by afrocubarico » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:20 am
Hey congueros & congueras of the world,
Right now I'm listening to a track titled, "Descarga Cubana" on Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente from Havana to New York. This was recorded in 1957 and the conguero was none other than Tata Guines in prime shape!
Now, listen to this carefully and realize that you're listening to technique that was way ahead of its time. Remember, there were no Giovannis or Paolis in those days. For someone to have witnessed or heard a performance of percussionism (damn, is that a word?) of this caliber must have been insane. Especially if you were a percussionist! Pay careful attention to the intro. Brings tears to the eyes.
I was talking to La Mole this afternoon and he was just telling me how important it is for congueros of all levels to not only spend hours practicing your technique by itself, but that the student should listen to as much music from our founding forefathers of the past and present like Mongo, Tata, Patato, and Barretto.
Alright, that's enought typing. Do yourselves a favor, run and get a copy of this album (or Descarga in Miniature). Peace!
afrocubarico
One slap at a time...