Hector Lavoe's Agua nile

[vinnieludovico]

I am doing agua nile in a salsa band and the rumba guaguanco melody is ON the 3 side of clave(the way they used to play it in the 70's, of course )Any opinions on playing it Contra Clave (as played nowadays) or should it be done as recorded by Hector et al as a nod to that tradition.Any one care to comment ?
Vinnie (syr)

[ABAKUA]

Sup Vinnie, good to see you posting bro.

I also play this track (updated Marc Anthony/El Cantante version) with my 10 piece salsa band, and we play it as it should be played in terms of correctness to the afro cuban form. My blood boils, hairs on my neck stand up when I hear congas crossed with clave in guaguanco. Same with guaguanco bass lines being played with the guaguanco on congas.

We had a dep timbale player for a little while and he would always play the guaguanco part in the beggining and in the middle crusado (as in the recording), but our regular guy and I changed that and always play it the correct way.
In fact he holds rumba clave throughout the whole track, during the montuno sections I play a very open timba/descarga type tumbao which fits nicely around rumba clave and the bass and piano lines.

[vinnieludovico]

Thanks,I am going to follow your cue and bring these guys into the 21st century !