In Cuba, music is part of every-day life and an important feature of its past. Callejon de Hamel (Hamel Alley) features grande-sized murals on its homes and structures and tiny shops selling Cuban Santeria art. Starting around noon Sundays, practitioners of the Santeria faith dance to rumba rhythms.
Source: Explore Afro-Cuban heritage hot spots
The history of Cuban music is shaped through the passion of the people and musicians. Understanding their rich language of rhythms and harmony on any instrument, let alone guitar, is both a deep ocean to explore and an island of soul. Many great musicians grow up immersed in the style and culture. However, even if you learn just from listening and playing you can internalize the sense of groove and pocket, and it will come out in your listening, playing, and writing. I played in a Latin band called Umbalaye for several years in Los Angeles under the guidance of my friend and bandleader Jose Espinosa. I hope to share some of what I learned with you here.
First, a little history. Afro-Cuban music was created when African slaves arrived in Cuba, where the two cultures met, and the richness of Spanish harmony blended with the African rhythms to create what we call salsa music. Afro-Cuban music has had a vast influence globally through Puerto Rico, Miami, New York, and through such South American countries as Panama, Columbia, and Venezuela. These cultures each had their own interpretations that often influenced each other. In the 1930s, Afro-Cuban music had a major impact on jazz, and since then, salsa has profoundly influenced pop music, blues, soul, and even rock styles.
Create engaging rhythms by combining montunos, claves, tumbaos, and more.
Source: Digging Deeper: Intro to Afro-Cuban Guitar | Premier Guitar
Olney, MD – January 8, 2016 – Olney Theatre Center, a Mid-Atlantic destination for extraordinary theater performance and education, in co-production with New York’s Tectonic Theater Project, welcomes legendary director and Tectonic Artistic Director Moisés Kaufman, Grammy-winner Arturo O’Farrill, and Broadway phenomenon Sergio Trujillo for the world premiere of Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical. The production runs February 10 through March 6 on the Mainstage. Directed and co-written by Tony® Award-nominee Moisés Kaufman (33 Variations, Gross Indecency, The Laramie Project Cycle), with heralded Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado, and music adapted from Bizet’s opera by two-time Grammy Award-winner Arturo O’Farrill, this Carmen brings the action of one of the most sensual stories of all time to Cuba on the verge of revolution in 1958. The star-studded creative team, along with Kaufman at the helm as director and Broadway’s Sergio Trujillo as choreographer (Jersey Boys, Memphis, On Your Feet), turns Bizet’s passion-fueled opera into a sexy, swinging Afro-Cuban Jazz musical. Kaufman’s Carmen is a gun-runner for the rebels, who falls fiercely in love with José, a Batista loyalist. When Cuba’s boxing legend Camilo returns to Havana, Carmen and José’s love falls tragically apart. “When Moisés called me about his dream of bringing Carmen to 1950s Cuba, I jumped at the idea, which was so prescient and fascinating,” said Olney Theatre Center Artistic Director Jason Loewith. “Little did I know he’d be working with Grammy-winner Arturo O’Farrill, whose Afro-Latin jazz-infused score has completely reimagined Bizet’s famous opera with everything from meringue and salsa to Cuban be-bop, traditional Cuban son, and the driving percussion of congas and bongos, and Sergio Trujillo, one of Broadway’s busiest choreographers, whose recent smash On Your Feet is taking New York by storm. These are some true theater geniuses at work.”
Source: cubart – [cubart] CUBARTE Newsletter – arc
Havana.- The group that rocked the jazz in New Orleans, The Preservation Hall, played in Cuba for the first time to open the biggest festival on the island dedicated to the genre, an event that attracts today especially the public from the United States. Cuban pianist Ernán López-Nussa gathered on stage at the Teatro Mella US artists in a musical metaphor of rapprochement between the two countries.
Along with this great artist and other local musicians, the jazz band ended in a jam session tinged by famous Cuban topics such as “El manisero” and traditional melodies such as the cha cha cha and danzón.
A few years ago began one project that was then a distant dream, but after the restoration of diplomatic relations Havana-Washington, two cultures which were distant for sometime were also joined, López Nussa recalled.
Precisely, in this opening event of Jazz Plaza, it was delivered a recognition to the five anti-terrorists imprisoned in the United States for trying to unveil actions against Cuba and now celebrate a year of return to their homeland.
To the rhythm of jazz, Cubans and the group from U.S. celebrated the new relations, surrounded by an audience, mostly from the Northern country.
During a visit to New Orleans began to develop this dream of playing together on stage in Havana, López-Nussa said. On that visit I understood a lot more of jazz: is a master class to see how the musicians of The Preservation Hall Jazz Band make people have fun, he added.
Exponents of traditional jazz, this group is made up of longtime saxophonist Charlie Gabriel, his colleague Clint Maedgen, trumpeter Mark Braud, Rickie Monie on the piano, Joseph Lastie, Jr. on drums and versatiles Ben Jaffe and Ronell Johnson.
Both Ernán and Americans have shared the stage in the past and even filmed a video of a live presentation in which they interpreted “El manisero”.
In addition, the Cubans have done music influenced by that of New Orleans, to which they have incorporated elements of some Cuban rhythms.
The name of the American band derived from the famous Preservation Hall concert hall, in the heart of New Orleans, where the origins of jazz are set.
Currently, the Preservation Hall Foundation works to protect, preserve and perpetuate the musical traditions and the heritage of this city in the southern United States.
During the four days of the International Jazz Plaza Festival 2015, several musicians from the USA will perform in different locations, as in its 31st edition, the event provides more spaces to enjoy the program planned until Sunday.
Yoruba Andabo 