Humboldt
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by windhorse » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:43 am
Sunday 22nd July: Yesterday I saw two lectures in the afternoon. First one was given by David Penelosa. It was about how to find the clave in the bata. It was quite revealing! You could see how a two or three note motif on the etotele would signify where clave starts. The second was a historical perspective on Haitiano influence in Cuban culture, song, and dance. It was really cool too, especially when they played a few songs.
Last night went and played at the Rumba after the salsa dance class. It was a nice warm-up to the upcoming week! This morning going to have breakfast with James.
Posted by Dave on Sunday, July 22, 2007 at 7:17 AM
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Dave
Monday 21st:
Yesterday I went to the first of six days with Mike Spiro's quinto class. He broke down the "structure" of the quinto and how it fit into the phrasing of the tumba and segundo patterns. It was a nice way to look at the part. We got a homework assignment of memorizing the "ride" which apparently the founder of Los Monequitos who just died a few days ago created. So, several of us went out in the courtyard after that and worked on how it fit with clave, then how it fit with the drum matrix. Last night we then practiced it again in a rather squirrely and large practice which a bunch of folks sort of glommed into.
Last night went to a rumba party at one of the gals that helps run the camp. Reynaldo was in rare form as always, and Sandy was a monster on the tumba!
Woohoo!! It's full on now!
Posted by Dave on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 8:19 AM
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Dave
Wed. 23rd:
Last night was the beach party! They moved it up this year to earlier in the week. Not sure why, but it was a blast as always! I took a carload of people up to see the redwoods about an hour north of Arcata before the party. The redwoods were spectacular! The smell of wood, the sunlight filtering through the trees, the soft sounds of a brook over flattened stones, the moss hanging on the trees,, it was all really something. Added to that were the giggles, singing, and dancing of the pixies that went with James and I. Three beautiful girls who are dancers, and one a drummer joined us on the expedition north. They were so cute that it made for a wonderful time. That night, getting back home after the party was a shuffle of riders as usual. The three girls all got separate rides, and I took a pair back who had lost the key to their car, and one other gal who's ride had already gone.
I've had three days of quinto class with Mike Spiro, and we are really getting some good instruction on phrasing of rides. The Lick, Lick, Lick, part concept; how it loops around back to the second half of clave... Good stuff!!
The food isn't bad,,, but it isn't good either. Institutional food is difficult to make taste good I'm sure.
Posted by Dave on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 8:26 AM
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Dave
It's Thursday now, and we're totally in the groove with things here at the camp. Last night was amazing! So much learning going on everywhere!!!! Our group worked on quinto "spirology" where we work on a part through two measures, then a ride through 3 1/2 measures, then back to the part. That would then call the tumba which starts their call on the 1, and the segundo would then respond after the 3. It was really cool! Then, later a gal came in who had been working on a timbale ride-change sequence on timbales. She joined with a guy who wanted to work on a two drum songo, while Zoie, our quinto expert worked on quinto "spirology", while I played son clave. The whole night was very inspirational to be surrounded by so many other dedicated learners!! This morning back to song class where we've now learned three different roads for three different Orishas - Ochosi, Ogun, and Obatala. It's awesome! Tomorrow I'll start bringing my recorder to class to catch the whole thing.
I'm loving it!!
Posted by Dave on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 1:13 PM
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Dave
It's now Friday morning. and I'm so tired I can hardly type. I'm planning on heading back to bed to get a few more hours of sleep. Everyone was up late last night at a Rumba party at another house close by. It was crowded, loud, hot and sweaty in there which is pretty much how it goes when everyone at the camp is invited to all the parties! Sandy Perez and I went around to the back of the house at one point to see if we could get in from the back since it was hard to get to the back room through the front of the house, and we could hear the music really well from there. A couple of pretty girls were dancing back there.. It sounded so good that Sandy felt the tug to get back in and play. I left early.
Last night, before the party, the practice session was really fun!! I got into some of the patterns I knew on the quinto and was able to punctuate the ending of phrases with the classic ride that we learned from Spiro's class! For me, that was the main accomplishment or culmination to the workshop. I realize I may not always be able to do that, but it's a start on the long road of playing quinto like you mean it. I recorded the popular class with Jesus Diaz last night where we played Mozambique, Palon, and Merengue. Also, the singing class this morning where we learned two different Rumba songs. I also learned a few things about the levels that I'll need for recording. It was good exercise to get a nice clean recording of the song class tomorrow! Should be a good one!
I'm already feeling that hollow sad feeling in the pit of my stomach in anticipation of this year's end to the camp.
Posted by Dave on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 10:59 AM
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Dave
Sat morning at camp, and we just had our final song class.. Spiro, Perez, Lamsen, and our lead singer lady (can't remember her name dang it) went through the four Orishas while the guys played bata, then we did three guanguanco songs!! It was really fun and the choir was great! Good vibes! I think I got some good recordings of it.
Yesterday James and I played hookie from our final drum class and went to a little park at the edge of the campus and worked on Sandy's Columbia which I had scripted and recorded. Then some rumba as the sun was setting.. It was surreal and very nice.
Last night a bunch from our camp went to a local bar where Dave Penalosa was sitting in with a local Salsa band. They were pretty good, and Dave was great! Then, on their set break a bunch of our rumberos, like Pili who was visiting from the Bay area, played a rumba on the dance floor.. The energy of the crowd lifted a noticeable level as everyone crowded onto the dance floor and went into a frenzy.. Pili's quinto playing was impeccable and very stylish! The kid can play!! Howie played a bunch of tumba, and Dave P played a bunch of segundo.. I always notice that anything folkloric on acoustic instruments seems to get people in the heart much more readily than electronic or amplified music..
I'm going to get cleaned up, wash some clothes and organize some stuff today.
Posted by Dave on Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 10:49 AM
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Dave
Today is Mon. Aug. 30th.
I'm at Stan's place in Oregon. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get a song lesson from Jans.
I also want to visit my friend Tom. Yesterday I drove from the camp about 400 miles from Arcata to Corvalis Or. Last night my friend Bongo and I played drums. It was great fun after being at such a rocking camp where I'd done a bunch of practice and learning.
Sat. night during the camp, everyone who was left went to one of the director's houses; Anne's. Her house was all wood, and quite beautiful! It was larger than most houses owned by a single person, but very airy from large windowed doors and bay windows. The plants were beautiful, and there were candles in every room. Many of them! The drummers and singers were out, and it was the finest of all the rumbas I've ever witnessed! Pili was a monster quinto player,, but so was Johnny, Charlie, Collin, Sandy, Jesus, Mike, David, and some of the students as well! The two things that stuck out to me as extra special moments that evening were - first: Johnny Santos reading his new poem over a Yambu, then the akpon and coro to the song he also wrote about Cha Cha. who just died a few weeks ago. It was heartwarming and beautiful! The man's voice is like butter... It was awesome.
The second: Charlie playing quinto and leading the Akpon simultaneously. All week, we had witnessed the finest rumberos in the world playing their very inspirational and musically perfect stuff. But, Charlie, who came with Jesus Diaz, seemed to be here at the camp under the capacity of being Jesus's accompaniest. He played only piano and no drum in the class when I took Jesus's class.
Then, in the teacher's evening performance, he didn't play percussion. Instead, he played trumbone. So, that evening when he pulled out all the stops at his turn on the lead drums, I was very surprised! I didn't even know the guy was a rumbero at all! He very well might have been my favorite one on quinto all night,,, and we had seen Pili! Whooo! What a night!?!? I was up until 4:00AM, and didn't even care! Normally, I'd be comotose under those conditions.
I've been eating good food! Had breakfast this morning in Corvalis, and lunch today at Marco's It's a great health food restaurant in the Multnomah area of Portland.
OK, I'll set up my tent and be camping out tonight in Stan's backyard! It's really beautiful here with Susan's wonderful flowers all around the yard, and the nice apple tree in the back.
Posted by Dave on Monday, July 30, 2007 at 6:11 PM
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Last night went and played at the Rumba after the salsa dance class. It was a nice warm-up to the upcoming week! This morning going to have breakfast with James.
Posted by Dave on Sunday, July 22, 2007 at 7:17 AM
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Dave
Monday 21st:
Yesterday I went to the first of six days with Mike Spiro's quinto class. He broke down the "structure" of the quinto and how it fit into the phrasing of the tumba and segundo patterns. It was a nice way to look at the part. We got a homework assignment of memorizing the "ride" which apparently the founder of Los Monequitos who just died a few days ago created. So, several of us went out in the courtyard after that and worked on how it fit with clave, then how it fit with the drum matrix. Last night we then practiced it again in a rather squirrely and large practice which a bunch of folks sort of glommed into.
Last night went to a rumba party at one of the gals that helps run the camp. Reynaldo was in rare form as always, and Sandy was a monster on the tumba!
Woohoo!! It's full on now!
Posted by Dave on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 8:19 AM
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Dave
Wed. 23rd:
Last night was the beach party! They moved it up this year to earlier in the week. Not sure why, but it was a blast as always! I took a carload of people up to see the redwoods about an hour north of Arcata before the party. The redwoods were spectacular! The smell of wood, the sunlight filtering through the trees, the soft sounds of a brook over flattened stones, the moss hanging on the trees,, it was all really something. Added to that were the giggles, singing, and dancing of the pixies that went with James and I. Three beautiful girls who are dancers, and one a drummer joined us on the expedition north. They were so cute that it made for a wonderful time. That night, getting back home after the party was a shuffle of riders as usual. The three girls all got separate rides, and I took a pair back who had lost the key to their car, and one other gal who's ride had already gone.
I've had three days of quinto class with Mike Spiro, and we are really getting some good instruction on phrasing of rides. The Lick, Lick, Lick, part concept; how it loops around back to the second half of clave... Good stuff!!
The food isn't bad,,, but it isn't good either. Institutional food is difficult to make taste good I'm sure.
Posted by Dave on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 8:26 AM
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Dave
It's Thursday now, and we're totally in the groove with things here at the camp. Last night was amazing! So much learning going on everywhere!!!! Our group worked on quinto "spirology" where we work on a part through two measures, then a ride through 3 1/2 measures, then back to the part. That would then call the tumba which starts their call on the 1, and the segundo would then respond after the 3. It was really cool! Then, later a gal came in who had been working on a timbale ride-change sequence on timbales. She joined with a guy who wanted to work on a two drum songo, while Zoie, our quinto expert worked on quinto "spirology", while I played son clave. The whole night was very inspirational to be surrounded by so many other dedicated learners!! This morning back to song class where we've now learned three different roads for three different Orishas - Ochosi, Ogun, and Obatala. It's awesome! Tomorrow I'll start bringing my recorder to class to catch the whole thing.
I'm loving it!!
Posted by Dave on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 1:13 PM
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Dave
It's now Friday morning. and I'm so tired I can hardly type. I'm planning on heading back to bed to get a few more hours of sleep. Everyone was up late last night at a Rumba party at another house close by. It was crowded, loud, hot and sweaty in there which is pretty much how it goes when everyone at the camp is invited to all the parties! Sandy Perez and I went around to the back of the house at one point to see if we could get in from the back since it was hard to get to the back room through the front of the house, and we could hear the music really well from there. A couple of pretty girls were dancing back there.. It sounded so good that Sandy felt the tug to get back in and play. I left early.
Last night, before the party, the practice session was really fun!! I got into some of the patterns I knew on the quinto and was able to punctuate the ending of phrases with the classic ride that we learned from Spiro's class! For me, that was the main accomplishment or culmination to the workshop. I realize I may not always be able to do that, but it's a start on the long road of playing quinto like you mean it. I recorded the popular class with Jesus Diaz last night where we played Mozambique, Palon, and Merengue. Also, the singing class this morning where we learned two different Rumba songs. I also learned a few things about the levels that I'll need for recording. It was good exercise to get a nice clean recording of the song class tomorrow! Should be a good one!
I'm already feeling that hollow sad feeling in the pit of my stomach in anticipation of this year's end to the camp.
Posted by Dave on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 10:59 AM
[Remove] [Reply to this]
Dave
Sat morning at camp, and we just had our final song class.. Spiro, Perez, Lamsen, and our lead singer lady (can't remember her name dang it) went through the four Orishas while the guys played bata, then we did three guanguanco songs!! It was really fun and the choir was great! Good vibes! I think I got some good recordings of it.
Yesterday James and I played hookie from our final drum class and went to a little park at the edge of the campus and worked on Sandy's Columbia which I had scripted and recorded. Then some rumba as the sun was setting.. It was surreal and very nice.
Last night a bunch from our camp went to a local bar where Dave Penalosa was sitting in with a local Salsa band. They were pretty good, and Dave was great! Then, on their set break a bunch of our rumberos, like Pili who was visiting from the Bay area, played a rumba on the dance floor.. The energy of the crowd lifted a noticeable level as everyone crowded onto the dance floor and went into a frenzy.. Pili's quinto playing was impeccable and very stylish! The kid can play!! Howie played a bunch of tumba, and Dave P played a bunch of segundo.. I always notice that anything folkloric on acoustic instruments seems to get people in the heart much more readily than electronic or amplified music..
I'm going to get cleaned up, wash some clothes and organize some stuff today.
Posted by Dave on Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 10:49 AM
[Remove] [Reply to this]
Dave
Today is Mon. Aug. 30th.
I'm at Stan's place in Oregon. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get a song lesson from Jans.
I also want to visit my friend Tom. Yesterday I drove from the camp about 400 miles from Arcata to Corvalis Or. Last night my friend Bongo and I played drums. It was great fun after being at such a rocking camp where I'd done a bunch of practice and learning.
Sat. night during the camp, everyone who was left went to one of the director's houses; Anne's. Her house was all wood, and quite beautiful! It was larger than most houses owned by a single person, but very airy from large windowed doors and bay windows. The plants were beautiful, and there were candles in every room. Many of them! The drummers and singers were out, and it was the finest of all the rumbas I've ever witnessed! Pili was a monster quinto player,, but so was Johnny, Charlie, Collin, Sandy, Jesus, Mike, David, and some of the students as well! The two things that stuck out to me as extra special moments that evening were - first: Johnny Santos reading his new poem over a Yambu, then the akpon and coro to the song he also wrote about Cha Cha. who just died a few weeks ago. It was heartwarming and beautiful! The man's voice is like butter... It was awesome.
The second: Charlie playing quinto and leading the Akpon simultaneously. All week, we had witnessed the finest rumberos in the world playing their very inspirational and musically perfect stuff. But, Charlie, who came with Jesus Diaz, seemed to be here at the camp under the capacity of being Jesus's accompaniest. He played only piano and no drum in the class when I took Jesus's class.
Then, in the teacher's evening performance, he didn't play percussion. Instead, he played trumbone. So, that evening when he pulled out all the stops at his turn on the lead drums, I was very surprised! I didn't even know the guy was a rumbero at all! He very well might have been my favorite one on quinto all night,,, and we had seen Pili! Whooo! What a night!?!? I was up until 4:00AM, and didn't even care! Normally, I'd be comotose under those conditions.
I've been eating good food! Had breakfast this morning in Corvalis, and lunch today at Marco's It's a great health food restaurant in the Multnomah area of Portland.
OK, I'll set up my tent and be camping out tonight in Stan's backyard! It's really beautiful here with Susan's wonderful flowers all around the yard, and the nice apple tree in the back.
Posted by Dave on Monday, July 30, 2007 at 6:11 PM
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windhorse - Posts: 1452
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
- Location: Boulder/CO
by congalero » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:05 am
hey dave,
thank you for taking the time to post your journal of the humbolt experience; great stuff. it was also good to meet you over at la pena with james. i am in portland for a week. if you are around here give me a call if you get the chance.
cheers
brian 415-713-9988
thank you for taking the time to post your journal of the humbolt experience; great stuff. it was also good to meet you over at la pena with james. i am in portland for a week. if you are around here give me a call if you get the chance.
cheers
brian 415-713-9988
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congalero - Posts: 164
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:15 pm
- Location: San Francisco
by Congadelica » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:29 pm
Dave ,'Thanks for sharing with us what sounds like a fun packed week you had . I am very envious . I intend to do a similar workshop in the near future here in the UK.
I would love to hear some of your recorded stuff specially the poetry with Yambu by Johnny .
I hope your not offended in me asking , If youwant to keep it private thats cool is there any you stuff from your rumba in the Park or La pena?
Once again thanks bro , I really enjoyd this thread .
marco
I would love to hear some of your recorded stuff specially the poetry with Yambu by Johnny .
I hope your not offended in me asking , If youwant to keep it private thats cool is there any you stuff from your rumba in the Park or La pena?
Once again thanks bro , I really enjoyd this thread .
marco
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Congadelica - Posts: 738
- Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:00 pm
by davidpenalosa » Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:08 am
Here's a link to some photos taken by Flaco at the workshop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62317051@N00/
Thanks for the memories...
-david
Edited By davidpenalosa on 1185941361
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62317051@N00/
Thanks for the memories...
-david
Edited By davidpenalosa on 1185941361
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davidpenalosa - Posts: 1151
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 6:44 pm
- Location: CA
by Mike » Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:22 am
Thanks for sharing the great photos, David!
It´s a pleasure to watch them. You can really see the intensity of the workshops and the fun everybody has had.
I wish I could have been there, too!
Greetings
Mike
It´s a pleasure to watch them. You can really see the intensity of the workshops and the fun everybody has had.
I wish I could have been there, too!
Greetings
Mike
Peace & drum
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Mike - Posts: 2193
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 6:00 pm
- Location: Germany
by windhorse » Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:14 pm
Congadelica wrote:I would love to hear some of your recorded stuff specially the poetry with Yambu by Johnny .
I hope your not offended in me asking , If youwant to keep it private thats cool is there any you stuff from your rumba in the Park or La pena?
Hi Marco,
All that I got were two drum classes, and they're only for study. Nothing much to hear there. The other was the final song class, and that's only for study purposes as well.
They aren't good enough for anyone to really reproduce them, so I'm not worried about giving CD copies out to people that want to learn from the recording. I will try to get it down to CD when I get home.
I didn't record any shows.. Too bad since most of it was smoking hot! Probably a good thing.. This way I won't be tempted break confidentiality.
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windhorse - Posts: 1452
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
- Location: Boulder/CO
by 109-1176549166 » Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:14 pm
David, 
I second Congalero's comments. Great pictures, indeed! Particularly, those with the landscape as the background or the subject itself. Good composition!
This is coming from one ("moi") who was a serious amateur photographer and who pursued photography with the same passion during the mid-80s to throughout the 90s (when my children were little and growing up) that I'm doing currently with percussion.
BTW, I easily noticed pictures of Isla tumbadoras (including some red ones similar to mine) and batas. You can easily spot them 'cause of their distinctively-shaped stainless steel rims.
Mario Punchard of Isla Percussion mentioned to me on the phone about this event in Humboldt and highly encouraged me to attend it. Unfortunately, I already had prior engagements.
Nevertheless, some of these awesome percussion artists in the pictures live practically within my "neighborhood" and are, therefore, within reach for watching and learning! I feel tremendously blessed!
Edited By mjtuazon on 1185999992
I second Congalero's comments. Great pictures, indeed! Particularly, those with the landscape as the background or the subject itself. Good composition!
This is coming from one ("moi") who was a serious amateur photographer and who pursued photography with the same passion during the mid-80s to throughout the 90s (when my children were little and growing up) that I'm doing currently with percussion.
BTW, I easily noticed pictures of Isla tumbadoras (including some red ones similar to mine) and batas. You can easily spot them 'cause of their distinctively-shaped stainless steel rims.
Mario Punchard of Isla Percussion mentioned to me on the phone about this event in Humboldt and highly encouraged me to attend it. Unfortunately, I already had prior engagements.
Nevertheless, some of these awesome percussion artists in the pictures live practically within my "neighborhood" and are, therefore, within reach for watching and learning! I feel tremendously blessed!
Edited By mjtuazon on 1185999992
- 109-1176549166
by CongaTick » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:10 pm
Even without a sound track, the pictures resonate with rhythm and sound, as sharp as a quinto solo in one sequence of images, as sweetly insistent as a conga-tumba ride in the next, always marching beautifully, hip-swingingly graceful, a tumbao of fun, learning and borther/sisterhood. Thank you.
- CongaTick
- Posts: 1256
- Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:49 pm
by windhorse » Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:33 pm
More pics!
This one is James and Zoie
They are posing outside of Gist hall where we got our drum and song lessons each day.
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... n_Zoie.jpg
This one is James and Zoie
They are posing outside of Gist hall where we got our drum and song lessons each day.
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... n_Zoie.jpg
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windhorse - Posts: 1452
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
- Location: Boulder/CO
by windhorse » Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:46 pm
song class
Edited By windhorse on 1186156766
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... ngcls2.jpg
Edited By windhorse on 1186156766
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... ngcls2.jpg
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windhorse - Posts: 1452
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
- Location: Boulder/CO
by windhorse » Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:50 pm
Howie, the event organizer with the opening announcement at the show.
Edited By windhorse on 1186156713
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -show1.jpg
Edited By windhorse on 1186156713
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -show1.jpg
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windhorse - Posts: 1452
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
- Location: Boulder/CO
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