Cubanocast

Latin Grammys winner: Best Tropical Album: Omara Portuondo- Gracias

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:53:17 PST

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/10Gracias.mp3

Without knowing her by name, I became familiar with Omara Portuondo during my semi-obsessive Cuban music days, when I spent much of my last couple of years of college acquiring and learning about Cuban music. Cuarteto d'Aida is one of the acts on the BMG Tropical Series, which has some great Beny More cds as well as Tito Puente and others.

d'Aida mostly sang covers, so nobody can claim that they were trailblazers. Still, Omara, her sister, Elena Burke, and Moraima Secada had beautiful voices. The first song in this post is a combination of "Yenyere Cumae" and "El Bombon de Elena," a Puerto Rican song. I also like "Carinito Azucarado."

The Cuarteto stayed in Cuba after the revolution and I've heard some of their songs from this period. Similar to their late fifties stuff, but with revolutionary themes. Omara was rediscovered by international audiences with the release of Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club. She sang "Veinte Anos" with Ibraham Ferrer.

The album she won the Grammy for is called Gracias. The lovely Brazilian-style title song is the podcast.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Mercedes Sosa- RIP

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:17:21 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Graciasalavida.mp3

Mercedes Sosa died a couple of weeks ago. I'm OK-knowledgeable with Latin-American music and had heard of her before I read about her death, but wasn't familiar with her music. Neither was my Mexican wife.

(For an analogy, I'm sure many of you know that Tom Waits and Frank Zappa are musicians, but can't name one of their tunes. Mercedes has something in common with them, as you'll see.)

I fired up Rhapsody (great service) and played some Sosa. Her music is similar to that of the Nueva Trova trend in Cuban music in that it lacks those essential elements that make music popular such as easily recognizable "hooks." The music is minimalist, similar from song, and "atmospheric," meaning that it's similar from song to song and somewhat nondescript. And it needn't be "descript," as it's designed to serve as background politically-tinged, high-concept lyrics which I think is this music's main attraction. Sometimes the lyrics aren't obviously political, but cryptic, which appeals to the same crowd.

Better to hear for yourself from what I learned was her most famous song, "Gracias a la Vida" (above).

Now, whatever you think of the song, there's no denying that Sra. Sosa is a talented singer. In fact, when that voice encounters good material, the effect can be quite spectacular.

Mercedes recorded Ariel Ramirez' post-conciliar masterwork "Misa Criolla." She does a very fine job.

(You can listen to Jose Carreras sing it here.)

Kyrie:

Gloria:

Credo:

Sanctus:

Agnus Dei:

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Fruity songs from Cuba

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:08:39 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Frutas_Del_Caney.mp3

A musical tribute to recent events, Cuban fruit songs.

First up is the foundational Cuban Son singer, Arsenio Rodriguez with his much covered song, "Frutas del Caney." It's the podcast.

Duo Los Compadres, one of whom, Francisco Repilado (Compay Segundo), you know from his later work in the Buena Vista Social Club; has a version which uses the more leisurely pace common in most remakes.

Trio Matamoros, above.

Celia Cruz has a wonderful song called "Frutas y Mi Son Cubano." It's one of the many Cuban songs with a patriotic theme.

A pregon is a street vendor's cry, musicalized. Enrique Byron with "El Frutero."

Lyrics/Letras below:

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Best Puerto Rican music part two: Bobby Capo

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:09:14 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Juguete.mp3

The Sotomayor special continues. Part one is here.

It's amazing how many famous Puerto Rican musicians collaborated with Rafael Hernandez: Myrta Silva, Daniel Santos, Pedro Florez, and Bobby Capo, amongst others.

Bobby Capo was one of the best Puerto Rican singers and song writers of the golden era of Caribbean music (excellent article here), the forties through the early sixties. He wrote and performed his own songs:

"Juguete," which Capo called his favorite, according to the article. It's the podcast.

"El Bardo" is about his marriage to Miss Puerto Rico 1948, Irma Nydia Vázquez, which her father protested for the common reasons that fathers protest marriages.

Perhaps Papa Vasquez had a point. Capo stayed married for 25 years, but strayed from the marriage many times. Latino double standard:

"Como Duele una Traicion"

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Sotomayor special: The best Puerto Rican music: Rafael Hernandez

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:39:25 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Preciosa.mp3

In honor of the first Puerto Rican nominee to the Supreme Court,** I thought I'd spend the next few days talking about Puerto Rican music.

You can get the basics at Wikipedia here. Many Puerto Rican music forms are similar to those of its neighbor, Cuba, which isn't surprising considering their similar histories and demographics, but many, like Bomba and Plena are unique to Puerto Rico.

The greatest figure in Puerto Rican music is Rafael Hernandez. He performed his own music early in his career, but he's mostly known now for having composed some of the greatest Latin American music of all time, his universal appeal proven by the selection below: singers from Brazil, United States, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, and, of course, Puerto Rico.

"Preciosa" is a beautiful ode to his home island. I like this light-jazzy version by Puerto Rican band Impacto Crea.

Cobarde

Marc Anthony does a fine version. I saw him perform years ago at Universal studios with Celia Cruz and Oscar D'Leon. Nice show.

Desde un Principio: From the Beginning

"Ahora Seremos Feliz" by unknown mustachioed dude:

My favorite Hernandez song is "El Cumbanchero." Judging only by the amount of times it's been remade, it's one of the most popular Puerto Rican songs of all time. Listening to it, one can understand how successive generations can fall in love with its insistent beat and sharp melody. The video below explains that when Rafael Hernandez met President John Kennedy, that Kennedy addressed him as Mr. Cumbanchero.

Celia Cruz does a lovely version:

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Cuban scat: Miguelito Valdes: Oh, mi Tambo and the American influence on Cuban music

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:15:20 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Oh_Mi_Tambo.mp3

Classic Cuban music didn't exist in a vacuum. Just like the pre and immediate post-war world loved Cuban music, Cubans loved foreign music. Brazilian, Mexican, and Argentine music was popular, but American music probably left the biggest impression: Frank Sinatra inspired Cuban imitators in a music Cubans called "Filin" or "el Feeling." Jazz was huge, of course. Some of the influences are subtle, and some are quite obvious. Here are some of the easy ones:

One "lady" who sure did get around was Minnie the Moocher. On her way to Sweden, she must have stopped by Havana to catch a show by Miguelito Valdes. Miguelito Valdes' Minnie turn is above. Cab Calloway is below.

King of Hi-De-Ho: 1934-1947

Celia Cruz has a song called "Rock and Roll." It's funny that they only considered Rock a "new rhythm," or one of many and apparently had no idea that it would become the dominant force in popular music.

Cuban Queen

One of the most popular songs from the immediate post-revolution Cuba is Los Zafiros. They mixed Cuban rhythms with American Rock and Roll, especially Doo Wop. This one's called "Puchunguita Ven." You can probably hear several American songs in there.

Bossa Cubana

According to this interesting book, Olga Guillot was one of the leading Cuban singers of the Filin movement. Here she sings "La Noche de Anoche." You can tell why the style became popular. Filin is a good match for the melodramatic Latin sensibility.

Los 15 Grandes Exitos

Wait! I happen to have all of the singers mentioned in the book. And, they're all on one superb collection that I purchased a few years ago. It's called 100 Canciones del Milenio and you can buy it below.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Star Trek's Uhura dances Merengue

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:34:53 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/la_llave_de_mi_corazon-sbr.mp3

Zoe Saldana, very pretty, likable actress.

As I was reading up on Star Trek's super-sexy Zoe Saldana, I noticed that she's parts Dominican and Puerto Rican and that she's in a Merengue video with Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra.

I'll discuss Juan Luis Guerra more later, as he's an interesting guy and I like a number of his songs. Today, we'll play, "La Llave De Mi Corazon," the song in which Lt. Nyota Uhura...I mean Zoe Saldana, dances.

It's OK. It sounds more Mambo than Merengue, which fits better with the retro theme.

Grandes Exitos de Juan Luis Guerra Y 4.40 by Rudy Mangual

La Llave De Mi Corazon

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

The Quim songs, Celia Cruz, Machito, Conjunto Casino, et. al.

asymmetricblog@gmail.com (Nelson Guirado) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:53:49 PDT

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Quimbara.mp3

I was listening to "Quimbombo" by Machito, remembering that a few other songs had "quim" in it, and realizing that I had no idea what it meant. I looked it up. According to the Reverso dictionary, "quim" means "coño," which, if you hear it and it's directed at you, means that you've pissed off some Cuban or Spanish dude (or a very unladylike Spanish or Cuban woman).

"Quimba" is "sandal," in parts of the Caribbean and "debt" in the Andes.

The definition that makes most sense in an Afro-Latin musical context, however, is as part of the name of an Afro-Brazilian religion called "Quimbanda".

OK. On to the music. The podcast is "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz. It's one of her best sixties, post-Sonora Matancera songs. It takes a while to get going, but really sizzles once the chorus pushes her into an improvisational, son style.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.