Rolling Afro-Latin Music All Stars - Tribute to Afro-Latin Music Thread 2014 (DVD incl.)

And Thursday night in Nueva York:

On July 24th, a double-header of alto-playing composers at the Rubenstein Atrium at 7:30 and it's free: Miguel Zenón and Yosvany Terry, each fronting a group, in an event titled "Diálogos de Diáspora :: Diasporic Dialogues—A Conversation in Music and Words Featuring Miguel Zenón and Yosvany Terry."

Zenon tends to be more jazzy than clave

So will James Redd & Forks be seeing lary harlow's Hommy tonight Wednesday?

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/rain-cuts-short-once-in-a-generation-performance-of-hommy/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=arts&_r=0

Rain Cuts Short Once-in-a-Generation Performance of ‘Hommy’
By JON PARELES

One theme of “Hommy: A Latin Opera” — a concept album released in 1973 by Larry Harlow’s group Orchestra Harlow as a salsa rejoinder to the Who’s rock opera “Tommy” — is that what looks like a calamity can be a blessing in disguise. Alas, not so for what was to have been the first performance of “Hommy” in 40 years, produced by Lincoln Center Out of Doors on Wednesday at Damrosch Park. It was a full-scale concert production, complete with orchestral string and horn sections, a core salsa band, a chorus and a procession of vigorous singers. But less than halfway through its one scheduled performance, a deluge and lightning storm shut down the concert.

Saw that. Too bad. Got into something and had forgotten about it, still wish I had gone to see the first half.

crickets making a clave beat here now

Quick, notify Gottfried Toussaint, pronto!

Speaking of crickets, every noticed that Buddy Holly's Heartbeat has kind of a samba clave beat, at least mathematically. The signature guitar lick played by Tommy Allsup at least.

The samba beat did have a bit of crossover popularity in the late 50s & early 60s

Doesn't sound or feel like samba, just mathematically equivalent.

I've never been good at math

(looks up this thread)....No recent appearances here of ilxor Rudiph.... :(

NY-based conguero-vocalist Pedrito Martinez and his band seem to get booked at jazz fests everywhere these days

N*d S*blette's email newsletter highlights all the Latin jazz related stuff. He's got this collaboration coming up too:

the National Jazz Museum in Harlem on an exhibit about Bebo Valdés, which will open Tuesday 16th. In connection with that, I'll be hosting four Tuesday night listening and viewing events about Bebo's music:

Tuesday, September 9, 7 p.m., at the Maysles Cinema at 343 Lenox Avenue / Malcolm X Boulevard / New York, NY, 10027 / (btwn 127th and 128th Streets): a screening of Carlos Carcas's film Old Man Bebo. You can also watch it here on Vimeo, but if you're in town, come on out and see it with us. I'll do a brief intro and we'll have a Q & A after.

Tuesday, September 16, 7 p.m, at the NJMH at 104 East 126th St (btwn Park and Lex): The Strangeness of Bebo's Century. This is the opening night of the exhibit. I'll play music from various eras of Bebo's career, starting with his 1946 recording of "La Rareza del Siglo" with Julio Cueva's band.

Tuesday, September 23, 7 p.m., NJMH: Bebo Con Poco Coco. With special guest René López, we'll listen to Bebo's descargas (jam sessions) and other numbers from his peak years in Cuba.

Tuesday, September 30, 7 p.m., NJMH: Bebo's Greatest Student: Chucho Valdés. I'll play numbers from different phases in Chucho's career, stressing the connection with Bebo.

Tonight in Nueva York...

Tuesday, September 9, 7 p.m., at the Maysles Cinema at 343 Lenox Avenue / Malcolm X Boulevard / New York, NY, 10027 / (btwn 127th and 128th Streets): a screening of Carlos Carcas's film Old Man Bebo. Author/musician Ned Sublette will do a brief intro and lead a Q & A after.

Veteran pianist Bebo Valdes died last year in his 90s.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/jazz-at-lincoln-center-opens-with-cuban-beats-1410746046

Jazz at Lincoln Center Opens Thursday with Wynton working with Bebo's son Chucho Valdes plus everyone in the jazz world's other fave Cuban musician Pedrito Martinez. Per the upthread post, the Bebo historical events are still happening uptown on Tuesdays

Saturday night in the Bronx

Danny Rivera concert Saturday night at Lehman College. Come and relive a night of intense passion with romantic oldies interpreted by the national voice of Puerto Rico, Danny Rivera. Featuring Nelson González, Konrad Adderley, Federico Britos, Andy González, Ricardo Pons, Johnny Rodríguez, Willie Rodríguez, and Juan Wust. OBSESIÓN, Danny Rivera’s new album with Nelson González, marks a new turn in his career as he returns to the repertoire of the great Latin American songbook, singing great songs by iconic composers with a stripped-down cast of the music’s most knowledgeable veterans. Danny Rivera’s magnificent, passionate way of singing is known and loved all over the Spanish-speaking world. With hits such as “Tu Pueblo Es Mi Pueblo,” “Amada Amante,” and “Madrigal,”

Old-school Saturday daytime event in DC

the Smithsonian’s "Metro Mambo" Lecture/Concert series brings back Tito Puente's biographer & archivist Joe Conzo for the Metro Mambo Time Machine hosted by Jim Byers (WPFW 89.3 FM's 'Latin Flavor Classic Edition"), plus a performance by Orquesta La Leyenda for free from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St, NE, 20017, in DC's Brookland neighborhood.

During the first half of the program, rare live ‘50s through ‘70s recordings from Conzo's collection! Then, in the second half, dance live to the music of DC’s own Orquesta La Leyenda

more nostalgia:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/altlatino/2014/07/24/334458617/a-tour-of-spanish-harlem-birthplace-of-boogaloo

afropop.org has something new on bachata, but that's not high on my priority list

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/arts/music/jazz-at-lincoln-center-opens-its-season-at-rose-theater.html?ref=arts

Ben R from NYT on that Wynton, Chucho, Pedrito and band gig mentioned a few posts up. Doesn't sound like Chucho was onstage for very long. Ben loves Petrito

RIP percussionist Milton Cardona

http://www.drummagazine.com/hand-drum/post/milton-cardona-spirit-of-tumba-soul-of-nyc/

This NYC event looks fun:

The Eighth Biennial Bomplenazo, at Hostos Community College in da Bronx and other venues, Oct. 10-12. bomba and plena with Viento de Agua from Puerto Rico Thursday, October 9, at 8 p.m. at La Marqueta (Park Ave betw 115 & 116).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/reich/ct-danilo-perez-review-20140920-column.html#

Panamanian Danilo Perez is still around. I lost track of this guy years ago

Most ilxors are uninterested in current Calle 13, but the Latin Grammys folks love them. The Awards Show will be Nov. 20th on Univision:

from Billboard:

Perennial Latin Grammy favorites Calle 13 once again topped the list of nominees for the 15th annual Latin Grammy Awards, notching nine nods. Eduardo Cabra, one half of the Puerto Rican rap duo, was the overall leader with 10 nods, thanks to his work with Calle 13 and as a producer on Jorge Drexler’s album Bailar en La Cueva.

Following Calle 13 was songwriter/producer Andrés Castro with eight nods, most of the mcoming from his work with Carlos Vives; mastering engineer Tom Coyne with seven from multiple projects; producer/songwrier Julio Reyes Copello and Carlos Vives with six; and Descemer Bueno and Enrique Iglesias with five each, thanks to their mega hit “Bailando.”

This year, as last, there were 10 nominees in each of the main categories, including Best New Artist, where the field was populated with little-known acts from around the world, none of which has garnered any significant commercial success in the U.S.

In the running for best new artist are Aneeka, Linda Briceno, Caloncho, Julio Cesar, Pablo Lopez, Miranda, Periko & Jessi Leen, Daniela Spalla, Juan Pablo Vega and Mariana Vega.

http://www.latingrammy.com/en

NY Times now has a Jon Pareles obit for Milton Cardona

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/27/arts/music/milton-cardona-keeper-of-new-york-salsas-beat-dies-at-69.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

Raquel Z. Rivera & Ojos de Sofía play Las Décimas del Amargue & Other Songs of Love. Neo-folk original songs inspired by Puerto Rican and Dominican jíbaro ... at Barbes in Brooklyn tonight Friday the 3rd

She's an author, scholar, blogger who used to write a lot about reggaeton

Harold Lopez-Nussa (Cuban pianist) is doing some US gigs. I need to watch some the archived Kennedy Center Millennium Stage gig he did Wednesday night to see how much clave he and his band have, or if he's more jazz. Author/musician Ned Sublette likes him (but he likes most of those pianists who are mostly jazz with just a tinge of more danceable rhythms). Sorry jazz hepcats.

That guy is good. The other guy with the same last name is good too. Sometimes they play those recordings at the place in my neighborhood I go to see that stuff that I think I told you about.

Tune was "Fantasmas en caravana."

Also, let me gently chide you and say let's not get too hung about about the music possibly being Too Jazz/Not Latin Enough. Especially since the guy is from Havana.

Okay, I may have a little story for you.

I also grumble about Puerto Rican Miguel Zenon being more into jazz than clave. Yes, I know that people from anywhere can play whatever they want and be good at, and they should not be forced to limit themselves to music in their home country's old-school traditions. But yea, after saying all that, I am still less interested in their music. It's not them, it's me...

"Talisman" Brazilian-Latin jazz with Sammy Figueroa and Glaucia Nasser

Wondering about these folks too

Maybe I will start with Lopez-Nussa's 3rd album (see below interview). His brother plays drums on it.

http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-harold-lopez-nussa-performs-at-the-side-door-in-20140929-story.html

Cuban musician Harold López-Nussa discovered electricity on his third album, "New Day," using it to project otherworldly, fuzzed-out lead lines on "Fantasmas en Caravana" while comping on the acoustic piano..

"I just love the sound of the Rhodes [electric piano], so I wanted to try something a little different from my preceding albums," López-Nussa told CTNow. "We also added more percussion: djembe, cojon… I feel that the Rhodes brings a different color that maybe opens up the traditional piano trio sound."

Inspired by countryman Chucho Valdés' experiments with the Rhodes in the 1970s, López-Nussa felt as though he'd discovered a new instrument. Like a painter working with a new color scheme, however, he uses it sparingly on "New Day": to add ambiance to the opening of "Paseo," for example, or to create hushed dynamics in "Buenos Modales." "It's very different," he said. "I'm not an expert. I just try to play what I feel. I have a relationship that's very physical with the piano — you can feel the material. It's so different, but it's still exciting to try something new."

Lopez-Nussa trio at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for an hour (I intend to watch this)

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M6040&type=A

Watched some of it during commercials of Nats v Giants baseball last night. He's got his jazz tunes and his more trad Cuban ones. Sent link to my Dad, who liked it

x-post--Listened to "Talisman" by Brazilian singer Glaucia Nasser and Latino percussionist Sammy Figueroa. Nasser's classic Brazilian bossa and samba vocal melodies stand out. You gotta listen closely on many cuts to hear the various Latino percussion rhythms Figueroa is adding. There are other musicians on it too. These folks are on a US tour now.

I see this has devolved into primarily a Latin jazz discussion. I'm afraid I have nothing to offer. The Willy Garcia album isn't very good, overall.

The Latin Grammys tend to be conservative, I think, because people are voting for sub-categories they don't necessarily know about. So the familiar name trumps. That's my guess anyway. I don't think I've listened to that Calle 13 album all the way through, and don't particularly want to.

You didn't mention that Raquel Rivera lives part of the time in Albuquerque:

http://cascabeldecobre.blogspot.com/

I started listening to both the Wisin and the Yandel solo albums but just couldn't care. The guest spot by 50 Cent on Wisin's made it that much more difficult.

I'm more disillusioned than ever with the state of salsa.

Was hoping you would know of a great salsa release to talk about. Latin-jazz gets more English language media hype but it is not necessarily wowing me

I think next year we should start a new version of this thread to remain open until it gets too big, however many years that takes, and without trying to pad it. I just feel like: stick a fork in it, it's dead. The thread and the sub-genres that I care about the most.

I did hear some okay merengue from Juliana in the Dominican Republic, but even those songs weren't as good as much of what she's previously done.

You might like this: http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25500.10

Seems promising at moments, but mostly a letdown. Still has that post-80s NYC salsa dura blandness to it. (I know they aren't from NYC, but that's what I'm hearing, plus I think some of the musicians are.) But maybe you would like it more than I do.

Had my eye on this reissue, but not sure it's worth it:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25440.10?9qYnw2zS;;480

Incidentally, do you know that El Watusi, the Latin music download site (associated with Descarga.com I think) went out of business? Not good. The back catalog of great salsa is sinking back into obscurity.

Did not know about El Watusi going out of business.

I also have not heard the most recent Bio Ritmo album (speaking of non-NY salsa).

Your idea regarding the thread makes sense(unless ilx magically gets new contributors into Latino sounds who could add more stuff here)

Just noticed this suburban DC gig

"LA INDIA EN CONCIERTO"

Friday October 17th

General Admission $35
VIP Standing $45

VIP SEATING $60 (Only a few tickets left)

Doors: 9pm

Show after midnight

This is from Shiina Ringo's debut album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeQDbPpfcIQ

I mean the original song, obviously.

Been too busy lately to check out live shows from acts getting media attention. Missed Pedrito Gonzalez at K. Ctr last weekend (got a mixed review in W. Post although part of that may be a key bandmember wasn't there) and gonna miss Miguel Zenon tonight.

Am out of touch with current Hispanic pop and descarga.com style salsa dura too.

Zenon is on the cover of Downbeat this month I read.

Meanwhile NYC gets the nice older folks shows:

Friday, November 14, 2014 @ 7pm / Aaron Davis Hall / Tickets: $15 - $30
The Puerto Rican Songbook Hidden Treasures
Featuring Dr. Willie Rodriguez & Friends in concert. Friends Include: Andy Gonzalez, Roland Guerrero, Nicky Marrero, Nelson Gonzalez, Ivan Rentas, Pete Nater, Jimmy Bosch, Laura Reyes, Julio Salgado, Eduardo Reyes, and Multimedia by Alan Molnar.
From the press release: "This musical exploration of the Puerto Rican Songbook Hidden Treasures under the direction of Dr. Willie Rodriguez will celebrate the outstanding contributions of Puerto Rican composers like the great Placido Acevedo, Simon Madera, Miguel Angel Amadeo, Sylvia Rexach, among others."

This is really good so far. For lovers of a distinctively Puerto Rican sound and swing. But of course Don Perignon Y La Orquesta Puertorriqueña has been around for a while:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25535.10

On Spotify too.

http://www.noticiasmvs.com/#!/noticias/ganadores-de-la-15-edicion-de-los-latin-grammy-343.html

Thanks, need to check some of those out

I missed Romeo Santos, bachata heartthrob on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Plus he was on Jimmy Fallon too I think.

Unrelated:

I enjoyed Jorge Drexler's album this year. He's a Uruguayan singer/songwriter kinda rock guy who sorta went pop (with a touch of dance) on his 2014 effort.