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ISRAEL LOPEZ "CACHAO": The Godfather of Cuban Bass The History and Development of the Bass in Cuban Popular Music WILLIS MICHAEL JARVIS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA MAY 2011 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre r&terence ISBN: 978-0-494-80661-6 Our file Notre r6f4rence ISBN: 978-0-494-80661-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1*1 Canada IV ABSTRACT This thesis is an examination of the life and music of legendary Cuban bassist, Israel Lopez "Cachao" (b. September 14, 1918, d. March 22, 2008). My objective is to identify Cachao's contributions to the creation of specific Cuban music genres and identify his contributions to the development of the role of the bass in Cuban popular music. In addition, I have composed music that is inspired by the tradition of early twentieth- century Cuban popular music, particularly the compositions of Cachao. While Cachao's rhythmic advances to the danzon are considered to represent the origins of the mambo genre, Cuban musicians Arsenio Rodriguez and Damaso Perez Prado have also laid claim to its creation. This thesis examines the contributions of all three artists to this popular Cuban music genre. This thesis also documents the history and development of traditional bass parts played in Cuban popular music, as well as the instruments used to play these parts. Having identified the instruments that were used to play the bass parts, I have traced the construction and development of the bass parts themselves. DEDICATION Dedicated to my dad Willis O. Jarvis 1926-2000 VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my Humber College colleagues Brad Klump and Brian Lillos for their encouragement and support in helping me complete my undergraduate degree. Thank you to my York University advisor Professor Michael Coghlan for his guidance and who, along with Professor Mike Murley, gave me the opportunity to teach at York. Thank you to Professor Robert Witmer for his timely suggestions. Thank you to Professors David Mott, Alan Henderson and Christina Petrowska-Quilico for keeping things interesting and for opening my ears to new music. Thank you to Memo Acevedo for introducing me to Cuban music and for his instruction in the genre. Thank you to Andy Gonzalez for sharing his time, experiences and knowledge of Cachao and Cuban music. Thank you to the master bassist Israel Lopez "Cachao," the inspiration for this thesis. Thank you to Dr. Andrew Scott for his invaluable help with the revision of this thesis and to David Johannesson for proofreading. Thank you to Paul DeLong for his help with clarification of rhythm examples. Thank you to Patricia Wheeler, Michael Cado and Bob Rice for their advice and suggestions. Thank you to Tere Tilban-Rios for guiding me through the process and for keeping it all together in the music department. Thanks to my family, friends and colleagues for their encouragement and support. VII TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract iv Dedication v Acknowledgements vi Table Of Contents vii List Of Figures ix Introduction 1 0.1. Chapter Outline 2 PART I - Israel Lopez "Cachao": The Godfather of Cuban Bass Chapter I: Biography 5 1.1. Early Childhood 5 1.2. Early Music Career 7 1.3. Arcano y Sus Maravillas 12 1.4. The Issue of Composer's Rights 15 1.5. Busy Times for Arcano y Sus Maravillas 17 1.6. Move Out of Cuba 22 1.7. Move to Las Vegas 25 1.8. Move to Florida 28 1.9. Resurgence of Career. 29 1.10. 2000s and Eventual Passing 31 PART II - The History and Development of the Bass in Cuban Popular Music Chapter II: The Development of Bass Parts in Cuban Popular Music 33 Chapter III: Analysis of Cachao's Bass Lines 40 Chapter IV: Bass Instruments and Origins 44 4.1. Tingo-talango orTumbandera 44 4.2. Marimbula and Botija , 45 4.3. Contrabass 46 4.4. Influence of European Classical Bassists 48 4.5. Ampeg Baby Bass 49 viii 4.6. Fender Electric Bass 51 PART III - Cachao's Contributions to Cuban Popular Music Chapter V: Cachao's Development of the Danzon 53 5.1. Danzon-mambo (danzon de nuevo ritmo) 56 Chapter VI: Who's Mambo Is It Anyway? 59 6.1. Perez Prado's Mambo 60 6.2 The Danzon-Mambo of Israel and Orestes Lopez 63 6.3 Arsenio Rodriguez's "Diablo" 66 6.4 Mambo Conclusions 73 Chapter VII: Cachao's Descarga 75 Chapter VIII: Cachao's Bass Technique 78 8.1. Cachao's Improvisational Technique 80 Chapter IX: The Concept Of Clave 87 Chapter X: Analysis of Original Compositions 92 Conclusion 112 Appendix A: Original Scores 116 Espiritu Interior (Danzon-mambo) 116 Descarga Uno (Descarga) 129 Nuevo Afro (Descarga) 138 Pacientemente (Bolero) 154 Como Metheny (Cha cha cha) 163 Appendix B: Israel Lopez "Cachao" Solo Transcriptions 182 Appendix C: Israel Lopez "Cachao" Selected Discography 195 Works Cited 200 IX LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER II - THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASS PARTS IN CUBAN POPULAR MUSIC Fig. 2.1: bolero rhythm 33 Fig. 2.2: habanera rhythm 34 Fig. 2.3: habanera rhythm in bass part from "Ojos crillos" (Louis Moreau Gottshcalk) 35 Fig. 2.4: tresillo rhythm 35 Fig. 2.5: "Cangrejo fue a estudiar"- Arsenio Rodriguez y Sus Conjunto (El Alma De Cuba, Grabaciones Completas RCA Victor 1940-1956 Tumbao 315) 38 CHAPTER III - ANALYSIS OF CACHAO'S BASS TECHNIQUE Fig. 3.1: Bass tumbao from "Es diferente," (mm. 5-9) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 41 Fig. 3.2: Development of the bolero bass line in "Es diferente," (mm. 24-39) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 42 Fig. 3.3: One bar tumbao using the tresillo rhythm in "Es diferente,"(mm. 46-51) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 42 Fig. 3.4: Use of anticipated bass tumbao in "Las boinas de Cachao," (mm. 59-62) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 43 CHAPTER V - CACHAO'S DEVELOPMENT OF THE DANZON Fig. 5.1: cinquillo rhythm 53 Fig. 5.2: two-measure danzon rhythm 54 CHAPTER VI - WHO'S MAMBO IS IT ANYWAY? Fig. 6.1: mambo rhythm 62 Fig. 6.2: "Oye como va" rhythm 62 CHAPTER VIII - CACHAO'S BASS TECHNIQUE Fig. 8.1(a): Use of dotted quarter note cross-rhythm in "Es diferente," (mm. 52-53) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 81 Fig. 8.1(b): Use of dotted quarter note cross-rhythm in "Es diferente," (mm. 59-61) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 81 Fig. 8.1(c): Use of dotted quarter note cross-rhythm in "Es diferente," (mm. 76-81) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 81 X Fig. 8.2(a): Use of implied 3/4 polyrhythm in "Las boinas de Cachao," (mm. 46-48) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 82 Fig. 8.2(b): Use of implied 3/4 polyrhythm in "Las boinas de Cachao," (mm. 75-78) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 82 Fig. 8.3(a): Use of tritone substitution in "Cha cha cha de los pellos," (mm. 55-56) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 83 Fig. 8.3(b): Use of tritone substitution in "Cha cha cha de los pellos," (mm. 63-64) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 83 Fig. 8.4: Use of guide notes in "Cha cha cha de los pellos," (mm. 49-52) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 83 Fig. 8.5(a): Use of left hand pull-offs in "Las boinas de Cachao," (mm. 88-91) (Cachao Descargas: The Havana Sessions 1957-59 Yemaya-YY9440) 84 Fig. 8.5(b): Use of left hand glisses in "Las boinas de Cachao," (mm.