|
||||
|
| ||||||
What Many Refer to as "Salsa" I have lived and read a great deal about what many refer to as "Salsa". I tend to agree with the statement Tito Puente made concerning this description: "Salsa is something you put on a chip". Those who are not familiar with La Musica Latina or those who are interested in learning the true origins of the music, should seek the movie "FROM CUBANO SON TO SALSA". This movie directed by a Cubano and produced by RMM records (The label with artist such as: Tito, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony and La India) gives an authentic depiction of the music’s roots. Although this movie is in Espanol, those of you who are not familiar with the language will still grasp the essence of this wonderful music from the performances shown. Some of the footage is rather old, but it is extremely important concerning the background of the music. Also for the ballroom dancers this film shows the flowing non structured rhythmic moves of Los Cubanos, QUE RICO! This will be evident from the beginning of the movie which is shot at the Latin Quarter in New York. While two men dance with one women , Tito Puente’s "Para Los Rumberos" booms in the background. Again, this movie is a must for Los Salseros. As a new comer to this site, I purused several of Salsaweb’s subsites. The one I found most interesting, of course, was the one titled "Where did Salsa come from?" I think this is a very important discussion for those who are interested in the music, and want to truly understand what it is they find so attractive. After reading each post, I found the information from Dr.’s Marks and Singer to be, by far, the most comprehensive and legitimate. The origins of any music can be complex, however the aforementioned information provides an excellent account of the music’s history. Albeit, I would have elaborated slightly more on the religions of Santeria and Abukwa which are very influential concerning the various rhythms and dance in all Cuban music and "Salsa". Furthermore I would have mention Dizzy Gillespie and the Great Cuban Percussionist, Chano Pozo, along with Manchito and his Afro-Cuban All-stars and Mario Bauza, who initially made "Cubop" (The blending of Afro-American bebop jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms) or "Mambo" famous in the U.S., although Cachao (Otra Cubano) is the originator. Excuse me for my bias, but I would have definitely mentioned the Great Benny More (Cubano) a musical technician, great arranger, beautiful singer, and a wonderful entertainer. It is the later that his is most noted for, especially his dancing on stage. There are some clips of his performances in "FROM CUBANO SON TO SALSA". Most learned Salseros give mucho credence to Benny More. Unfortunately I have also noticed the mention of the Rumba as some sort of "Dance of Love". Rumba is not a Spanish word, it is used in Latin America and now the world, but it is African in Origin, it is even described as such in the dictionary. It is generally a rule, primarily in Latin America, that words consisting of "mb" and "ng" are of African origin, again generally speaking. Other examples Mambo, Conga, bongo, melanga (vegtable), etc. even what Americanos refer to as gumbo is from the word Ochingumbo which is West African Bantu in origin. This corresponds to what Los Cubanos refer to as quimbombo which is okra, and the main ingredient in gumbo is ripe okra. Unfortunately, Anglo Americanos have fooled the masses into referring to the Rumba as some structured Ballroom dance. The Rumba is all Conga played in two different styles the Columbia and the Guaguanco it is a ritual of rhythm in which Cubanos sing and speak in Nanigo (African dialect). This is the true Rumba. The Rumba that people primarily refer to is the extremely scaled down version to suit the pallets of the masses. Please keep in mind the Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Son Montuno, Guaguanco, Charanga, Salsa etc. are all street dances that originated in a culture of rhythm and improvisation. Many find it offensive that they have been structured to appeal to Ballroom dancing, for they feel it has ruined the rhythmic flow and improvisation of the dance. Similar to everything that becomes mainstream it looses it cultural and rhythmic integrity. Albeit, in defense of those who do learn the music in the ballroom style, many are glad the music has reached and affected so many people like it has to Cubanos and Boriqua. My wife and I learned to dance in the streets watching others or with family, it is just a natural part of our life. We primarily dance from front to back and upright as most Cubanos, however we show a little more rhythmic play than those who learn in the ballrooms. Our dancing, although slightly different than Boriqua (Puertoricanos), is more reminiscent of those who still dance in the streets of Havana (Juana Maria, El Barrio) and Mantanzas province in Cuba. The "Salsa" we hear today is simply a blend of Jazz, R&B, and the various Africanized Latin rhythms, although they have one common denominator AFRICA. One should not ruin this precious rhythmic integrity, because it is the rhythm that has attracted the masses. I am but a music connoisseur and the music all of you love is my life, however I would like to provide you with a description of the music from a musicians perspective. Although I do not know the musician I felt he has given a very valid historical account. The following is from Jazz Chronicles: " Recently at a gig in Ft. Lauderdale, after finishing the first set, an inquisitive jazz aficionado approached me near the stage and asked: "I love your music. What do you call it, 'salsa' or 'jazz'?" For a split second my mind bewildered. I raised my head and looked in his eyes. According to his facial expression he seemed determined to hear my answer. He was an older gentleman in his late fiftiesÑhad on a tan cotton shirt and white pants. None-the-less I preceded to explain some basic differences and similarities between Afro-Cuban Jazz and traditional Jazz (swing, bebop). Since the beginning of sound and music and throughout the ages, music has been influenced through the creative visions of all kinds of people. One example is traditional jazz vs. Afro-Cuban Jazz. Some fifty years ago, a group of musicians the likes of Mario Bauza, Chano Pozo, Machito and his Afro Cubans, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton and Charlie Parker were successful in combining two different worlds of musical sounds whose indigenous roots evolved in Africa. A marriage of Afro-rhythms, blues and harmonies, this new sound first emerged in the mid 1940's and became known as "Cubop" (Cuban-Bebop), and later named Afro-Cuban Jazz: the combined sounds of bebop performed with Afro-Cuban rhythms. Afro-Cuban Jazz and Bebop contain many similar characteristics. While they borrow from each other, both offer different musical ingredients making each one unique. For instance, the basic instrumentation for a traditional jazz group includes bass, drums and piano/guitar. Together they form what is known as a "rhythm section." Traditional jazz music encompasses a straight forward rhythm set forth by a walking bass line as the drums emphasizes two and four on the beat. The piano interplays off the bass and drums incorporating variations of syncopated harmonic patterns. Afro-Cuban Jazz, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Latin Jazz or Salsa, is simply the combined sounds of jazz and afro-percussion instruments. Like swing and bebop, Afro-Cuban Jazz also features the rhythm section (piano, bass and; drums). In addition, other percussion instruments of African origin are added such as the clave, conga drums, bongos, cow bells, timbales, maracas, and guiro. The beat is typically in 2/2 time while its main musical ingredient, the clave, sets the rhythmic foundation emphasizing a syncopated pattern (3/2 or 2/3) over a two bar phrase. The bass line is also syncopated complimenting the clave rhythm. And the piano adds harmonic colors in a syncopated manner. During the 1950's and 60's, a second wave of musicians, Mongo Santamaria (congas), Charlie and Eddie Palmieri (piano), Tito Puente (percussionist), John Coltrane (tenor saxophonist) and Chick Corea (keyboardist), continued to carry the torch of the Afro-Cuban Jazz movement and added new rhythmic and harmonic elements to the style. Today, the Afro-Cuban Jazz legacy continues to thrive through other musicians that have managed to raise the level of performance and improvisation to greater heights--some of which are: Arturo Sandoval (trumpet), Paquito D'Rivera (clarinet, saxophone), Giovanni Hidalgo (conga, percussion), Dave Valentin (flute), and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (pianist), just to name a few. Furthermore, Afro-percussion instruments like the conga drums and bongos have become an integral part of some of today's contemporary styles like: fusion, R&B, new age, pop-jazz, hip-hop and funk. "As you can see," explaining to the gentleman, "these two styles of music, as with other genres like classical, blues and rock, have many common elements as all are bounded by the eternal life-line of rhythm and sound. At that point I finished my brief explanation to his question. He smiled, shook my hand and thanked me."
|
