by davidpenalosa » Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:03 am
Hi all,
I’ve just returned from my extended August vacation directly following the Arcata Afro-Cuban workshop. Please forgive the late response.
Dave:
>>"The count:
1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
In my notes, I've got the Tres-Dos making the first dialogue with the & after the 2 with right hand, and the 3 with right hand, and e after the three with left hand.. Correct?"
------O-OO------
me:
correct
Dave:
>>"And the Salidor responds with:
first tone with right hand on the e after the four, and the next tone with left handon the a before the one, and the last tone on the one with the right hand. Correct?"
-------------O-O
O----------------
me:
correct again
Dave:
>>"Does the Salidor go ahead and hit the remainder of it's normal phrase? Tone after the Bombo,, etc.."
me:
In this particular Muñequitos "invento" the salidor (low drum) does not play it’s normal tone (called ponche) leading into main beat 3. This is taken from the Muñequitos song "La polemica". I was fortunate to study a video of them playing the song live in Matanzas. Basically, the segundo plays in the first have of clave, while the tumba plays in the second half. The segundo holds its part while the tumba talks. The same approach is found with the tumba playing the first ponche instead of segundo, like it usually does.
Dave:
>>"Also, you had mentioned the "Ponche" many times in our classes, and a friend of mine just mentioned it last night. Could you explain the "ponche".??"
La polemica
Me:
Ponche is the pick-up before main beat 1 and 3. Ponche is 2+ and 4+. The most common basic supportive drum part in an Afro-Cuban ensemble emphasizes ponche: bembe, iyesá, makuta, palo, abakuá, columbia, yambú, guaguancó , comparsa and the modern conga band marcha. The term "ponche" is most often used in reference to the common unison breaks emphasizing the ponche pulse. The constant emphasis of the ponche by the conga marcha is a basic motif in the song’s background. The significance of a ponche break in salsa is that the ponche is momentarily brought to the foreground.
Dave:
>>"the meaning of "PONCHE" - it's the tumbao, or the third note of tresillo,, and the BOMBO is the second note of tresillo."
Me:
In 6/8 you also have bombo and ponche:
||1 x B 2 P x 3 x B 4 P x||
B = bombo
P = ponche
Regardless if it’s in 4/4 or 6/8, bombo is 1a and 3a and ponche is 2+ and 4+:
6/8
||1+a2+a3+a4+a||
4/4
||1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a||
-David