What's best on folkloric style of rumba etc. - instructional books, videos on ..

[Quinto Governor II]

Yeah Johnny definitely not rumba but, but its all we have. Like I said, not enough people here who are into it. Yeah, I check out Rumba Club a lot, although I have taken a break from them recently. They were working on material for a new cd last time I saw them, maybe its time I check them out again. I remember a few years back I was watching the show and one of the members(Rudy) gestured to me to come up and play Guiro during the last song of there first set. I still can't play guiro that well. I was flattered and wanted to, but was too scared to except. I guess dressing the part of a rumbero can get you in trouble sometime :>) He probably recognize me from being at many of their shows and thought like you said, I was a player.
But yeah, they are a great band, and speaking of finesse as opposed to flashiness and chops, well Sam Turner their conguero is from the old school like yourself in that regard. And your quite welcome Johnny.

[JohnnyConga]

Sam and I grew up at the same time in NYC-60's and 70's, we worked with some of the same musicians and bands, but I'm not sure if we had ever met....IF u see him please ask him for me "what ever happened to "Mousie" the piano player?.....he was a mutual friend of ours...Sam is a Great player!....and has been around as long as I have, I will be 59 this August....I guess he is the same age...."JC" Johnny Conga....

[Changuiri]

Quinto Governor II,
IF THEY WERE COOL ENOUGH TO ASK YOU TO PLAY THEN YOU NEED TO BE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO ASK THEM TO TEACH YOU. THAT'S FOR REAL. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU GOT, DON'T THINK IT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.

[korman]

Johny, I agree to your point, and if I had a teacher in my city I'd go to him, of course. But there are none.
So my thinking is that I can practice the various parts alone and maybe together with friends, so that when a guest teacher comes to my city, or if I travel abroad and meet someone, I can already learn playing rather than spend the valuable time just learning the basic parts.

[JohnnyConga]

Obviously Korman..where u live has a lot to do with how you will learn to play...there is No rumba where you are or teachers of the drum, so in your case dvd's and books are all you have...but you also have music to play along with and work out with your playing....listen to other recorded conga players with different bands and "copy" them....like I was told by my first teacher Hank Fields.".if you can play what they can play , how good are you?" I would also recommend you get together with others that are learning and learn together...."drum camaraderie" is also part of the learning process.....and sharing......"JC" Johnny Conga...

[blango]

As im sure most of us know, Rumba is a part of a folkloric tradition that can be easily understood as simply a complete culture.

Food, song, rhythm, dance, spiritual practice, even something as simple as how someone builds their home, or teaches their children.

Not to get too esoteric, Rumba is a grand collection of elements, one of which is the Tumbadora and the conversations and coordination of several players, singers (all those in attendance) and dancers.

In the states, the following places I am sure have a mature tradition: SF Bay area, LA, NY, New Orleans, or Miami. Up for moving the family?

If you can’t pursue your passion to that extent, I would watch any live footage of the folkloric families of Cuba. I wouldn’t only watch Havaneros either. Matanzas, Oriente, Santiago etc. if you can find it.

Cliff Brooks, and Spiro’s books are great. They are nice people, serious folklorists, and well worth supporting. Books can help, but its like brown sugar on a plantain, if you follow me.

Not to be an ass, but if you're not feeling so passionate about this specific tradition, please leave it to those who can play it with respect to the ancestors.

Tony

[yambu321]

I AGREE WITH JOHNNY CONGA. I TOO AM FROM THE BRONX. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY RUMBA BREAK DOWN VIDEOS. BUT THE FACT IS, LEARNING RHYTHMS IS NOT THE SAME AS WHEN YOU SIT IN A RUMBA. IN A RUMBA, EVERY DRUM, AND OR DRUMMER HAS A STUCTURED PART HE OR SHE HAS TO PLAY. ANY SMALL IMPROVS ARE DONE WITH IN THIS STRUCTURE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYONE AROUND THAT TRULY PLAYS RUMBA. WHAT I RECOMMEND IS, GET ALL THE RUMBA PERFORMANCE VIDEOS THE YOU CAN FIND, AND WATCH EACH DRUMMER CAREFULLY, MAKE IT A STUDY, AND LEARN EACH OF THE DRUMS PARTS, FOR EACH RHYTHM. PLAY ALONG WITH THE VIDEOS, BUT BE TRUE TO WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. FIND RUMBAS AND PARTICIPATE EVEN IF YOU GET BOOTED A FEW TIMES. IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, FIND OTHER FELLOW DRUMMERS AND WORK ON DOING YOUR VERY OWN RUMBAS. REMEMBER DON'T STRAY, AND STAY THE COURSE. TO LEARN RUMBA ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE IN A HANDICAPPED POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE AND BREATH RUMBA.

BUY THE CD'S, THE VIDEOS, HEAR THE RUMBAS IN YOUR HEAD AND ALSO INTERACT MENTALLY WITH WHAT YOU ARE IMAGINING. LEARN THE CLAVE, THE CATA, CAMPANA, AND SHEKERE. ALL THIS PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SCENE, AND IS INVALUABLE.

RUMBA GROUPS TO WATCH:

GRUPO AFRO-CUBA, YORUBA ANDABO,
OBBA TUKE, LOS CHINITOS, CHAGUITO.

GOOD LUCK, MY FRIEND.



Edited By yambu321 on 1194229537

[goingquinto]

This is a link to a pdf of my teacher's notes from over the years. There is a lot of information here. There is a suggested donation address where you can send $10 if you find the info useful, but there is no charge to download. There is cuban stuff and also alot of haitian rythyms. The cuban stuff is almost all Munequitos style stuff, all folkloric. With a couple of exceptions, like a basic 2 drum guaguanco, etc. There's also some basic bata repertoire. It is "yet another system of notation", but very easy to read. My teacher, Dave Lyons, reads other music and has been a bass player for years in addition to being a conguero. He came up with the system. There is an explanation of the notation, as well as some thoughts on rumba in general. Of course as usual it comes with the advice that you should really get a teacher to learn with in person. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.animaldreams.net/conganotation.html

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi goingquinto,

In addition to all that has been said so far, I'd like to advert you to Adrian Coburg in Switzerland who has compiled folkloric rhythms, incl. solo patterns, in a handwritten book he called "Drum Melodies of Afrocuban Music, Vol. I. Musica Folklorica, Percusión mayor y menor". I use this book occasionally to compare infos, differing versions etc, because I had already learned most of the folkloric stuff from teachers. It is certainly a source to consider. I think his homepage is at http://www.iyalodde.ch .

Thomas

[bongosnotbombs]

Thomas,
Can you give is a review of Adrian's books? There is not a lot of information
on them. I've been thinking of ordering a set.

[Thomas Altmann]

Thomas, can you give is a review of Adrian's books? There is not a lot of information on them. I've been thinking of ordering a set.

BNB:

It is kind of difficult and somewhat dangerous for me to do that. I do own the Oru Seco and Toques Especiales batá books and the already mentioned Música Folklórica, which he graciously gave to me as a present. I definitely use them, and I definitely learned something from them. However, I do not really use any book as a method that I would work through step by step; I'm not able to do that anymore, first of all, for the reason that - secondly - I don't believe in any exclusive school. Especially in Afro-Cuban music, there is no exclusive school and not just one single way to do things. If we keep that in mind - and the "we" is to include every book author and teacher in general - it's fine. To me, following and praizing a single personal "guru" was never an option. And reading in Adrian's foreword that in 1996 he became "authorized by the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba to teach afro-cuban percussion" evokes in me a feeling akin to claustrophobia, sorry.

TA

[guarachon63]

Just came across this new rumba instructional video from Javier Campos on youtube, seems to take a unique approach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfO5LYNnq60

[Thomas Altmann]

... this new rumba instructional video from Javier Campos ...

Looks like a great useful learning tool! Thanks for adverting us, Barry!

TA

[TONE74]

Anyone know how to purchase this dvd I searched online and got the website but no purchase info I e-mailed and got no response. Thanks

[JohnnyConga]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7Vx5us1xg48 here try this one on for size and tell me what u think..... also when doing this, though i don;''t show it, play for speed as well....plus in ur right hand try 2/3 and 3/2 Son clave then 2/3 and 3/2 Rumba clave in the right hand. Of course if your lefty, reverse it.....Johnny Conga...