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Hello everybody.

From what I know, the 'regular' martillo, as we know it nowadays, with the "two bar lock", was first played by Papa Kila with Arsenio Rodriguez. But I could be wrong.

The glissando effect goes even further back to Haitian drumming

Yes... and no. It's very common in Haitian drumming indeed, but in other cultures too. In the whole Caribbean, of course, but not only : I've seen some Congolese drummers play this note too, which has several names : "bramido" in Spanish, "moose call" in English, "glissando" and "portamento" in classical music terms, and also (I read that recently) "sia" (I'm not sure of the right spelling). An ex girl friend of mine called it "make the cow" when she heard me play it.

An ex girl friend of mine called it "make the cow" when she heard me play it.

Love it!!

Thomas

Hi there,

Thomas Altmann wrote:The video confirms what you learned about the evolution of bongo playing.

Listening to Manana's story, I get the impression that in the 1920's, the Oriente was still the place to go for studying bongo.

That's right! I'm pretty sure I watched that documentary some years ago. I think I've read the same explanation somewhere else too, but I can't remember where. The story about Manana's catching a train to Oriente and learning to play bongó in order to avoid laying bricks with Piñeiro is hilarious! Oriente must have been the true school of bongó indeed.

Thomas Altmann wrote:The glissando effect goes even further back to Haitian drumming.

Chtimulato wrote:It's very common in Haitian drumming indeed, but in other cultures too. In the whole Caribbean, of course, but not only : I've seen some Congolese drummers play this note too, which has several names

Apparently, in the ritual part of Abakuá there is also some secret glissando involved, emulating the roar of a leopard. I guess that must have come directly from the Calabar to Eastern Cuba. But it seems that the Haitian influence in Cuban music and culture is undeniable - especially if John Santos says so. The way Andrés Sotolongo plays it there reminds me very much of how it is used by changüiseros like Tavera, sometimes repeating/alternating the same phrase with strokes and glissando technique. The technique on the bongó de monte is usually done only with one hand, and without licking any fingers!

Chtimulato wrote:From what I know, the 'regular' martillo, as we know it nowadays, with the "two bar lock", was first played by Papa Kila with Arsenio Rodriguez. But I could be wrong.

I suppose the explanation given in the documentary is just for the basic 1-bar martillo. You mean the typical 2-bar pattern with macho accents on 4+ and 3+ (yes, or the other way around ), right?

But it seems that the Haitian influence in Cuban music and culture is undeniable

- Especially in the province of Oriente.

Apparently, in the ritual part of Abakuá there is also some secret glissando involved, emulating the roar of a leopard. I guess that must have come directly from the Calabar to Eastern Cuba.

Are you sure you dont mean the Ekue drum, a friction drum comparable in its sound production to a Brazilian cuica?

Thomas

You mean the typical 2-bar pattern with macho accents on 4+ and 3+ [...], right?

Yes.

Are you sure you dont mean the Ekue drum, a friction drum comparable in its sound production to a Brazilian cuica?

I believe so.

Apparently, in the ritual part of Abakuá there is also some secret glissando involved, emulating the roar of a leopard

Remember Calabar is the region of the Leopard Men society, a kind of secret "upholders of the law". For the anecdote, my father in law did his military service in the early 60s in Gabon, which is south of Cameroon, and he also told me about the Leopard Men, who were apparently also active there. But he couldn't tell me more about it.

Thomas Altmann wrote:Are you sure you dont mean the Ekue drum, a friction drum comparable in its sound production to a Brazilian cuica?

Yes, I think that's the drum I meant. Never seen one, so... I guess no glissando for "making the leopard" My bad!

On a side note, musicologist María Teresa Linares, the woman who explains the origin of the martillo in the documentary posted by Thomas, died last January at the age of 100.
"She has dedicated her life as a professor and Cuban Music researcher", Wikipedia dixit. I have seen her in other documentaries discussing topics like punto guajiro or tonadas trinitarias, and it was always a pleasure to listen to her. DEP.

Thanks for the info, Siete Leguas.

She was a main figure in Cuban musicology, at least post-revolution. She produced and directed most of the Antología de la música afrocubana field recordings and wrote the cover notes, for example. Her articles appeared in important books and magazines.

What can you say if somebody makes it to the hundred? I only hope that even her last years had been worth living ...

Thomas