by onile » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:27 pm
Alafia Ni Abure JC!
I hope that you are well and in an abundance of blessings my friend!
I am honored to be able to contact you in this forum! I say this because I saw some information on you at another website while surfing the web (batadrums.com?), but when I clicked on your website, I couldn't get there. In anycase, here I am, and as I had stated before to Abakua, I'm as happy as a teenager on prom night that I've located this site/forum!
As for me, bueno soy de sangre boricua, nacido en Phoenix, AZ, y soy mas viejo que ayel y mas joven que manana!:laugh:
I grew up in a musical family, although local to my knowledge, my uncle was was a conga player in one of those groups back in the day, when they wore the big puffy sleeves. I believe they used to call them Orquesta Rumba! My mother used to always have music on in the house, salsa, but mainly Charanga (my personal favorite!). I bought my first conga drum (Mexican made) in 1970, and shortly bought the second one of the same model from a pawn shop. I'm mostly self taught, as the drumming community back in that time here in Phoenix was almost non existant. I have been playing locally with various groups ever since however. I play various local circuits, jazz, latin, resorts, corporate gigs, and basically those last minute gigs when contracts have been signed and groups have found themselves one man short!
Having been self taught, I have developed an incredible sense of timing (no shameless self promotion intended), that I come to a gig without rehearsing and nail it! Although, I must say this, I have one huge regret in life and that is never having learned to read music! I have the utmost respect for those of you who have mastered that ability! Adelante!
Currently, I'm struggeling to get my group together, "Charanga Melao!" I have a transcriber out there in your neck of the woods, actually he's in Bellvue, WA. He is the bass player for "Yerba Buena!", not the one on the east coast though. I understand there are two groups with virtually the same name!
For now, estoy cogiendolo con take-it-easy! Tirando un bembe en casa a veces, pero siempre rompiendo cuero!
Soy un tipo humilde, defendiendo lo mio cuando me llamen!
Espero seguir cominicando con ustedes tremendos caballeros!
Suave!
Que Nsambi les acutare pa' siempre!