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NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE

FROM THE EDITOR ¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to our annual "Percussion/Drum Issue." Volume 21, Number 9, November 2011 issue of Latin Beat Magazine Online features the Puerto Rican groups "Yubá Iré" (Cover

story) and "Atabal" (In the Desde Borinquen Columns section), both practitioners of the traditional drum-based rhythms of the Caribbean. A piece by pianist/bandleader Eugene Marlow explains what influences and drives his "Heritage Ensemble," and contributing writer/bandleader /percussionist Ernesto "Chico" Alvarez takes a look at some of the Tri-State's top percussionists in his article "The Rhythms of My Soul." Yours truly salutes some of Southern California's favorite drummers in my c olumn "Que Pasa in L.A."

Due to time restrictions, we were not able to include all the scheduled material for this special issue. Therefore, we will extend our percussion coverage into part of the upcoming December/January 2012 issue. We welcome our guest editor in this issue, pianist/bandleader Oscar Hernández for his thoughtful "A Week in the Life of SHO — A Tale of Two Countries," a Cintron Band Live personal observation about the current state of live salsa music in the U.S.A. Human Nature Windows Media We dedicate this issue of Latin Beat Magazine to the memory of writer/activist Piri Thomas. May Quicktime he rest in eternal peace. —Rudy and Yvette Mangual A Week in the Life of Spanish Harlem Orchestra Vanelis Como Lo Extraño (A Tale of Two Countries) - An Observation Windows Media By Oscar Hernandez Quicktime On the way to one of Spanish Harlem Orchestra's few gigs in New York City, I was excited and looking forward to our performance at the Copacabana. It had been a while since we performed at Nayibe a salsa club in NYC — a city with rich history and deep connection to this genre of music - my city. Borinquen

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Windows Media There is nothing like performing or listening to live Salsa music at home in New York City — or so I Quicktime thought.

However, after we completed our first sizzling set, I was called to the office by the club's MC and Luis González was stunned when the manager handed me our pay and then told us that we were done for the Spain night; there would be no second set. The conversation that followed brought me to a painful Windows Media realization about our beloved musical genre. Quicktime The manager and the MC explained that salsa music doesn't have much of an audience any more. The club's clientele is no longer interested in dancing to live salsa music - even if it is being Rolando Sanchez performed by an internationally recognized act such as the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Instead, Vamonos De Fiesta they would prefer to dance to a DJ's blaring selections of bachata and reggaetón music. It's ironic Windows Media that this NY experience happened at a time when more people are dancing Salsa worldwide than Quicktime at any other time in our history.

Steve Pouchie Following this unexpected treatment (that we have never experienced before as a band - let alone Watch Ur Wallet in our own hometown), my initial reaction was shock! Then I asked myself what was wrong with Windows Media this picture? If a particular audience truly feels this way about our music - then this is NOT the kind Quicktime of audience we want to attract. We want to reach out to an audience that is mature and thoughtful about their musical choices; people who appreciate music performed by live musicians; and who understands the value of such music. Somos Son Bilongo I then began to reflect upon my musical life - the privilege to carry on the beautiful tradition of this Windows Media music. Having devoted my life to this art form, and having experienced, first hand, performing with Quicktime legendary musicians such as Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ruben Blades, and Cachao, etc. I know that this music — especially the live performances - brings joy to the audience and musicians alike. The Estrada Brothers Mr. Ray In this era, where excessively loud music is prevalent and hundreds of genres of music are thrown Windows Media to the public, it is a challenge for a band to stand out. Look no further than the commercial Latin Quicktime radio stations in New York, where they feed their listeners with mostly distasteful music - music that does nothing to inform younger generations about the rich tradition of their roots and music. In Manny Silvera spite of this, however, I remain convinced that the soul of our music will appeal to the right Bassed in America audience and that this interaction will live on. Windows Media Quicktime In searching for an answer as to why things are different now, I think that as I was growing up in New York City (in the 1960s), this music that we now call "salsa" was an important part of our search for cultural identity. It gave us a sense of pride and unity. Has that changed? Bobby Matos Cuchy Frito Man Moving forward from the above experience — one week later…. Windows Media The Spanish Harlem Orchestra is travelling to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the first time, as the Quicktime featured band in a Salsa Festival on a Saturday night. "Salsa in Russia?" seemed to be the question in the mind of our musicians. Excited to be in Russia, we had no idea of what the music scene would be like in St. Petersburg.

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Chembo Corniel Buena Gente We arrived the day before our performance, and after having been taken to dinner by the Windows Media promoters, we were shown the venue where the festival had already taken place. The club held Quicktime approximately one thousand people and was about half-full.

Prior to a scheduled performance by a local salsa band that night, a young woman DJ was playing Maña music for the crowd. It was obvious that the she had a very good knowledge of the genre and its Tranquilito history. We were pleased to hear her play an excellent mix of old and new; at a comfortable Windows Media volume that actually allowed us to carry on a normal conversation. Quicktime This was a diverse audience comprised of couples, singles, young, and old - all dressed to impress. We were amazed at the level of skill and sophistication of the dancers. It was clear that Johnny Polanco y Su they understood and respected the music as demonstrated by their connection to it through dance Conjunto Amistad — as well as their attentiveness to the music itself. Our overall impression was so pleasant that El Gusto de Mi Salsa we decided to stick around in order to hear the local band. We were surprised to hear a group of Windows Media Russian musicians who sounded remarkably sophisticated — and authentic. Quicktime The following evening, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra performed for close to one thousand people — many appeared to be in an almost trance-like state of euphoria — from beginning to end. The band felt the surge of energy from the audience. It was like the heyday of Salsa in New York City in the 1970s.

Later I spoke with several people. They conveyed how exciting it was to experience our performance; until this evening, they could only imagine how we sounded live.

Did they understand something about our music that we have forgotten? If so, then what could that be? Or, better yet, why could this be?

I wondered…perhaps might we have started to take our own music for granted? Why the contrast between performing in NYC and in Russia? Maybe the Russians felt that they were experiencing a bit of history, since all of us in SHO had performed with many of the great musicians and bands of years past? Did they understand something about our music that we have forgotten?

I began to think about the broad range of audiences for whom we have performed (In countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, Australia, as well as throughout Europe). It dawned on me that in virtually every country outside of the United States, our audiences have appreciated the opportunity to hear (and dance to) our music - performed live. Another example of what I am expressing is, we recently performed for a nice but reserved audience in California, and the very next evening we were at the Toronto Jazz festival where we received six standing ovations, playing the same repertoire.

It is my fervent hope that we can somehow bring about a change in the way some of our domestic audiences access music for their dancing and listening pleasure. If only they knew what they were mis sing!

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YUBÁ IRÉ: CUBAN RUMBA MEETS PUERTO RICAN BOMBA AND PLENA By Rudy Mangual

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Founded in 1998 in Puerto Rico, Yubá Iré is the brainchild of a group of street-corner percussionists who decided to come together as a folkloric percussion ensemble and dance troupe with the sole purpose of elevating and promoting the cultural roots and folklore of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. While the group's concept is modern and progressive to a certain degree, these musicians respect all the traditions associated with the Cuban rumba as well as the folklore

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of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Cuban rumba has its roots in the music brought to the island by African slaves, as well as in the music of the Spanish colonizers. It initially developed in the provinces of Havana and Matanzas in the 19th century. Originally, rumba drumming and dancing were often suppressed and restricted because such musical manifestations were viewed as dangerous and lewd. Rhythmically, rumba follows the five-stroke pattern called clave (hence the term “clave de rumba”) and the inherent structure it conveys. There are three types of Cuban rumba: yambú (oldest and slowest in beat), columbia (fast and energetic, with a 6/8 feel), and guaguancó (faster than yambú but slower than columbia, guaguancó is also the most popular of all rumba styles, and it is used frequently by salsa bands). As in the case of columbia, many of the guagancó’s drum patterns and chants are linked directly to religious Abakuá traditions.

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As for the rhythms of Borinquen (Puerto Rico's indigenous Taino name), bomba is rooted in the coastal areas of the island where large concentrations of African slaves worked and lived. Like the Cuban rumba, bomba is performed by drummers who provide the rhythms for the dances. There are five types of bomba rhythms: sicá, yubá, cuembé, holandé, and seis corrido. Plena is the other Afro-Puerto Rican rhythm born in the southern city of Ponce. Similar to the calypso rhythm of Trinidad, the plena is characterized by its simplicity and repetition, while narrating spontaneously expressions of everyday occurrences.

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Yubá Iré signifyes the union of dance with good fortune (yubá meaning “tumba francesa” and one of the types of bomba, and iré meaning an alternative of the ibo process in Ifá divination or simply “good fortune” in Abakuá). Directed and produced by percussionist Héctor Calderón Torres, this group is comprised of Felipe del Valle (percussion/chorus), Diego Centeno (percussion/chorus), Victor Emmanuelli (percussion/chorus/dancer), Edgardo Hernández (percussion/lead vocals/chorus), Eric Marrero (percussion/lead vocals/chorus), Alberto Gallardo (percussion/chorus), Marcial Morales (percussion/chorus), and Marién Torres (chorus), plus dancers Vivian Ayala, Wallian Sánchez, Yinaidarís Rivera, Dickie Colón, Janlee Aponte, Jorvián Santana, and Domingo Morales.

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Yubá Iré walks the path of Cuban rumba groups such as Muñequitos de Matanzas, Yoruba Andabo, and Grupo Afro Cuba, as well as Puerto Rican groups like Paracumbé, and Familia Cepeda. All members of the group (which span from 17 years young to 40 plus) are avid practitioners of all the native rhythms of the three main islands of the West Indies: Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico, as well as all lands touched by the Caribbean Sea.

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In my opinion, what sets Yubá Iré apart from other folkloric Antillean groups that specialize in either Cuban rumba or Puerto Rican bomba and plena is the obvious fact thar Yubá Iré performs all the Afro Caribbean rhythms from Cuban rumba to Puerto Rican bomba and plena, as well as the rhythms of güiro, bembé, batú, palo, macuta, abakuá, merengue, etc.

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They are also proficient in the contemporary "guarapachanguero" techniques of Cuban rumba, practiced by all the new rumba groups in Cuba. Their renditions of bombas also bare a refreshing new sound and approach to improvisations.

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Since its inception in Puerto Rico’s vast music scene, Yubá Iré has performed in numerous festivals and concerts throughout the island, including Festival Rafael Cepeda (San Juan/2000), Festival de Bomba y Plena (Cataño/2000), Día Nacional de la Bomba (Villa Palmera/2002/2006), Festival de Percusión del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico (2002/2003/2005/2008/2011), and San Juan Salsa Congress (2003/2004/2006/2007/2008/2011); plus their presentations abroad at Festival Étnico de Stevenson, along with the Ballet Junqueño Evolución Folklórica (Chicago, Illinois/2002), and at Festival Internacional de Tradiciones Africanas (Maracay, Venezuela/2006). They have also performed on television programs in Puerto Rico, including the popular “Show del Mediodía” (Channel 4), and “Cultura Viva” (Channel 6).

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Yubá Iré’s debut CD “Esta es mi Rumba”, released in 2007 in Puerto Rico, earned the group a Latin Grammy nomination in 2008, as well as rave reviews throughout the Caribbean.

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Currently, the group is enjoying the release of their sophomore CD “¡Ya está! ¡Se formó!”, showcasing Yubá Iré’s ability to fuse rhythms, cultures and the folklore of all the people of the Caribbean. Special guest musicians in this recording include Paoli Mejías, Enoch Carmona, Javier Oquendo, Chamir Bonano, Juan L. Fuentes, and Dave Marrero. If you like Cuban rumba, Puerto Rican bomba and plena, and Afro-Caribbean drumming in general, this band is definitely representative of the current state of this music.

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The Heritage Ensemble: A Judeo-Latin Jazz Journey By Eugene Marlow, Ph.D. With Multi-Grammy Nominated Drummer Bobby Sanabria

What happens when one culture mixes with another? You usually get something new. This is certainly the case with my group, "The Heritage Ensemble"—a quintet that records and performs my original compositions and arrangements of familiar Judaic melodies in various jazz, Cuban, Brazilian, and even neo-classical styles. The formation of the ensemble and the creation of almost two dozen charts in its current repertoire was perhaps inevitable. I was born in London, England, in the midst of a family with deep Jewish European roots, and from a very young age, I have been listening to and have been influenced by a variety of jazz elements, particularly Latin jazz sounds. The Cuban/Brazilian Thread

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My first exposure to Latin music was in London, back in the late 1940s, when I heard the Edmundo Ros sextet performing on early British television. At the same time, I was constantly listening to my father's 78 RPM recording of "Caldonia," as performed by Louis Jordan's band. I was about nine years old when my father-a classically trained violinist, orchestral leader, and composer-took me to an all-day jazz jamboree, where I heard one of the big bands of the era, the Ted Heath Orchestra. All told, my early music "listening" was a combination of classical (through my father), big band jazz, and Latin-style music.

Let's jump forward to the mid-1960s, when I wore a U.S. Air Force uniform, serving in California as an historian during the Vietnam War. During my free time, I had the good fortune to form a trio in Central California with a couple of local musicians- Chicano drummer Rudy Merino (whose bossa nova-style brush playing was the best in the San Joaquín Valley), and bassist Sonny Jay, who allegedly played with Louis Jordan's band. This was the era of the Brazilian bossa nova craze, so everywhere you went, you heard either Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," or anything and everything by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Now let's jump forward to the early 1990s, when I was a member of the committee assigned to the

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Milt Hilton Jazz Perspectives Series at Baruch College (The City University of New York), where I have been teaching media and culture courses for the last 24 years. We invited Tito Puente to perform. Over the years, we also invited The Bronx Horns, the Latin-Jazz All-Stars (led by Mike Mossman, and featuring Arturo O'Farrill, Phoenix Rivera, Steve Turré, and David Sánchez), trombonist Chris Washburne's SYOTOS, Chico O'Farrill's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria's Cuarteto Aché, and the Manhattan School of Music's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra (under Sanabria's direction).

During my tenure as a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop (1998-2006), I wrote several big band charts with a Latin feel, including "El Aché de Sanabria," eventually arranged and recorded by my good friend and colleague on a Grammy-nominated album -Bobby Sanabria's "Big Band Urban Folktales" (Jazzheads 2007).

Clearly, my musical journey has been infused with numerous Latin jazz influences over a long period of time. For me, Latin jazz-style music represents the kind of rhythmic drive and pulse that speaks to people. It makes them want to move, especially to dance. The Formation of "The Heritage Ensemble" In the early 1980s, I was invited to a Shabbaton, a weekend-long celebration of the Jewish Sabbath. For this occasion, I was asked to perform a traditional Sabbath tune-L'Cha Dodi. While learning the piece, I found myself exploring the jazz possibilities in the harmonization (It was coincidental and fortuitous that I was studying jazz composition at that time with pianist Harold Danko, who is now the jazz program director at the Eastman School of Music). Sooner than later, the piece became an opportunity for a swing-style, jazz improvisation. This was the beginning of a personal process to explore Jewish liturgical and folk music as raw material for jazz (and especially Latin jazz) arrangements and performances.

Let's fast forward a few years to the time when I formed a traditional jazz trio that initially performed at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York. By this time, I had arranged a full 75-minute concert set, including some pieces with strong Cuban and Brazilian rhythmic patterns. A few years later, I added a saxophone to the mix. Our first public concert took place at Symphony Space. This iteration of what I began to call eventually The "Heritage Ensemble" recorded a demo tape of four of the arrangements. Several years earlier, I had gone into the studio to record several other arrangements with the initial trio. I combined these recordings in the album titled "Making The Music Our Own" (MEII Enterprises 2006).

This initial recording, as well as two subsequent Heritage Ensemble albums -"Celebrations: Festive Melodies from the Hebraic Songbook" (MEII Enterprises 2010) and "A Fresh Take" (MEII Enterprises 2011)-further underscores my basic impulse to incorporate and adapt Cuban and Brazilian rhythms to the arrangements. This is one of the major reasons I asked Bobby Sanabria to perform with the ensemble. Latin Jazz Maestro Sanabria Joins "The Heritage Ensemble"

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I first became aware of Bobby Sanabria when I serendipitously witnessed how he narrated the history of Cuban clave while playing the clave sticks (and never missing the proper beat) at a conference of the International Association for Jazz Education conducted in New York. A few years later, we met at an event related to the Jazz Journalists Association Awards. In my role (since 2000) as senior curator of the "Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Series" at Baruch College, I invited Bobby to perform. One thing has led to another, and now he's a member of The Heritage Ensemble.

Without a doubt, the formation a few years ago of the current version of The Heritage Ensemble- featuring saxophonist Michael Hashim, bassist Frank Wagner, percussionist Cristian Rivera, and drummer Bobby Sanabria — has had a major influence on the adaptation of Cuban and Brazilian rhythms to my arrangements and original compositions.

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The Judeo-Latin Jazz Arrangements Take, for example, "Hatikva," the Israeli National Anthem. The music for "Hatikva" is based on a folk song of unknown origins. Its earliest known appearance in print was traced to early 17th century Italy as "The Dance of Mantua." The modern adaptation of the music for "Hatikva" was probably composed by Samuel Cohen in 1888. It's possible that he took the melody from composer Bedrich Smetana's work, or that he got the melody from a Romanian version of the folk song, "Carul cu boi" ("Carriage and Oxen").

"Hatikva" is written in a minor key, one that may seem depressing or mournful to some people. However, as our English-language title ("The Hope") indicates, the current mood of the song is uplifting. Although it is traditionally performed in a 4/4 rhythm, The Heritage Ensemble plays it in a 6/8 bembé rhythm. The combination of the original melody with a bembé rhythm results in a deeper cultural and musical meaning to be found beyond the usual melody.

According to Sanabria, "the bembé is probably the most often imitated, yet most incorrectly played rhythm of West African origin in the United States. Although associated with Cuba, it originated

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from the Nigerian ethnicity known as Yoruba, who were brought to Cuba as slaves in the 19th century. Their religious belief system (known as Ifá) and its New World manifestation, known as Santeria -with its complex mythology, rituals, and music -has influenced much of Cuban popular music. The word 'bembé' literally means ceremony, feast, gathering, or party. It is used to praise the orishas, the deities that explain all of the mysteries of life (both physical and metaphysical) and the universe. The rhythm, with its cadence in 6/8 meter, is defined by an iconic bell pattern that is at the root of the "feel" of the swing ride pattern that every jazz drummer plays today. In our arrangement of "Hatikva", the bell pattern is reversed, following the rhythmic cadence of the intro and melody, and it is fused with elements of a jazz waltz feel, with a backbeat from rock music on the snare drum. Meaning that there are three rhythmic traditions being fused all at once in what I'm playing on the drumset. In the bridge of the song, I switch to the joropo, a Venezuelan style in three counts that is very syncopated and driving. All of the rhythms fit beautifully together because the common denominator is that they give the aural experience of multiple meters of two, three and six happening simultaneously, thus creating a rhythmic intensity that compliments the melody, while exciting the listeners and inspiring the soloists. A Second example: Ata Hu Hashem

"Ata Hu Hashem" is extracted from the Jewish liturgy. The text declares: "You are the Lord, our God. Grant peace, welfare, blessing, grace, loving kindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, your people." The melody by Shimi Tavori indicates an allegro moderato (moderately fast) tempo.

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We play it with a samba- canção feel.

In the same manner in which the romantic slow tempo of a bolero is related to Cuba, the samba- canção is associated with Brazil, according to the following comments provided by Sanabria: "Tempo is a defining element in most forms of music, particularly those from Latin America, and this piece's interpretation is no exception. With its haunting melody and static harmony, I interpret the rhythmic feel of the piece on the drumset with syncopations that have their roots in the samba traditions of Brazil, while I occasionally interject maraca-like patterns from Cuban bolero on the hi-hat. The bass lines and extremely slow cadence of the piece define it as samba-canção, the slow romantic tempo of Brazil". A Third Example: Bilbililos (a.k.a. Zur Mishello)

"Zur Mishello" is an anonymous hymn that is generally chanted at the conclusion of the Sabbath meal. This poem functions as an introduction to the Grace after the Meal, and its four stanzas summarize the content of that prayer. The refrain of this hymn reads: "Rock from whose store we

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have eaten-Bless him, my faithful companions. Eaten have we and left over-This was the word of the Lord." Usually sung in a lyrical 4/4 meter, we have adapted it to give it a world music-style, Middle-Eastern flavor, especially applied by Michael Hashim on soprano saxophone. His Lebanese family background comes into play here, although the tune's underlying drum/percussion patterns are taken from the Antillean traditions, as explained by Sanabria: “The funky cadence of Puerto Rico’s bomba-xicá style is featured on this piece, played in its folkloric context on rum barrels covered with goat skin, a large maraca, and a small whiskey barrel struck with two sticks, that is called cuá. Percussionist Cristian Rivera and I simulate between congas and drum set what is normally

played by five percussionists. The xicá is but one of the many styles in the Puerto Rican complex known as bomba. The tune’s bass line and harmony, deeply rooted in Middle-Eastern antecedents, beautifully outline the ancestral DNA that many Caribbean melodies share with Judaic, Arabic, East Indian and flamenco traditions. The Multicultural Affect The Heritage Ensemble's musical approach is to take Judaic melodies (and a growing number of original compositions) and morph them into various jazz, Latin American, and, on occasion, neo-classical styles. It is not about novelty or slickness. The underlying purpose is to show audiences the commonalities among the various cultures from which all these musical cultures are inherited. This is part of the reason the word "heritage" is found in the ensemble's name. The current iteration of the ensemble reflects this. As mentioned earlier, saxophonist Michael Hashim is of Lebanese descent, while bassist Frank Wagner has an Eastern European background, drummer Bobby Sanabria and percussionist Cristian Rivera are both Nuyoricans (New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent). My own Jewish family antecedents can be traced to Great Britain, Russia, Germany, and Poland. Taken together, our collective cultural and musical backgrounds add immeasurably to our performances, as well as to our approach of melding traditional Judaic melodies with rhythms and styles from other cultures (especially Cuban, Brazilian, and Puerto Rican). The result, in our opinion, is a fresh sound and experience that jazz audiences, among others, can access, appreciate, and be inspired by.

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Tribute to Andy and Jerry González Text and photos by Allen Spatz On October 14 and 15, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra paid tribute to Andy and Jerry González, founders of the pioneering, Bronx-born Fort Apache Band and the most important siblings in Latin jazz. The ALJO cast the brothers in a retrospective of their greatest moments and premiered O’Farrill’s “Ft. Apache Concerto”. With the assistance of guest arrangers such as Miguel Blanco, Michael Philip Mossman, Johannes Walter and Marty Sheller, among others, Andy and Jerry González performed with the orchestra in a retrospective of their greatest

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accomplishments. The event took place at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, NYC.

Global Rhythms, Drumning and Jazz at the

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Watts Towers Text and Photos by Ricky Richardson The thunderous, roaring sounds heard throughout Watts weren't related to inclement weather, although other parts of Los Angeles had experienced some rain during that final weekend of September, which is usually set aside to celebrate the percussive heartbeat and wonderful sounds of America's number one art form - JAZZ!

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Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles' Department of Cultural Affairs and the Friends of Watts Towers Art Center, the 30th Annual Day of the Drum Festival and the 35th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival attracted over 7,500 individuals of multiple backgrounds to these culturally enriched settings (The Watts Towers and the adjacent Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center), where such aficionados enjoyed an ethnically diverse two-day program of free live music, dancing and drumming conducted by visiting international artists and local performers. This year marked a milestone by celebrating the first 50 years of the Watts Towers Arts Center (1961-2011).

Concerning the significance of the Watts Towers Arts Centers 50-year jubilee celebration, its artistic director, Rosie Lee Hooks, stated: "We are celebrating a journey of artistic achievement, emotional healing, and community pride; and we are paying homage to Simon Rodia's passion for artistic expression that continues to be an inspiration for many renowned artists in Los Angeles and around the world."

The abovementioned festivals also included art exhibitions and sales, international food offerings, and crafts activities for kids.

Rosie Lee Hooks, Patrice Rushen and Munyungo D. Jackson served as artistic directors for this year's festivities, while Ndugu Chandler and James Janisse functioned as masters of ceremony for the Day of the Drum Festival. The audience was ready to travel to distant lands (in the wings of our imagination) through the drums. The festivities kicked off on Saturday with the Cuauhtémoc México Dance Group, which delivered and exciting synthesis of México's pre-Columbian and contemporary music.

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Our musical journey continued in Asia with the folkloric sounds and dances of the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company, one of the best Salmouri groups in the USA. The crowd sat in awe as the Korean performers played multiple drums.

We journeyed back to the USA to hear the amazing Ron Bruner Drummers for JC (Brandi Singleton, Danielle Thompson, and Krystal Smith), with Rebecca Krotmann strumming the bass. I'm sure that we will hear from this group again in the near future, and perhaps some of the drummers will be touring with some major artists in the coming months.

Carnaval season might be over, but that didn't prevent us from imagining our Brazilian journey to hear the hot rhythms of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval. Charlo Eduardo & The Brazilian Beat kept up the momentum by taking the crowd on a musical exploration through various regions of Brazil.

Our musical flight even took us to the rhythmic motherland as Leon Mobley and "Da Lion" roared through some traditional African music and various North American byproducts.

The Day of the Drum Festival concluded on a rousing note. The final set was labeled as "Drum & Percussion Summit —Stevie Wonder's Rhythms” and featured a rhythmic lineup comprised of bassist Sekou Bunch, drummer Stanley Randolph, and percussionists Munyungo Jackson, Luis Conte, and Perico Hernández, among others. With a line-up like this, magic was immediately created!

The festivities continued on Sunday with the Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival, when Kamau Daaood and James Janisse served as masters of ceremony. Another great day of outstanding music was in store for everyone. The program got under way with a Yoruba ground blessing ceremony and a special presentation was delivered to the family of the late great community activist Mrs. Lillian Harkless.

The festival continued throughout the afternoon with some straight-ahead jazz and blues performed by Nedra Wheeler’s band, plus Patrice Rushen & The Jazz Mentorship Program Women All-Stars, followed by a great finale presented on a high note by the Horace Tapscott Pan-African Peoples Arkestra.

Rhythms of My Soul By Chico Alvarez JOE GONZÁLEZ

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Joe González may have moved away from where (supposedly) all the action is, but he is still by far one of the most sought out studio musicians in Latin music. I recall that during the seventies and even on through the nineties he was an integral part of that awesome band headed by Mario Bauzá. And what a crisp, sharp sound he got out of those skins, not to mention his impeccable timing! Watching him with Mario's band was truly a pleasure for me, and I'm quite sure that it must have been an eye opening experience for any up and coming young percussionist as well.

González was born in New York City on March 12, 1953 and began playing Cuban percussion at the very young age of eight. His first recordings were as a teenager during the early nineteen seventies, and by 1987 he had already turned out stellar performances with such greats as Charlie Palmieri, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Celia Cruz, Graciela, Chico O'Farrill, Tito Puente, Patato Valdés, Monguito Quián and Max Roach.

During the latter part of the nineteen eighties he appeared on the Cosby Show and was part of Ray Santos' all star lineup for the movie score of the 1992 film The Mambo Kings. In addition, he

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was included in a 1993 film, “The Wedding Banquet”. By the mid-nineties, Joe had toured Europe extensively with the Bauzá aggregation, recording three albums there and one here in New York, as well as having performed in just about every major American city with Mario's band. In Japan, he was asked to participate in a recording produced by Tashiba EMI, titled Saizansu Mambo.

As the new century was ushered in, more and more North Americans began to appreciate Latin music. Suddenly, the percussionist became the center of attraction, and the shy Joe González that I knew from the previous years was now being introduced to a much wider audience through his participation on recordings and performances by Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, John Faddis & The Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, Paquito D'rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Hilton Ruiz and Daniel Ponce. All this newly acquired fame made Joe González more visible. Still, he continued to perform the people's dance music during this same period, both in the studio and in live performances with local favorites such as Armando Sanchez & Son De La Loma, Papo Pepín & Carambola and Chico Alvarez y Nosotros.

González's contribution to the hard-driving sound of Afro-Cuban jazz is immeasurable and his passion for the traditional music and culture of Cuba is genuine. His mastery on all the hand percussion instruments can be heard on various albums by The Conga Kings, a group that was put together to showcase such master drummers as Candido Camero, Patato Valdés, Francisco Aguabella and Giovanni Hidalgo. On timbal, he is an incredible timekeeper and accompanist, but he has also been known to cut loose on some great solos.

These days Joe González resides in Palmer, Massachussetts, just north of Springfield, where he also teaches. Yet, he still manages to find time to come into New York and work with the big band of Arturo O'Farrill, with whom he had enjoyed a solid working relationship for approximately 15 years at Club Birdland. In my humble opinion, Joe González is an unsung hero and an asset to any group that he performs with. TONY CRUZ

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Tony Cruz was born in New York City in 1958, during the tail end of the mambo craze, yet he somehow managed to absorb all the unique sounds that came out of that fabulous era into his young mind, mimicking them to perfection, amazing his family and friends to the point that just ten years later, as the pachanga and the boogaloo were fading into memory, he could play the solos of his favorite bongoseros, note for note.

Still, imitating Johnny Rodriguez, Candido Camero and José Mangual were not enough for him, so he sought out these and other master percussionists in New York City, studying earnestly with them, learning not only the rudiments, but also the dynamics and the various techniques associated with the instrument. Add to these the unheard-of idea (at the time) of reading music!

Not only did Cruz study with the aforementioned Johnny Rodríguez, but also with Tommy Lopez, thus furthering his knowledge of the bongó, while simultaneously encompassing the complete lineup of hand-played Cuban percussion instruments. His teachers were quick to recommend him to their contemporaries, and within a short time, he had achieved what very few musicians his age were able to do. Tony Cruz made his recording debut in 1978 with Mayómbe, a local dance band that unfortunately recorded only one album. They held weekly rehearsals on 15th Street, in his old neighborhood of Chelsea. It was a great debut, as I recall, and Cruz's cencerro was the glue that held it all together. His timing was like a clock and his sense of rhythm was innate.

Needless to say, Cruz went on to bigger things, playing with such notables as Charlie Palmieri, Javier Vázquez, Joe Quijano, Vicentico Valdés, Jimmy Sabater, Orlando Contreras, Daniel Santos, José Fajardo, and Tipica '73 — the only band that he did not record with. I was honored to have had him on board with the Palomonte Afro-Cuban Big Band, as I considered him then (and now) to be an asset to any musical aggregation. These days, Tony Cruz can be heard playing with Sunrise, a Latin jazz band led by percussionist Geovanni Arencibia. GENE GOLDEN

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I first heard Gene Golden playing the sacred Iya drum at a historic concert in New York's Avery Fisher Hall. The date was March 7, 1975. Four years later, we were united in rhythmic brotherhood as members of a New York Latin jazz/salsa band called Nosotros. Through my long association with him I have learned that he has performed with such luminaries as Arsenio Rodríguez, Louis Armstrong, Michelle Rosewoman, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, José Fajardo, Pharaoh Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Leon Thomas, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Olatunji, Patato y Totíco, Los Papines, Orlando "Puntilla" Rios, Miguel Quintana, David Oquendo, Bobby Paunetto and Willie Colón. It is an impressive list that just goes on and on. His recording credits are a virtual "who's who" in Afro-Cuban and Latin American music.

Gene Golden was born in 1940 in New York City. His parents were immigrants from the island of St. Croix. He often talks about their influence on him, and how they were instrumental in turning him on to Latin music. They had all the latest records in the house, and they could easily see that Golden was fascinated with Caribbean rhythms from the start. La sangre llama. So much that when he finally took the plunge, he was no novice on who did what, when and where. He knew the history of "Latin" music, and he also knew the African traditions from whence they originated. His involvement with Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino was documented during the nineteen seventies in two classic recordings for the Salsoul label, as well as in a forthcoming album, soon to be released.

Today, Gene Golden is one of the most respected drummers out there, known not only within the popular dance-hall circuit, but within the more rootsy folkloric music circles. A few years ago, legendary drummer, singer and griot Orlando "Puntilla" Rios was on my radio show and he commented to me that Gene Golden was a true master when it came to the ritual drumming of the Yoruba religion (known as santería). In the realm of the more secular Afro-Cuban style known as rumba, he has been acknowledged by his peers as a virtuoso player, having acquired the

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nick-name "El Quinto Mayor". If you've ever seen him getting off on a solo, you can understand why.

On October 5, 2011, The Bronx Music Heritage Center, in association with Pregones Theatre, presented Golden with the Bronx Living Legend Award for his many contributions to world music and culture, having played a key role in the evolution of New York's Latin music scene among African-Americans. He was in fact, one of the first African-Americans to study and perfect the popular Afro-Cuban drumming styles and to embrace the Yoruba traditions, crossing the cultural and musical boundaries that had pre-existed in New York after the World War II. I'd say it was about time, wouldn't you? RENATO THOMS

Renato Thoms was born in Colón, Panamá. He began his music training at the Conservatory of the National University of Heredia in Costa Rica. His private teachers have included Giovanni Hidalgo and Ed Uribe. He arrived in New York in 1998, and earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he received a musical merit scholarship. Thoms also received his Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at The Boston Conservatory in 1998 and was honored with the Berklee College of Music Professional Performance Division Latin Percussion Award for Outstanding Musical Ability in the Area of Latin

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Percussion Performance.

He is quite versatile and enjoys playing a variety of percussion styles including classical, pop and R&B. This versatility has allowed him to be in different arenas, whether as a cast member- musician of the 2005 Broadway production of The Mambo Kings or playing the 2006 Latin Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden with Ricky Martin. Thoms has also recorded with The Boston Pops Orchestra.

In addition, he has performed with many outstanding Latin jazz musicians and ensembles, including Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Danilo Pérez, Brian Lynch, Ray Vega, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jon Lucien, Sol y Canto, Paquito D'Rivera, Antonio Hart, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez and Hilton Ruiz.  

Starting in 1996, and continuing through to the present, he's been a regular member of the Conrad Herwig Ensemble. He has also worked with Bob Moses, Bobby Sanabria, Chris Washburne, Dave Valentín, Eric Reed, Johnny Pacheco, and Papo Vázquez. He has performed, recorded, and toured throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Not content with just performing, Thoms often lectures on hand percussion at Carnegie Hall. As an educator, he has lectured and taught master classes at Holy Cross University, Rutgers University, LaGuardia Community College, Swarthmore College, The Crane School of Music and El Conservatorio Superior de Música in Spain. Renato Thoms can also be seen conducting the Latin Jazz Workshop at the Brooklyn Conservatory and directs the after-school Afro-Caribbean percussion programs at Wingspan Arts and P.S.87.

Watch out for this guy – he means business and there's no doubt in my mind that the future is looking good for Renato Thoms. GEOVANNI ARENCIBIA

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Geovanni Arencibia was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1951. As a child he was motivated by his uncle Tito Arencibia, who is also a percussionist. It was Tito who first taught him formal music theory, as well as the basic foundation of Afro-Cuban music. In other words, "la clave".

Geovanni Arencibia first arrived in Miami, Fla. in 1964 and immediately fell under the spell of his mentor, Carlos "Patato" Valdés, who taught young Geovanni to reach another level. Also instrumental in his development was a local drum master by the name of Juan Candela, who is relatively unknown to many, but who was quite popular in that city during that decade. These two individuals instilled in Arencibia the desire to bring the tumbadoras to the fore, rather than keep them buried in the background. But in the Miami of 1964 there were still obstacles, as much of the music that was being played was strictly for conventional dancing. In other words, the ballroom prevailed over the solar. Fusionistic music and the art of letting it all hang out was not yet popular. Still, the weather was warm and the folks all spoke Spanish, and this young man was, after all, still in the learning process.

Feeling quite at home in such a tropical atmosphere, the young Arencibia began playing with some of the local bands, most of which specialized in traditional Cuban dance music. But his heart was with the more progressive sound of Latin jazz, and more often than not his mind traveled northward, where the type of hybrid music he was into was not the exception, but the norm. Eventually, he made his way up in New York City, landing right in the midst of a "salsa boom". Without missing a beat, Arencibia plunged into the commercial mainstream, working the dance hall circuit with such legendary figures as José Fajardo, Típica Novel, Andy Harlow and Charanga Casino. But there was more, there had to be more. Miami was where Arencibia paid his dues, but New York was where he would cash in his chips.

Still looking for a chance at creating something unique and special, Geovanni Arencibia was eager to associate himself with like-minded people. His chance came with the likes of Virgilio Marti,

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Jorge Dalto and Hilton Ruiz. He was learning as he went along, about the mean side of business and about the tastes of his newly adopted environment. He soon formed his own group, Sunrise, and it was during this period that he felt most satisfied. Meanwhile, he continued working with the likes of Jimmy Vivino, Rudy Calzado & Cubarama, The Tropicana Jazz Band, Charles Neville, Marco Rizo and Meme Solis.

The years passed and Geovanni Arencibia would often find himself working as a back up drummer for such great singers as Celia Cruz, Maggie Carles and Malena Burke, as well as with bands such as Conjunto Mafimba. He made frequent trips outside of his home base, performing at festivals such as The Kool Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Calle Ocho Festival, Curacao International Festival, Festival International Du Montreal, Festival D'Ete de Quebec, The Athens Jazz Festival, and The New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Nowadays, Arencibia keeps himself busy leading two formidable bands; the first is Songosón, a typically Cuban son and funk dance band that will wear your shoes out. Secondly, there is the aforementioned experimental Latin jazz group Sunrise, not to mention an equally ambitious project known as The New York Cuban All Stars.

Without a doubt, Geovanni Arencibia is a brother on the move. His passion is deep, his energy is contagious, and his desire to move people out of their seats is equally impressive. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, he plays a mean-ass timba too.

Tribute to Jesse Bermúdez By Rob Bernberg

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On October 4th, Latin Beat Magazine and Temple University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership joined forces to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with “Siempre Salsa —Tribute to Hispanic Musical Heritage and Philly’s Legendary Salsa Icon, Jesse Bermúdez”. This celebration featured a student-only survey* and introductory seminar, a joint reception (with musical entertainment provided by Toque de Caché) and a dance that featured the Philly Salsa All-Stars — an ensemble comprised of professional musicians trained or mentored by A.M.L.A. (Asociación de Músicos Latino-Americanos), highlighting the vocal talents of Anthony Colón, Carlos Sánchez and Tony Maldonado.

A host of local musicians and special guests, including Papo Vasquez and Teddy Panamá, Jr., took to the stage, and participated in this homage to Jesse Bermúdez while WRTI’s David Ortiz served as “Honorary DJ.”

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As founder and longtime executive director of A.M.L.A. —the organization that has set the U.S. East Coast standards (along with New York’s Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts) for excellence in the realm of community-based Latin music education— Bermúdez has transformed the lives of countless youths by imparting lessons designed to transmit Latin music’s cultural richness and emphasize its artistic discipline and capacity. He must be regarded as a true breathing testament to the importance of preserving and expanding resources devoted to cultural education, and his living legacy was appropriately celebrated on this occasion by many stalwarts of the North Philadelphia community, including Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez, former Councilman Ángel Ortiz, the González family of Centro Musical, and Diego Castellanos (host of WPVI/6ABC’s long-running Puerto Rican Panorama television program). Latin Beat Magazine wishes to specifically acknowledge the efforts of Tomás Sánchez and Tchet Dorman(Temple University); Wilfredo, Cándida and Cristina González (Centro Musical); Carlos Sánchez (Orquesta del Barrio and Toque de Caché); and Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez; whose combined organizational efforts and support made this event possible. We also wish to thank the Asociación de Estudiantes Latinos (AdEL) and the dance troupe Esencia Latina for their support and participation.

Although Bermúdez has stepped down as A.M.L.A.’s executive director, he remains extremely active in his community by co-hosting a radio program (MEGA/1310’s “Sonido Differente”) each Saturday (11 a.m.-1 p.m.), producing events for the Painted Bride, and providing a broad array of production and consulting services through his web-site www.jessebermudez.com.—Rob Bernberg [email protected]

*A random survey of Temple University students, undertaken at the university’s Howard Gittis Student Hall and Mitten Hall, revealed that 66% of its respondents indicated that their friends are of the opinion that salsa is “cool” and 89% expressed the desire to learn more about the music and the artists that make it.

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