RUMBACHÉ: This Bay Area Latin dance band led by percussionist Patricio Angulo that presents a delightful blend of Salsa and Timba. It bubbles with youthful vibrancy and excellent musicality that creates a contagious pull towards the dance floor. Rumbaché has an outstanding performance resume having done shows at the San Jose Jazz Festival and New Orleans By The Bay as well as a steady string of club dates at Jelly’s, Café Cocomo, Elbo Room, Glas Kat, La Peña Cultural Center, The Cigar Bar & Grill, Montero’s and Shattuck Down-Low Lounge.
From original songs to Cuban classics, they are considered one of the few bands in the US playing Cuban Timba. As Timbaologist Kevin Moore has described: "One of the highlights of last weekend's San José Jazz Festival was an electrifying and deeply-timbafied version of Adalberto's "Si No Vas a Cocinar" played by the Northern California band Rumbaché, one of the few American groups to take up the challenge of playing Timba."
PATRICIO ANGULO: Originally from Los Angeles, Patricio studied classical percussion before discovering the world of Latin rhythms. In the Bay Area, he has studied intensively under world-renowned percussionist Michael Spiro, and has performed with local artists such as Dr. Loco and his Rockin’ Jalapeño Band, Fito Reinoso’s Ritmo y Armonía, Charanson, O-Maya and Orquesta D’Soul. He is also the director and founder of the critically acclaimed Latin jazz group, Sonando. I recently caught up with Patricio for the following Q&A.
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JV: Rumbache tore up this year's San Jose Jazz Festival. Tell us about the current manifestation of the group and the chemistry happening with the group which is very special.
PA: Rumbache's line-up has been very consistent in the last couple of years, and that has really allowed the chemistry of the group to manifest. Having subs all the time really just doesn't cut it for me. As a bandleader, I've pushed for that consistent line-up and I've been very happy with the results. That consistency has also allowed us to write and work up our original material, which has been extremely exciting. Rumbache's rhythm section includes Jason Moen on Keys and arrangements, Sam Bevan on bass and arrangements, Colin Douglas on Traps, Omar Ledezma on Congas (and lead vocals) and myself on Timbal (though us three percussionists do trade instruments depending on the gig). I've designed lots of cues to shift into various gears and breaks on the fly, so that adds to the overall stage show as well as keeps things fresh (some tunes aren't really ever done the same way twice). Kevin Moore from timba.com has written about that on our behalf, and he has been very pleased that we have taken on the timba tradition of having hand signals and gears to shift into.
The vocals include Lina Luna on lead, Omar on lead, and we've been mixing in Violeta Arroyo on coros, as well as a newcomer to the Bay Area, Yanill Nario, on lead vocals and coros. All are wonderful to work with, and both Lina and Omar have been writing lyrical material for Sam, Jason and myself to arrange with (and vice versa). Yanill has ideas cooking as well, so there is currently lots happening in our wolrd! For the SJJF, Omar was unavailable, so we had the pleasure to include Orlando Torriente on lead vocals.
On horns we have Darren Smith on Saxes, Mike Olmos and Ed Morrison on trumpet, and Jaime Dubberly on Trombone. For the SJJF, we had our old pal Bill Theurer up from LA in place of Ed since Ed is recovering from surgery. Dynamite horn section!
JV: When I ask people to describe Rumbache most respond as it being a Timba band. Are you just a Timba band?
PA: I think that's a partial fair description. For us, Timba is a Cuban style of playing music that mixes in different sytles of music (funk, rock, jazz, etc.) along with the standard salsa rhythms. We therefore play our own California style of Timba, which includes our heavy influences in American styles of music, as well as the Cuban music we've studied and fallen in love with. It's in essence our re-interpretation of the wonderful music coming out of Cuba. Since the majority of the group isn't Cuban, though, our "spin" on all of the above is what you hear. I say partial because while we play many Timba/Cuban favorites ("No Me Mires a Los Ojos," "Para Que Baile Cuba," "Ya No Hace Falta," "Si No Vas a Cocinar," and we're working on "Lola, Lola"), we also play a lot of classic the New York repertoire, depending on the club we are in. Add to that the fact that our originals are a blend of all of the above influences! Our show also includes some non-salsa elements. At live shows, we play segues that are either funk, reggae, gospel, folkloric rhythms, etc. In the long run, I think it will draw more dancers and listeners to our sound.
JV: You just put out a debut CD, what is the title and what were the challenges in putting it all together?
PA: The CD we just put out is actually a teaser CD in preparation for our first full length album. We recorded it at Club Jelly's in SF, so that's what it's called - Live at Jelly's. It includes 5 live tracks (some of them original like "Un Dia," by Lina, Jason and myself), as well as one of the studio tracks we've been working on - "Traemos la Musica" by Jason and Omar. Challenges of the live recording were deciding which tracks were good enough!! The CD itself is only available at live shows, though I've been sending some out as promo to DJ's, radio stations, etc. For the studio recording, one of challenges was making sure the songs are themselves good tunes with catchy coros. We recorded at a good friend's studio, Spliggityfidge (Kevin Weber out of Emeryville), in stages, so that has proven to be another challenge. We decided to go without a click track so the grooves were able to breath (as with much of the Cuban repertoire, it pushes along until the end).
JV: What's in the works for Rumbache in the future?
We hope to get our original music out into the world. We know that our vibe on stage is unique and also want to travel with that, so you can expect us to be hitting various cities out of the Bay Area in the next year or so. Hope to see new faces out and about!
JV: Gracias Patricio!
DESDE LA BAHIA - September 2008
EL SON ES LO MAS SUBLIME: The Cuban Son is a delightful flavor that the SF Bay Area has enjoyed since a revivalist movement in the 1970s re-introduced it to a new generation of intrigued Latin music fans. It was an experimental band called Tipica Cienfuegos that would dig deep into the roots of this Afro-Cuban expression. The ensemble first began as a charanga band, but when John Santos was asked to become its musical director, it became a group that explored a variety of branches of Cuban music. It was short lived unfortunately, and despite the fact the group only performed a handful of gigs, it planted seeds.
CONJUNTO CESPEDES: The emergence of Conjunto Cespedes is what permanently planted the Son in the musical fertile ground of la Bahia. Luis Cespedes was the big brother and a rumbero de corazon with a rum-and-cigar grit in his voice. He loved to party and could light up any event with this boundless eneregy. His little sister, Gladys "Bobi" Cespedes, on the other hand was a lovely young lady but who was so shy she almost had to be pushed up to the microphone when she sang. She didn't have much experience but her vocal talents were obvious. Their nephew, Guillermo Cespedes, would prove to be the foundation of the group as musical director. As a composer and tresero, Guillermo left a cultural depth that drew as much from Arsenio Rodriguez as it did from Nicolas Guillen. The group recorded a debut LP in 1984 titled, "Güira con Son," and opened up a page in Bay Area Latin music history that set a standard for quality and musical excellence. In their trajectory, they recorded several albums for Green Linnet/Xenophile Records and are sorely missed by this writer.
PELLEJO SECO: Today there are some extremely strong Son bands like Tito y Son De Cuba, La Familia Son, and others but the group that gets some great love these days is Pellejo Seco. Founded by Ivan Camblor in 2004, this group has its roots in Traditional Cuban music and performs only original compositions. Ivan Camblor named the band, Pellejo Seco, and interprets it to mean Raw Hide. For Ivan the name has many meanings, one of which is to describe the dry and leathered skin of a campesino or farmer. Enganchate" was their debut release and featured the compositions of Ivan. Presently the group consists of Livan Montoya (bass), Mario Silva (trumpet/vocals), Fito Reinoso (vocals), Osvaldo Carvajal (Vocals/percussion), Gerardo Borras (percussion/vocals), Andres D'Vito (guitar) and Ivan Clamor (tres/vocals).
IVAN CLAMOR: Born in Havana Cuba, Ivan is a graduate in composition of the Felix Varela School of Music. His credits include writing original music for the film Hacerse el Sueco, directed by Edesio Alejandro and Gerardo Garcia. He also recorded an album called Seguro me da, me da with the septet TEMBACHE under ABDALA Records that was directed by Juan Manuel Seruto and Eduardo Ramos. We caught up with Ivan at this year's Carnaval San Francisco where he spoke to us about Pellejo Seco and its upcoming new album release.
JV: How are things going?
Ivan Clamor: We've been working hard in the studio and stopped playing for a while to concentrate on our latest recording project. This is our second album and it is going to be titled, "Despierta" (Wake Up) and should be out later this year. We're putting the finishing touches on it and preparing for our CD release party.
JV: This album will reflect a new Pellejo Seco now with Fito Reinoso on lead vocals along with Osvaldo Carvajal. Tell us about the personal?
IC: The changes within the band were necessary. This present line-up of musicians in Pellejo Seco works hard and is serious about touching the Latino community. This new album is more danceable and features songs that make a social commentary about life around us here in the U.S.
JV: Tell us about some of the songs on the album?
IC: The title track, "Despierta" (Wake Up), talks about the life we are all facing today and the realities that all people are confronting. I think for us we want to speak to issues that are real and not a fantasy about our private lives, otherwise the breath of life fades away. Cutiño is a composer in Cuba that we are working with who has been inspired by our work and written some pieces for us. Livan Montoya, our bassist, has also contributed to the compositions on the album.
JV: But you bring el alumbre dulce, the sweet strings of the Cuban tres guitar, and are part of only a handful of treseros who play the instrument here in the Bay Area.
IC: I'm teaching a lot of people now who have taken an interest in the Tres guitar. I believe that Cuban music is advancing here in the Bay Area and believe it is important to teach people, which I do in my spare time.
JV: Muchas gracias!
DESDE LA BAHIA - August 2008
SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY! As the heat descends on us for the peak of Summer, there is no shortage of musica latina to keep us entertained here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yeah, the price of gas is a drag but the good thing is that it is pushing people to use public transportation and that is not a bad thing for our Mother Earth. Just keep dancing and everything will be alright. Here's a listing of some great gigs rolling through town that will put some sizzle in your Summer.
BRAZILIAN PERCUSSION CELEBRATION: Brazil Camp is one of the best kept secrets in Northern California. Annually camp-directors, Dennis Broughton and Rich Rice, bring together some of the most astute Brazilian musicians and dancers to teach in two week long residency sessions in the redwoods of Cazadero, CA. This year, session one happens Aug.17-23, with session two the following week, Aug. 24-30. Calbrazilcamp.com is their website for those interested. This Summer to cap off the 2008 camp there will be a free Brazilian Percussion Celebration presented by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in San Francisco. The illustrious cast of internationally renowned maestros will be there and include Jorge Alabe, Marcio de Ile Aye, Jorge Martins and Carlinhos Pandeiro de Oro. It all happens Sun. Aug.31 (Labor Day weekend) from 1-3pm at the Esplanade of the Yerba Buena Center, 333 Mission St. (between 3rd & 4th Sts.), SF. Muito abrigado to my friend and KKUP radio host, David Heyman, for his great photos of Brazil Camp.
JUAN LUIS GUERRA: The events production company, Anshutz Entertainment Group or AEG LIVE has moved into town and already have established themselves as a major presenters with spectacular offerings like the recent Return To Forever Reunion Tour. They have set up shop in SF at The Warfield Theater and the Grand Ballroom of the Regency Center, an art-deco palace on Sutter St. In San Jose, they are promoting concerts at the SJ Event Center Arena and it is there that they will host merengue superstar Juan Luis Guerra. It happens on Saturday, August 2nd. It's been decades since Guerra visited the Bay Area and given his mega-status today, his appearance is an anticipated high point.
SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL: From August 8-10, the Comcast SJ Jazz Festival takes over downtown for a superb offering of Jazz, Latin and World Music. This year it's the 19th annual and has Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, David Sanborn and Javon Jackson with Dr. Lonnie Smith as mainstage headliners. THe festival has 11 stage in largely outdoor settings and some inside venues. The cost has gone up this year to a $10 entrance fee (it used to be free) or a $25 three day pass. It's a great bargain for the amount of music you get. The San Jose Jazz Festival, under the direction of Geoff Roach and a board that includes Latin jazz advocate, Arturo Riera, is perhaps the best showcase of Bay Area music and the people who dig it.
Here's a listing of the performers for this year's Latin Jazz and Salsa stages.
Latin Jazz Stage - Saturday
11:00am - Dile (Jazz Brunch) 1:00pm - Samba Da 3:00pm - Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet 5:00pm - John Santos Quintet 7:00pm - Bobby Matos
Latin Jazz Stage - Sunday
1:00pm - Alexa Weber Morales 3:00pm - The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco 5:00pm - Claudia Villela 7:00pm - Chembo Corniel & Chaworo
Salsa Stage - Saturday
12:00pm - Eric Rangel y su Orquesta America 2:00pm - Orquesta Borinquen 4:00pm - Rumbache 6:00pm - Karabali 8:00pm - Jesus Diaz y su QBA Salsa Stage - Sunday
12:00pm - Danilo y su Orquesta Universal 2:00pm - Mazacote 4:00pm - Avance 6:00pm - Anthony Blea y Charanga
BAJAFONDO: Gustavo Santaolla has always been one of my favorite musician/producers because of his maverick approach that can range from genius to junk. An Oscar winner for the soundtrack score for the film, "The Motorcycle Diaries," his latest endeavor is the Bajafondo Tango Club, a collective of musicians creating an Electro-Latino trip hop sound blending traditional Tango with beats and loops. On their new album, “Mardulce,” the group, which includes guitarist/programmer Juan Campodonico, continues to electronically forge the Tango forward to the 21st Century. On Sunday, Aug. 3, the Bajafondo Tango Club hooks up with Si Sé for a free performance at the 71st Stern Grove Music Festival in San Francisco. It's located at 19th Ave. & Sloat Blvd. and starts at 2:00pm. For more info: 415-252-6252 or Sterngrovefestival.org
DESDE LA BAHIA - June 2008
SF BAY SALSA: "San Francisco, city by the bay, barrio latino, Salsa all the way," is a coro to a great tune recorded by the band Alma Del Barrio in the 1980s. It served as an anthem for a vibrant Latin dance scene back then and could well describe the scene in The City today.
Right now in San Francisco there is a lot of great Salsa happening just about any night of the week. Ongoing gigs at The Glaskat, Jelly's, Jillians, Roccapulco and Cafe Cocomo, serve as a foundation to several bars and restaurants offering live Latin jazz and Salsa like The Cigar Bar, Pier 23, Peña Pachamama and others.
There is no shortage of bands who range from ensembles creating and presenting original music with caliber musicianship to guys just getting together and running through charts of the great Fania hits. Elders like timbalero/bandleader, Bayardo "Benny" Velarde, and "Mr. Maracas" Guillermo Belalada, are still on the scene but the times they are a changing.
NO SALSA IN OAKLAND? Currently there is no major venue presenting Salsa dance music in Oakland. The only spot is La Taza De Cafe on Fridays and Saturdays which has a tiny dance floor that accommodates maybe 2-3 couples at a time. Yoshi’s in Jack London Square occasionally opens up the dance floor but its not a regular thing.
In the Eastbay, the two spots offering Salsa is Montero’s Mexican Restaurant in Albany on Fri. and Sat., and The Down Low in Berkeley, where the top bands play and the clubs are supported by locals and folks who drive in from outlying suburban cities. The latter is changing though as skyrocketing gas prices are keeping some of these folks at home.
SALSA ALL THE WAY! The two main clubs with large capacity accommodation are Cafe Cocomo (1000), which since its remodeling is much more comfortable, and Roccapulco, (700), which since being taken over by Tony O and his family is jumping again.
Both Clubs have served as the locale for top name acts that used to be presented at large auditoriums and halls like The Gift Center, La Galeria, and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Julio Mercedes and his Salsarengue Productions are presenting major Latin headliners and have more on the way for Summer. Thus far, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Sonora Carrusseles, Grupo Niche, Orquesta Guayacan, Victor Manuelle, El Gran Combo and others have all rolled through.
SALSACRAZY: One of the websites worth staying in touch with for Salsa haps in the SF Bay, and particularly the art of Salsa dance, is www.salsacrazy.com. Check it out. They also have a whole series of DVDs to get you started dancing Salsa (or Bachata) and to progressively get more instruction as you go along. Their calendar of events is the most timely and their site features a great selection of pages that includes a Salsa Blog, A Dance Partners Page, Salsa Travel, and the infamous Salsa Boot Camp, an on-line Salsa dancing school. Take the beginners guided tour and you'll what an invaluable resource it is.
ORQUESTA BORINQUEN: One of the hardest working bands on the San Francisco Salsa scene today is Orquesta Borinquen. As their name reflects, they are Puerto Rican proud and ready to represent la isla del encanto.
Borinquen is the Spanish adaptation of the original name given to the island of Puerto Rico by the indigenous people of the region. It means 'Land of the High Lord.' The trajectory of the band now stretches 20 years. But in 1993 Bill Ortega took the band over as its manager and began working to put the band on the map.
Earlier this year, OB released their debut CD, "El Trombonista," to the delight of their fans. Since its release, the group has maintained a consistent presence on the club scene packing several CD release parties. Their sound is old-school Salsa dura from the Fania-era and smokes with some dedicated talent playing nicely arranged tunes.
The lead vocalists are Carlos Soto and Kalin Ascasibar with plenty of coro from Bill Sr., the manager, and rest of the band. Bill's son, Bill Jr., plays timbales and trumpet and is joined by Joe Camacho (sax), Freddy Martinez (sax), and Henry Hung (trpt) in the horn section. Ricky Gomez (congas), Toby Borrero (bongo), George Rivera (bass), Nelson Reyes (guiro) and the gifted Marco Montoya (piano) ground the band as a solid-state rhythm section.
"EL Trombonista" is dedicated to Jim Martinez, a trombonist with the group who passed away in 2006, and the great boricua cuatrista Carmelito "Angel" Velez, who passed in 2007. Alberto "Chocolate" Diaz has also contributed greatly to the band's development on vocals and timbales and if there is a word to describe this group, it is familia. They are brothers in Salsa and god bless them for all they do for our community!
RIP: My convalescences to the friends and family of Yolanda Gutierrez and Jose Simon two beautiful people who passed away this past Spring. Yolanda is the sister of noted KPOO DJ, Chata Gutierrez, and a salsera who loved to dance. Jose Simon was a comedian of note who founded Comedy Day in Golden Gate Park and was the original bassist with the Latin Rock band, Sapo.
Desde La Bahia - May 2008
RIP CACHAO: On Saturday March 22 at 7:04 AM, we lost one of the giants of Cuban music. The passing of bassist, Israel Lopez, "Cachao," at almost 90 years of age, brought to an end an illustrious career known for innovation and superb musicality.
Cachao was no stranger to the SF Bay Area having first visited us in the early 1960s when he performed at the Copacabana Nightclub in North Beach with Tito Rodriguez. The venue was on Broadway up a the hill by the Broadway Tunnel. Benny Velarde was booking the bands at the Copa then and brought orchestras that he had experienced when he lived in NYC in the 1950s.
Carlos Federico used to tell a story of he and Cachao going outside the club after finishing a set and looking down the hill at the bright lights of Broadway. The topless joints were already moving in and Cachao prophetized, “eso va matar la musica” (that’s going to call the music). He was right.
I first interviewed Cachao when he was part of the filming of "Sworn To The Drum," the fine film on Francisco Aguabella by Les Blank in the 1980s. He was polite and informative and spoke at length about his career and innovations.
Understand that at this point in his career in the 1980s, Cachao had left Las Vegas for Miami and was living in relative obscurity. But the musicians and musicologists knew him and young cats like Jaco Pastorious searched him out. In the SF Bay, John Santos went looking for Cachao too.
THE SANTOS - CACHAO CONNECTION: “Since the mid-80s when I had a weekly radio program on KPOO and dedicated a couple of shows to him and subsequently met him on the phone to arrange sending him airchecks, he treated me like family,” recalled John Santos.
“I'll always cherish his friendship. I'll also always thank him for agreeing to come to SF and participate in a concert I produced in 1989 (and again in 1990) for the San Francisco Jazz Festival called La Evolucion de la Musica Afrocubana along with Armando Peraza, Walfredo De Los Reyes, Chocolate Armenteros, Santana, and my groups, The Machete Ensemble and the Coro Folklorico Kindembo.”
“We sold out Davies Symphony Hall (3000 seats) and had an unforgettable time playing descargas, danzones and Afro Cuban folklore. It was at that concert where Andy Garcia met Cachao for the first time and subsequently formed his wonderful relationship with el maestro resulting in the rebirth of Cachao's career through several beautiful CDs and the great documentary, Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos, produced by Andy.”
SU AMIGO WALFREDO: "He was an icon," comments Walfredo De Los Reyes, the legendary Cuban trap drummer who knew Lopez for over 50 years. "He not only changed the way the danzó n was played but most importantly, got the people to go along with it."
For De Los Reyes, a Concord resident and a retired professional musician who played with Cachao for decades in Havana and later in Las Vegas, the loss of Cachao closes a chapter on one of Cuba's most influential musicians. "All the great bassists copied from him and took to his style."
"He recorded on my album in Havana, "Cuban Jazz," and we worked together at the Le Montmarte nightclub with the charanga of Jose Fajardo and the big band of Julio Gutierrez," recalls Walfredo. "We were to leave Cuba together in 1961 for Miami, where I arrived with 25 cents in my pocket and two kids, but something happened and Cachao never showed."
Cachao left Cuba sometime later and went to Spain where he worked with Ernesto Duarte’s band, Sabor De Cuba. He toured Spain and parts of Europe but his loving wife of 58 years, Ester Buenaventura, went with family in New Jersey and the bassist joined her in 1962. While in New York City, he worked with Tito Rodriguez, The Machito Orchestra, Jose Melis, Joe Cain, Tito Puente and many others.
It was De Los Reyes who persuaded Cachao to move to Las Vegas where the bassist worked as a member of the LV Symphony, the Pupi Campo orchestra at Cesar’s Palace and the Tropicana with George Hernandez‘s big band. The weather didn’t suit him though and after a few years he left for Miami where he lived in relative obscurity.
“There was a light in Cachao’s eye that I will miss,” concludes De Los Reyes. “I talked with him a week before he passed and not once did he say he was ill, or not feeling good. Instead he told me a joke and we both laughed. That‘s the way he was. Always a smile, always a laugh, always something good to say about somebody.”
Desde La Bahia - April 2008
VIVA BRAZIL! How Latin jazz found a place here in the San Francisco Bay Area is the story of how young musicians embraced the blend of jazz music with Afro-Cuban and Latin American rhythms. If there was a pioneer who shared Latin jazz with an eager public in Northern California, it was Cal Tjader. His initial love was Afro-Cuban and served to open peoples ears up to new sounds and beats in the 1950s.
Into the 1960s Brazilian music made its way into the pop scene with the popularity of the Bossa Nova and those grand collaborations between Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao and Astrud Gilberto. Cal would assimilate Brazilian music but perhaps not with the gusto he did for Afro-Cuban. But into the 1960s, there were others who helped shift the sails and blew the boat in new directions here in the SF Bay.
VINCE GUARALDI is renown for his mega-hit "Cast Your Fate To The Wind," the soundtracks to the "Peanuts" TV specials and his trademark handle bar mustache. As a jazz pianist, he left a legacy for a distinctive bluesy personal style but he did much to build a base for Brazilian music here in the SF Bay.
Born July 17, 1928 in San Francisco, he attended Lincoln High School and SF State University. Guaraldi began performing while in college playing weddings, high school dances and casuals. He frequented the SF jazz clubs happening at the time like The Blackhawk, Jackson's Nook and other spots. Paying dues, he sat in with Bill Harris and Sonny Criss early on at the jam sessions at the renown Blackhawk.
His first serious gig was at The Blackhawk where he served as intermission pianist. His first recorded work was with Tjader on a 1953 Fantasy 78 rpm release titled "Vibratharpe." In 1955 he formed his own trio with Eddie Duran (guitar) and Dean Reilly (bass) and began playing regularly at the Hungry I, a famed nightspot in SF's bohemian North Beach District.
FANTASY YEARS: In 1955 as well the Weiss Brothers, the owners of Fantasy Records, had him record his debut album as a leader with Jerry Dodgion (alto), John Markham (drums) and Eugene Wright (bass) on the session. His subsequent albums would be trio dates with Duran and Reilly. He also started traveling to Los Angeles to do studio sessions with Conte Candoli and Frank Rosolino and would go on the road for a season with Woody Herman in 1956.
He continued his association with Cal Tjader and would record 10 albums with the vibraphonist including those great sessions with Mongo Santamaria, Al McKibbon, and Willie Bobo in the late 1950s. Guaraldi had a touch that gained him a loyal following early on. As a person who got swallowed up as a student by the beatnik movement, Vince had opened up his ears to new ideas.
In 1959, the foreign film, "Black Orpheus," came out in the US with a Brazilian love story featuring a superb soundtrack of music composed by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. It inspired Vince who put together a new trio with Monte Budwig (bass) and Colin Bailey (drums) and recorded, "Jazz Impression of Black Orpheus" (Fantasy) in 1962.
CAST YOUR FATE: As Top 40 emerged as a viable radio format, the owners of Fantasy Records decided to release a 45 rpm single that included "Samba De Orpheus" and a Guaraldi original titled, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind." The record broke in Sacramento, where some enlightened DJs played the "B" and got a tremendous response. The single soon went national and became an overnight success and led to amazing collaborations with Ralph Gleason and cartoonist Charles Shultz.
In 1963, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind," won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition and achieved Gold Record status. The song soon created a demand for his performances. As he saw how Brazilian music was garnering an appeal in the US as the Bossa Nova was starting to gain steam on the US pop charts thanks to the Stan Getz- Charlie Byrd rendering of Jobim's "Desafinado," Vince found a Brazilian collaborator who would further open his eyes to this South American music.
His association with Brazilian guitarist, Bola Sete (Djalma de Andrada) sparked several new albums and brought him in contact with someone who taught him the musical inter-workings of Brazilian music. Their first album together was titled "Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete and Friends," which included Fred Marshall (bass) and Jerry Granelli (drums).
BOLA SETE means "seven ball" in Portuguese and was a nick name given to the guitarist when he was the only black member of a small jazz group in South America. In Brazilian billiards the black ball is the seven ball. Conservatory trained in Rio De Janiero, he was a master of classical guitar and the lute who dug jazz.
Bola arrived in the US in 1962 when the manager of the Sheraton Hotels heard him in South America. He played at the New York Sheraton for awhile until he moved to the San Francisco Sheraton Palace. Dizzy Gillespie was staying there and listened to him every night. In the Fall Dizzy invited Bola to play the 9th Monterey Jazz Festival. Bola toured with Diz for a bit before returning to SF and uniting with Guaraldi.
The three albums Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete did together are masterpieces of an era that brought exquisite Brazilian music to the Bay. “From All Sides” and “Live at El Matador” were the two others. Around 1964 Bola left to form a new trio with Sebastao Neto (bass) and Paulinho Da Costa (drums). His 1966 album, “Bola Sete at the Monterey Jazz Festival” (Verve) is a landmark LP of the 1960s Brazilian boom.
VIVA VINCE! Opportunities showered Vince who would eventually turn away from Brazilian music to explore other ideas. But he sparked a scene that opened the door for Brazilian artists like Bola Sete, Walter Wanderly, Sergio Mendes, and others who found an appreciative audience in San Francisco.
Today Brazilian traditional music and jazz harbors a nice scene in jazz clubs and restaurants. The Jazzschool in Berkeley offers classes with renown musicians like Marcos Silva, Ricardo Peixoto and others. There are dozens of Samba schools who dance in the SF Carnaval each year. Brazil is alive and well in the Bay and we owe to the man with the handle bar mustache who cast his fate to the wind.
Desde La Bahia - March 2008
VIVA CAFE! On Jan. 17th at the Roccapulco Supper Club in San Francisco a fund raiser was held for Victor "Cafe" August who was seriously injured in November when a car plowed through the front window of a deli in Fairfield, CA. driven by an 82 year old woman. Café was hit by the car, trapped, and pinned under the car and debris. He suffered a severe ankle injury as well as many scrapes and cuts and was taken to a Medical Center in Fairfield for treatment.
He was also a hero. When the car was coming he pushed one customer out of the way, saved him, and then was hit by the car. While Café has been released from the hospital, he will require a lengthy time of recovery and rehabilitation, and surgeries to get back on his feet. A construction worker by day and musician by night, Cafe is a family man and the benefit has helped offset his living expenses.
"Cafe has been around the salsa scene for many years playing with many of the local bands and is a high energy singer/timbalero," wrote organizer Jose Guaman, the director of Orquesta Bakan, in an e-mail informing folks about the benefit. "He has a passion for putting on a good show for all the faithful salseros in the Bay area."
Cafe and his wife, Linda, also produce the popular "Festival de La Isla," an annual Puerto Rican cultural unity event held at Peña Adobe Park in Vacaville. A family-friendly, outdoor function that features music, dancing and great food. Víctor is also a seasoned timbalero who has played wth the Franco Brothers, Gregorio Gómez, Coke Escovedo and Pedrito Pelegrín.
One of my favorite recordings that is testament to Cafe's talent is a 45 rpm disc that he did as part of Orquesta Positiva. The band was led by vocalist and composer Gregorio Gomez and featured Beatriz Godines and Lucia Thumas on vocals and featured the tunes "El Desayuno" and "Amistad y Carino," where Cafe lays down some beautiful tracks on Bata drums.
Orquesta Sensual, Orquesta Bakan, and Orquesta America donated their time for the cause. Much love to Jose Guaman, the musical director of Bakan, for organizing this benefit and Tony O and Oscar O of Roccapulco for opening their doors to the cause.
We wish Cafe a speedy recovery!
THE BUSINESS OF SALSA: In the Bay Area, the business of Salsa is a thriving entrepreneurial venture. You will find Salsa dancing any night of the week somewhere in the San Francisco - San Jose radius. Though it's considered a niche market, it is patrons who want to stay in step in nightclubs, cultural centers and restaurants who drive the multi-layered Salsa scene.
Music drives the dancers and in turn the dancers drive the clubs in a synchronicity that fuels the scene. In the middle is the entrepreneur and promoter who put up the funds to produce the events. It's a touchy business that is subject to the economic factors and trends that bring the public out or keep them at home.
In this edition of DLB we begin a series looking at the “The Business of Salsa” and those entrepreneurs behind the scenes that are making things happen. Recently in San Francisco, the Roccapulco Supper Club has undergone new management and creating an entertainment complex catering to Salsa and other musica latina.
ROCCAPULCO: The take over of Roccapulco, the one time Cesar’s Latin Palace in the San Francisco Mission District, by brothers Tony and Oscar Orillana, is a refreshing development that brings a new vision for the place and creates a promising environment for out-of-town Latino entertainment in the City's pre-dominantly Latino community.
"Presenting quality shows and attracting quality people is one of our goals for the club," says Tony Orillana, "Tony O." One of the most popular DJs on the scene today, you'll find Tony O doing clubs, concerts, events and radio and can hear his mixes everyday at 5:00 pm on the La Calle, 105 FM, the Bay Area’s resident reggaeton station.
A NEW BEGINNING: Since June of 2007, Tony and his brother, Oscar, have been managing and renovating the cavernous Roccapulco. Still there are the palm trees and the colored neon lights flashing the names of Salsa greats who performed there when it was Cesar's. Tony has had to readjust his career to become a fulltime club manager and co-owner. “Life is a challenge,” he adds, “but what is clear is how hard it is to run a club.”
The atmosphere is changing at the venue and reflects in the food and entertainment. The restaurant has broadened its menu and now offers a selection of Mexican, Central American and Caribbean food. “Our motto,” continues Tony, “is to get people to come in to dine, dance and enjoy a show.”
PA'LANTE! Since opening under new management, the brothers have presented SRO shows featuring Grupo Niche, Sonora Caruselles, Grupo Gale, Fulanito and other touring and resident groups. Something new is the monthly Tuesday night boxing matches where a ring is set up and locals jab it out. But for the most part the best of the resident Salsa bands circulate through there on the weekends.
There’s more in store for dancers and lovers of Latin music as the Orillana brothers continue to grow in this new venture. As Tony see’s it, “As long as people are having a good time that’s what counts.”
Desde La Bahia - February 2008
VIVA ANGELA! In early December thousands packed Grace Cathedral church in San Francisco in a benefit concert for vocalist, Angela Bofill. According to sources close to the 53 year-old singer over $70,000 were raised to cover her medical expenses. Organized by Narada Michael Walden, her longtime friend and producer, the event included special guests Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and others. A "Spirit of Giving" celebration is how the concert was billed.
Born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father, Ms. Bofill was raised in Harlem, New York. She was exposed to a variety of musical styles from Motown to Mambo. "Growing up in Harlem," she writes on her website, "if you didn't have the latest James Brown or Supremes 45 single, you weren't hip. We always had Latin Music playing in the house as my parents were great music lovers. In fact my father used to sit and sing with the great Cuban bandleader, Machito."
By 18, Bofill was already an established professional. Her educational background includes a degree in voice from the Manhattan School of Music. Her early work includes being a soloist with the chorus of the Dance Theater of Harlem and a member of Ricardo Marrero & the Group, a band that included a young Dave Valentín, Mike Viñas, Rafael de Jesús, Eddie Montalvo, Sal Cuevas, Luis "Perico" Ortiz and Jimmy Sabater.
ANGIE! In 1978 Angela released her debut album, "Angie," for GRP Records. It began her ascent onto the national spotlight as new radio formats were emerging fusing R&B and Jazz. Now called "Smooth Jazz," she lit up the airwaves with such now-classics as "Under The Moon and Over The Sky," one of her original compositions, and several others. The album grounded her as not only a superb singer but also a talented songwriter.
Her 1979 follow-up LP for GRP, "Angel Of The Night," continued to build her fan base and got her on the pop charts. Between 1978-1984, Angela Bofill had consistent success with songs like "Angel Of The Night," "Something About You," "Teaser," "Too Tough," "Let Me Be The One," and several other tunes.
"Angela is really an angel who is extremely musical," said Narada Michael Walden prior to the benefit concert. He should know as producer for three of her albums for Arista Records. Walden believes Angela pushed the boundaries of the R&B world with her songwriting skills, depth of emotion, vocal range, use of odd meters, and a unique sense of rhythm and melody.
ANGIE IN MARIN. Blessed with a three-and-a-half octave range, Angela began to garner international fame though her career cooled off into the late 1980s. Into the 1990s she made a come back but she never re-ignited the same spark early on in her career. She re-located to Northern California and settled in the town of Kenwood in Marin County. She began to gig locally at nightspots like Kimball's East, Yoshi's, Paramount Theater and Russian River Jazz Festival.
Angela collaborated with Johnny Mathis and Boz Scaggs and developed a huge fan base in Japan and the Philippines. But her career dwindled and her last studio album was in 1996, “Love In Slow Motion.” Luckily she found time to record the beautiful Beny More bolero, “Como Fue,” with the local Latin Rock band Safari at the encouragement of her friend and trumpeter, Jeff Eaton.
She interprets the piece beautifully in Spanish. Drawing from her roots she embraces the piece with a special R&B nuance with Mark Levine on piano. Quite nice.
But fate hit her hard in 2006 when she decided to sell her Kenwood home and return to New York to revitalize her career. She suffered a stroke and her health took a down turn. In July of 2007 she suffered another stroke that left her partially paralyzed and speech-impaired. But unfortunately she did not have medical insurance and had to sell her home to cover the medical expenses.
Now Angela lives in a North Bay hospital and while the possibility exists that she may never sing again she still gets fan mail. Her daughter, Shauna Vincent, and sister, Saundra Bofill, along with her mother Carmen Bofill, are at her side but her fate is in god’s hands.
If you would like to donate to her medical fund, check out www.angelabofill.com. If you would like to contact Angela you can e-mail her at Angie@angelabofill.com.
