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Recently I have been playing a bit of quinto at friendly rumbas and last week I did a recording with my bata teacher Lazaro and Totin (singer of Yuba Ire and almost all rumba groups in Puerto Rico). I wasn't the only one to record on quinto and I loved the fact that everyone had their own style of expressing themselves on quinto. As always, one learns more when watching others and how different we express ourselves.
So I thought it would be cool to start a thread on your favorite style of QUINTO-ing. Perhaps well known players or even yourself (if you feel you have reached a level of playing worth sharing). Without discarding the legends we all know, it would also be nice to see players that are not known. Maybe it's your teacher, neighbor or someone you play with all the time.
I, for one, am no where near where I'd like to be but I do have some favorite Quinteros that serve as a guide for me.
There are many out there. Post your favorite. One that represents your style.

Here are SOME of the ones I really dig (obviously, they are well known quinteros):

Jesus Alfonso Miro - this guy is tasteful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADq070n9qvY

Papin - master of phrasing. Btw, his quinto has the best sound ALWAYS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=947zU18q ... re=related

Pedrito - there no words for this talented rumbero...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVkaU6yP ... re=related

Paoli Mejias - 'Puerto Rican Style'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vgOW7tp ... re=related

Anga- I couldn't find a video of him just playing quinto in a rumba setting but this descarga lets us know he's got what it takes!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l123ZdPP8O0

PUNTILLA!!!!!!!!!

Jesus Alfonso Mira IS rumba quinto.

Here's an example of Sandy Perez on quinto.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IsOYNW ... L&index=44

Oye Seis,

Check this link out it is Titi the quinto player with Los munequitos before Jesus Alfonso. Scroll down to the bottom of the site and look for Cha Cha Vega. Titi is playing quinto whit Cha Cha. The clip is very short but long enough for all to see Titi was in a class by himself. He has the slickest quito ride I've heard. His ride is both supportive to the song and yet adds just enough background spice to keep the rhythm full for a two drum rumba. His taste is that of a fine rhythm gourme. His tones are as if he has perfect pitch. His touch is exact so he can extract the right tone and volume needed. He explodes out and darts back so fast but he never overplays. Rumba is all about the song and the dancers and I have never seen a quito player compliment those two aspects of rumba like Titi.

All of the above is not to take anything away from Jesus. He certainly has most if not all of the traits mentioned above. However, Titi has something that adds something intangible to those aspects quinto playing. I would like to hear what others think about this short clip.

http://fidelseyeglasses.blogspot.com/se ... 0-05%3A00&

Facundo

Look out also for the late Alejandro Publes Brito formerly with Conjunto de Clave y Guaguancó.

Plenty of manana in his playing.

Que Dios lo tenga en su Gloria.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

Facundo1 wrote:Oye Seis,

Check this link out it is Titi the quinto player with Los munequitos before Jesus Alfonso. Scroll down to the bottom of the site and look for Cha Cha Vega. Titi is playing quinto whit Cha Cha. The clip is very short but long enough for all to see Titi was in a class by himself. He has the slickest quito ride I've heard. His ride is both supportive to the song and yet adds just enough background spice to keep the rhythm full for a two drum rumba. His taste is that of a fine rhythm gourme. His tones are as if he has perfect pitch. His touch is exact so he can extract the right tone and volume needed. He explodes out and darts back so fast but he never overplays. Rumba is all about the song and the dancers and I have never seen a quito player compliment those two aspects of rumba like Titi.

All of the above is not to take anything away from Jesus. He certainly has most if not all of the traits mentioned above. However, Titi has something that adds something intangible to those aspects quinto playing. I would like to hear what others think about this short clip.

http://fidelseyeglasses.blogspot.com/se ... 0-05%3A00&

Facundo

Titi is very smooth, muy suave.

Thanks for this one in particular - J Alfonso:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADq070n9qvY
It will have my attention for a long time
It looks to me as if his downbeat palm before opposing hand upbeat strike is on his right hand, not is left - le Titi
Anyone else see that?

Dave

bongosnotbombs wrote:Jesus Alfonso Mira IS rumba quinto.

Here's an example of Sandy Perez on quinto.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IsOYNW ... L&index=44

I agree with your Jesus comment, and also sure do love the way Sandy plays a drum. But I don't see him as limiting what he's good at to one main part of the ensemble. He's awesome on every instrument. He is AN INCREDIBLE Tumbero! And to add to this, I've yet to see anything close in a recording to what I've witnessed him do in Humboldt. To me, none of the videos I've seen of him do him justice.

Windhorse , do you have a recording of him playing at Humbolt?

Here is an old school Puerto Rican player by the name Carlos Rodriguez ; also known as 'Carlitos el Ingeniero'. He's been around the block and back. I thought his simple and awkward style was pretty cool and sounded in the pocket...maybe not the best I've heard but thought I would bring his style to light.
Note: Cachete seems to be recovering a little. Last I was with him in 2006, he couldn't even get out of the wheelchair, much less play shekere. Good to see that.

Bomba-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qGtf5Vb ... C&index=27

Guaguanco-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haT6B_rv ... L&index=26

windhorse wrote:[... sure do love the way Sandy plays a drum ... I've yet to see anything close in a recording to what I've witnessed him do in Humboldt. To me, none of the videos I've seen of him do him justice.

Yeah, it's a shame there aren't any video clips online that do Sandy Perez justice, in this case as a quintero. No clips I've seen come anywhere close to what I've/we've seen in person, particularly in our case night after night at the late night rumbas at the weeklong Humbdolt Workshops in California every summer, when he lets it fly with guys who can actually keep up with him and even push him in interesting/unexpected directions (Roman Diaz, Jesus Diaz, etc.). You throw in singers the likes of Lazaro Galarraga, Reynaldo Gonzalez and Erick Barberia, a big enthusiastic coro, and the dancers, and his playing goes to the stratosphere - it's simply awe inspiring.

Also doesn't hurt that he's a master of so many different AfroCuban drumming traditions (bata, arara, bembe, palo, abakua, etc.), and can call on aspects of these in his playing. He can definitely blow the doors off - but when you see him on tumba he's an awesome support player - a great listener - tasteful - endlessly creative without overplaying.

He's got an almost indescribable something that Francisco Aguabella has and few others I've seen. There's a presence in his playing that absolutely commands your attention. Like Francisco. Francisco can play the most basic tumbao and make it seem like it's the heaviest thing you've ever heard in your life. Like anyone else who ever played that same pattern was just pretending to play it. It's not about chops. It's tone, phrasing, timing, and maybe something else.

He's truly amazing.

James

Sandy's playing on "Tristes Lamentos" and (I think that is him too on) "Palo Yaya" from the World Network Vol. 30 CD compilation should convince anybody.

And what, nobody takes video there in Humboldt?

guarachon63 wrote:And what, nobody takes video there in Humboldt?

I'll answer Seisporocho and you both here.. Officially no.. We're not supposed to. Unofficially a tiny bit here and there. I got a little bit at one of the nightly jams,, but again it just didn't catch the essence of what was going on. It isn't worth sharing,, if we did, we'd be reprimanded and they might crack down harder on their official stance that video recording at the camp is not allowed.
I don't know what it is.. Maybe Sandy's so mesmerizing that you fail to get that moment recorded because you're standing there in awe with your mouth open..

I do have a pretty good recording of an Arara type bembe with Sandy on a Segundo where he's trading some really interesting phrasing with Mike Spiro on the Caja. It's quite impressive. Maybe when I get around to it, I could share a clip of that.. But it is just sound.

Dave

I can respect that, among other things the prohibition definitely will enhance the experience for the potential video-tapers - and the players as well. I am sure they want everybody getting into it and not having 15 people pointing video cameras (or phones or whatever) at them.

Guarachon,

Where can I here the World Network Vol. 30 CD? I was able to find different volumes upto 29. Then, the same site wouldn't give me any results for Vol 30.
Maybe you can post a clip on here.....

I posted some rare compiliation-only and other tracks from ACdM a whilel back on my blog:

http://esquinarumbera.blogspot.com/2006/11/afrocuba-de-matanzas-12-rarities.html

saludos
barry
PS I since found out that "La Viola de Homero" is actually by Los Papines, but with Virulilla y Saldiguera on vocals it sure fooled me. Gotta fix that.