Tata Guines Passed Away - Aristides Soto, El Tata

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Postby Changuiri » Sun Feb 10, 2008 4:35 pm

niallgregory wrote:very sad news.I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING HIM AND HAVING A PHOTO TAKEN WITH HIM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN THE TOWN OF GUINES .IT WAS DEC 4TH SO EVERYONE WAS DRESSED IN RED AND THERE WAS SOME SERIOUS CELEBRATIONS FOR SHANGO GOING ON ! TATA GOT UP AND PLAYED QUINTO WITH LOS RUMBEROS DE CUBA .IT WAS AN HONOUR TO SEE HIM PLAY IN THE FLESH .I HAVE IT SOMEWHERE ON VIDEO , I SHOULD PUT IT ON YOUTUBE I SUPPOSE .RIP......

as soon as you can brother!
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Postby Isaac » Sun Feb 10, 2008 4:51 pm

Its up to us now
to carry on
Tata's legacy.
He'll be smiling down upon us.

ISAAC GUTWILIK
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Postby JohnnyConga » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:21 pm

Hey guys check out what TATA GUINES had to say about the 'new" way of expression on the conga drum....I myself heartly agree....I couldnt have said it any better...so for you young lions out there take heed and leasrn from this, yhou can only become a better drummer because of it...From Rhythm Music Magazine (now Global Rhythm) Interview with Tata Guines 1998 :

Today, he declares, "I am happy that in many countries I am recognized and
respected as a pioneer of the drum." But he has serious reservations about
modern refinements of conga technique. "The one thing I am against and will
never be in favor of," he says, "is to take the technique of the drum set to
the conga drum. The conga is a basic instrument, an instrument of
accompaniment. It carries the rhythm and guides the band in coordination
with the bass. The proof is in the records we've made and recorded over the
years that have served as a model.

"But now I don't understand anything when these congueros are soloing,
because there is no base, no rhythmic concept. I think the most beautiful
thing is to do your solo and have the audience understand what you are
saying; otherwise, it's a machine-gun throwing bullets everywhere.

Listen to Chano Pozo, Candido Camero, Mongo Santamaria-they are completely
distinct. You have to spend your energy learning the basics and the
fundamentals.

"This is my word of advice to today's conga players-that they ultimately
respect the instrument and don't get caught up in the war of 'I can play
more than you; I can play faster than you.' The speed on the conga drum is
something I created. It's in the recordings."

>
Johnny Conga..... :D
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Postby Thomas Altmann » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:34 pm

... what TATA GUINES had to say about the 'new" way of expression on the conga drum....


stamped & signed, TA
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Postby jorge » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:08 pm

Thanks JC for that quote. Those words of wisdom from Tata Guines ring true. What he is calling "maching gun" sound, Puntilla has called "maiz tostado" (popcorn), the sound of random slaps in rolls without an underlying rhythm. A lot of modern conga players play solos without a consistent time structure, without rhythm, out of cultural context, and definitely without clave. SOME of them succeed in producing solos that make some sense rhythmically and/or harmonically, but a lot of the "solos" we hear make no sense at all.

As Tata is saying, "But now I don't understand anything when these congueros are soloing, because there is no base, no rhythmic concept. I think the most beautiful thing is to do your solo and have the audience understand what you are saying; otherwise, it's a machine-gun throwing bullets everywhere."

The solos sound like conga hand and speed exercises on steroids, no groove, sin sabor, completely undanceable. Undanceable is important, because most of the music we play on congas is dance music, and our audience is dancing to the music. The good dancers can understand even really complex rhythmic statements that fit into the basic rhythm they are dancing, but when you lose the rhythm, they don't understand the solo. Pure opinions, but it looks like those of us that share these opinions are in good company.




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Postby Congadelica » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:06 pm

Signed and stamped CD.

what wise words < i would have given anything to just spend half an hour with Tata . may you rest in peace Abure .

Gracis JC :cool:
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Postby zumbi » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:42 pm

thank you for sharing, jc
yes jorge: danceability is the key.
evolution of the instrument technique yes , but always in the groove...
and the drum is suppose to speak, so as the great tata say, it has to be understood by the audience otherwise it has no meaning
peace & blessings
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Postby Changuiri » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:40 pm

GREAT LESSON INDEED.
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Postby ralph » Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:55 pm

great words JC, and Jorge...i too struggle between trying to dance the solo and trying to throw in as many riffs as i can...(It must be the folly of youth!) This serves as a reminder to consciously contruct a solo that is not only technically proficient but also culturally and rhythmically sound...Tata is the yardstick for this kind of soloing...if i can add a quote here, i think Willie El Ruso out of the Bronx said it best..."Whenever I hear a conguero play a machine gun solo, i just go up to him and whisper two words in his ear....Tommy Lopez..."



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Postby JohnnyConga » Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:29 pm

Hi Ralph ..I didnt know u knew my Compadre Willie....I am the one who gave him his first conga and taught him how to play....when he was just 22....he got kinda of a late start but he has gone on to play with a variety of artists like Dave Valentin and others in New York...we came up together in the 'rumba wars' of Central Park and the South Bronx....we still talk almost everyday.....he is also a "Bembero" having worked with Totico for over 11 years and over 600 Bembe's...and he's right about the Great Tommy Lopez.... :D Johnny Conga....

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Postby ralph » Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:53 pm

JC, we chat regularly on messenger...i think he's even brought you on while i was on, in fact the other day he was listening to your show, he told me about it and i even got a chance to catch the last ten mintues...i'll make sure to tune in next sat...Willie is a great player and person...i've been trying to persuade him to join the congaforum...we'll see...
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Postby Coco » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:54 am

Omelenko wrote:Tata, probably the most imitated of all tumbadores in the world. His work on Cachao's "Descargas En Miniaturas" and on Peruchin's "Incendiary Piano" was "escuelita" for all of us rumberos over 50.

Man. I just got the Incendiary Piano recording on vinyl and I have to say Tata kills on this.....it's maybe even better than the Descargas en Miniatura . He should have shared headline billing with Peruchin on this.

Thanks to Dario for the heads up and to El Tata for leaving these gems for us to discover....

Pa' Gozar!




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Orlando "Puntilla" Rios

Postby JConga » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:03 pm

Man what a week loosing all these entertainers...We have now lost a MAJOR force in the world of Rumba-"Puntilla".

Orlando "Puntilla" Rios, one of the greats of anya and rumba passed away this morning in Montifiore hospital in the Bronx. May Shango accompany him to ile Olorun. We have truly lost one of the greats..

This was yesterday....May he rest in peace and keep the Rumba alive with Mongo,Ray B,Tata,Patato,and Tito.....Johnny Conga....
guiro- puntilla, skip- amma mcken.jpg
Puntilla is sitting behind the congas....
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Re: Tata Guines Passed Away - Aristides Soto, El Tata

Postby blackflag » Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:54 am

We all die but at least he gave us enough before it came to him. RIP..
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Re: Tata Guines Passed Away - Aristides Soto, El Tata

Postby s'chopp » Sat May 26, 2012 1:19 pm

Whip crack slaps, Nice solo Tata!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqDypeXP0Ak
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