide a forum for students to explore Latin‐ Access to Latin‐jazz recordings and CD player jazz music, its history, and its intrinsic connection to Pencils, pens, and paper jazz. Musical instruments, especially percussion (homemade or traditional) STORY SYNOPSIS For 20 years, four‐time Latin‐Grammy nominee John INTELLIGENCES ADDRESSED Santos has led his 11‐piece Machete Ensemble to Logical‐Mathematical – the ability to detect patterns, become one of the Bay Area’s preeminent Latin jazz reason deductively and think logically groups. Now as one era comes to an end, a new one Musical Intelligence – the capability to recognize begins, as The Machete Ensemble bids farewell to its and compose musical pitches, tones, and fans in a goodbye concert to close the San Francisco rhythms Jazz Festival. Spark follows Santos as he prepares Interpersonal – awareness of others’ feelings, for the concert and sheds light on the world of Latin‐ emotions, goals, motivations jazz. Intrapersonal – awareness of one’s own feelings, INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES emotions, goals, motivations Bodily‐Kinesthetic – the ability to use one’s mind to Hands‐on group projects, in which students assist control one’s bodily movements and support one another Hands‐on individual projects, in which students See more information on work independently Multiple Intelligences at www.kqed.org/spark/education. Group oral discussion and analysis, including peer review and aesthetic valuing Teacher‐guided instruction, including MEDIA MATTERS demonstration and guidance The following SPARK stories may used for compare/contrast purposes: INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES To foster an understanding of Latin‐jazz and its Roberto Borrell and traditional Cuban music: history http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/115 To illustrate the challenges and rewards of working .pdf as a musician To analyze how musical traditions change and Zak Diouf and Diamano Coura on African music: develop http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/303 .pdf 2 SPARK Educator Guide – John Santos SECTION II -CONTENT/CONTEXT CONTENT OVERVIEW For over 20 years, four-time Latin Grammy nominee, of study and practice, and today is one of the John Santos and his Machete Ensemble have been at foremost authorities on Latin‐jazz and Latin folk the forefront of Latin jazz in the Bay Area. His 11- music traditions. After many years as an educator, piece ensemble, comprised of lead and backup historian, recording artist and performer it has singers, bass, keyboard, drumset, four horns and two become part of his mission to educate the public on Latin percussion instruments, has explored the Latin music traditions and the assertion that Latin‐ boundaries of Latin jazz, incorporating elements of jazz did not develop as an afterthought, but rather, Afro-Caribbean folk, blues, Latin dance, straight ahead jazz, and experimental music. that Latin music has a parallel and strongly influential development on not only jazz but all Over the years, The Machete Ensemble has popular American music. developed a loyal and critical audience appreciative of music that doesn’t fit into simple categories. Yet, As is evidenced by his discography, extensive economic factors have not been kind to large resume, and collaborations, Santos has explored the ensembles, and with reduced bookings, the ensemble gamut of Latin jazz, seeking new avenues for has decided to end its two-decade tenure with a expression with each new project. farewell concert closing the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Spark follows Santos as he prepares for the concert and the journey into the next phase of his music career, with the John Santos Quintet. With family roots in Cape Verde and Puerto Rico, Santos was inspired by his musically talented family and the burgeoning music scene of San Francisco’s Mission District. Although he started out playing Latin percussion instruments such as the bongos and conga drums, it wasn’t until the 1960s and the introduction of the funky Latin fusion music of Carlos Santana when Santos was truly inspired by (Left to right) Luis Torres, John Santos, Togbaji Stewart, Bobi Céspedes, Jacqui Barne and, Marcus Gordon. the possibilities of merging traditional Latin music Precita Park, San Francisco, CA c.1977 with modern forms. As Santos states, hearing the traditional instruments such as congas and timbales mixed with electric THE BIG PICTURE guitar and blues, “legitimized the older instruments Latin jazz is a general term that, like the word ‘jazz’, of my grandparents’ era” in a new and fresh way. does not denote one specific style, but rather encompasses different rhythms, eras, approaches and After a brief experience as a percussionist in instrumentations. In the broadest sense, it combines Santana’s band, Santos dedicated himself to a lifetime 3 SPARK Educator Guide – John Santos Latin and Afro‐Caribbean rhythms with jazz thought about Latin music, beginning with the song harmonies. “Mama Inez”, and “El Manicero – The Peanut For over a hundred years, Latin music has influenced Vendor”. Hot on Azpiazú’s heels was another the Americas. Jelly Roll Morton was one of the first to popular entertainer, Xavier Cugat. Cugat (himself a mention a certain “Spanish Tinge” in early jazz music Spaniard) asserted that in order for Americans to (and that without it, a musician would be unable to understand Latin music, he gave them essentially capture the right swing), and since then, the 80% “eye candy” and 20% authenticity, therefore his introduction of Latin, and most predominantly shows were heavy on charisma, and low on what was Cuban, rhythms, styles and sensibilities have traditional Cuban dance music. His instrumentation expressed themselves from instrumentation to was eclectic and included accordion, marimba, compositional styles in American popular music. drumset, violins, trumpet and piano. Although attributing concrete examples of Latin The dance that was sold to the American public was genetic markers in early jazz and ragtime is now the “rumba” (not to be confused with the Afro‐ somewhat difficult to prove, the link between these Cuban form of the dance and music), a watered‐ American idioms and those of the Caribbean is clear, down version of son – a Cuban dance style. But given the proximity and trade between New Orleans regardless of being simpler for Americans to digest, and Cuba, and their common mix of Spanish, French Cugat and others were some of the first to create and African elements. hybrids of Latin and American styles. This “Spanish tinge” referred to by Jelly Roll Morton Of greater importance was the creation of a music was also present in ragtime music, as was evidenced scene that was stylistically Latin, with two distinct by the similarity between the habanera and ragtime cores ‐‐ uptown bands (that catered to the growing syncopation. The “ritmo de tango” of the habanera Latino population in the Barrios in East Harlem) and was virtually identical to the African American downtown bands (that played for predominantly “cakewalk” style of music and dance, and became a white audiences). This saw the beginning of Latin standard rhythmic feature in many popular songs at bandleaders playing for diverse audiences. The the turn of the century. result was a necessary hybridization of styles to make them more “Latin”, or more “American”, depending One of the most notable ways to track the influence of on which audience was listening.1 Latin music is through the various dance crazes that hit the United States throughout the 1900’s. 1940 was perhaps the most significant decade for Latin music in the US, not only for the rise of Latin By the 1920’s the US experienced its first Latin dance jazz, but also the influence of Brazil and its music, craze from Argentina ‐‐ the tango. Meanwhile, in and the emergence of the dance called the mambo. Cuba, the people enjoyed continued development of Machito’s Afro‐Cubans, with Mario Bauzá as musical dance music, from son to danzón, and the emergence director, created big orchestras and matched a of sextetos, septetos, and orquestas