DESDE LA BAHIA - August 2009
VAMONOS AL CARNAVAL SAN FRANCISCO: The annual SF Carnaval was held on Memorial Day weekend (May 23&24) and featured percussion great, Armando Peraza, as Grand Marshall for the internationally acclaimed parade on Sunday. For Armando, who turned 85 years young on May 30, it was an honor bestowed by friends and fans that nearly brought him to tears. A legend of Latin jazz and Latin rock percussion, Armando has resided in the SF Bay Area since the early 1950s and set the foundation for such great musicians as Cal Tjader, Santana and John Santos. His work with Cal Tjader, George Shearing, Mongo Santamaria and Santana (25 years) have cast him into the history books as a giant of Afro-Cuban percussion.
HISTORY: Carnaval SF was founded by percussionist Marcus Gordon, dancer Adela Chu, and costume designer Pam Minor in 1979 who came together in Precita Park in the SF Mission to celebrate "living a rich cultural life in tune with the rhythms of nature and the ancestors." The following year the second Carnaval was held at Dolores Park. Into the 1980s MECA - The Mission Economic Cultural Association - ran the Carnaval under the leadership of Roberto Hernandez. After MECA was disbanded in the 1990s, the Mission Neighborhood Centers has kept SF Carnaval alive with its two day festival and parade.
THE PARADE was a spectacle of color and community this year as floats drifted down 24th St. and Mission St. reflecting the vibrancy and diversity of the Bay Area. Organized by the Mission Neighborhood Centers, it was tough for the non-profit organization this year as sponsors dropped out or reduced their contributions as a result of the dwindling economy. The theme for this year's parade was "Roots of Revival: Seeds of Change" and was lead by Queen Rebeca De Souza and King Rodson De Jesus.
From Lowriders to elementary schools, the participation at this year's Carnaval did not dwindle as close to 50 troupes traversed the parade route with an enthusiasm that was contagious. Important to it all though were the volunteers who gave their time to make sure that all flowed smoothly even though there are always some glitches, like the big rig hauling a float that got stuck at the corner of 24th & Mission when it didn't make the turn wide enough. You ever try to back up a big rig in the midst of thousands of people pouring out of the sidewalks? Needless to say it delayed the parade 20 minutes and left a big gap in the route but who cared as people mingled and talked.
GRUPO SAMBA RIO: Led by renown Brazilian percussion master, Jorge Alabe, the Rio-style Samba troupe - Grupo Samba Rio - had the crowd on its feet grooving to their Batucada drums and feathered dancers. It was a chilly foggy morning and the dancers and drummers had to dance and play harder to keep warm but they did it with the joyous spirit of carnaval. Grupo Samba Rio was founded in 2004 by Jorge Alabe and features the dance instruction of Cevie Toure. The group offers percussion classes every Sunday at Capoeira Angola, 2513 Magnolia Street in West Oakland.
THE STREET FESTIVAL itself was a two-day affair down Harrison St. with several stages presenting a wide spectrum of world music. Salsero Eddie Santiago performed on Saturday and the B-Side Players on Sunday but the majority of the groups were local. Props to John Calloway, who recently completed his PHD studies and now officially Dr. Calloway, who led the SF State Afro-Cuban Ensemble who showcased music from Cuba, Mexico and NYC. Props to these young musicians who were superb in their musicality and performance.
LAS BANDA: Here is a partial list of the groups that performed this year well worth searching out for out-of-towners wanting to know who is happening in the Bay. Los Cochinos, La Ventana, Carmen Milagro, Los Cenzontles, Avance, Pan Eternal with Sistas-wit-Style, Tony Lindsay & Friends, Blanca, Tribal Blues Band, Zanzibar, Sapo with Richard Bean, Bayonics, Bat Makumba, Foga Na Roupa, Afro Cuban Ensemble of SFSU, Pan Exctasy, SambaDa, B-Side Players, Loco Bloco and many more.
PROPS: Credit for the continuance of Carnaval is to due Sam Ruiz and Jake Pavlosky of the Mission Neighborhood Centers and their dedicated board of directors who do a lot for the well being of the multi-ethnic community that is the SF Mission District of the City.
This year they worked with Rita Barela Productions and the tireless Dr. Bernie Gonzalez of Dr. Rock Productions and Latin Rock, Inc., who along with Pete Balogh booked the bands and handled the stages. Viva Carnaval!
UNDERGROUND MAMBO: For Bay Area Salseros, there is a new website that is bringing an exciting new dimension to the resident Salsa scene with its innovative approach using internet technology that is uniting lovers of Latin music and dance. Undergroundmambo.com is the brainchild of Felipe Martinez (aka DJ El De La Clave), who produces the site with the UGM team of Charles Mah and Gigi Chan as a way to inform Salsa fans about gigs and goings on around the region.
"Undergroundmambo.com came about two ways," explains Felipe. "I was hosting an event at the Green Lantern in Mountain View, CA called "Underground Mambo." I was teaching the mambo class and would DJ after the class. Charles and Gigi attended the events and we soon became friends and they became supporters of what I was doing. Charles and Gigi felt that a website promoting Latin music and dance would be a neat thing for the community since there really wasn't a strong site in the community that was social networking based or promoting all events and music in the Bay Area."
The meeting led to the creation of Undergroundmambo.com. Felipe is responsible for multimedia content and events, Charles does the marketing and partnerships and Gigi is the designer who put together the site from scratch. Now, it has evolved into a social networking site that has individual profile pages for its members and uniting over a thousand Salseros y Salseras around the Bay Area and Northern California.
BAY AREA SALSA DANCE OFF: Salsa dancers in particular have grabbed onto the site as a forum to bond and communicate about Salsa haps as well as to share pictures, videos and audio. The latest novelty was the initiation of the Bay Area Salsa Dance Off, an online Salsa competition. The contestants were the cream of the crop of Bay Area Salsa dance teams: Son De Mania, Rica Salsa, Son Montuno, and the Pretty Boys & Girls Dance Company. Presented in HD, you could see clips of the teams performing a routine and then vote for your favorite team. The prize was $500.00 for the winning team and $100.00 to a lucky voter for participating.
The winners were announced by Underground Mambo at The 1st San Francisco Salsa Festival on Sat. Mar. 28. The following announcement was sent out by Charles Mah.
"Friends, we would like to congratulate Pretty Boys & Girls (PB&G) for winning the $500 prize and being Undergroundmambo.com's first Online Salsa Champions. Not only will they be receiving a $500 prize, they will also be featured in a special teams section starting up next month, which will promote them worldwide and locally - stay tuned!
The competition was hard-fought with PB&G taking in 138 votes and Son De Mania coming close at 115."
"The Salsa Dance Competition "2009 Online Salsa Dance-Off" was a competition that doubled the membership of undergroundmambo.com," adds Charles. "The idea was to organize the first salsa competition "Online" and in "HD." Very similar to American Idol, the competition was vote based where members would supply one vote for their favorite team. The goal was to involve the members rather than having competitions decided by professional judges or dance directors. We will have more of this type of material over the next year as it was very successful."
Props to site sponsor, Jayc Labio - Afinkao Dance Company & Studios, and the wonderful instructors showcasing their teams in top form, Liz Rojas (Son De Mania), Ricardo Tellez & Tianne Frias (Rica Salsa), Isidro Corona (Son Montuno) and Michelle Castro (PB&G). The 2009 Salsa Dance Off was also technically top notch and featured the fine videography of Charles Mah and Gregory Harrison (Dance Media Prods.) and excellent photography of Gigi Chan.
"The site was originally and still carries the philosophy of "Community Comes First,"
adds Charles. "We are lucky to have own careers, therefore this site will continue to support the community for free. That is not to say however, that we will be launching some revenue generating tools and strategies, but we are taking it slow not to over "commericalize" the network. Afterall, this is not a "formal website" but a network for its members that has a life of its own because of the members. The members get to own their own material and direct the direction of the site through the forums and blogs."
"We think 2009 will be a year where we'll continue to promote the site's tools and capabilities," concludes Gigi. "We hope to spread beyond the Bay Area this year, and hope to come on strong in the Central and East Coast of North America. We are also hoping to supply more multimedia events online to support not only the growth of the network, but the members' interests."
LATIN LADY DJ: It is with sadness that I pass on the information about Margarita Valdes (aka Latin Lady DJ) who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes. A mainstay at KBBF Radio in Sebastopol, CA where she hosted a popular Salsa show and served as the station’s accountant, she held the torch for Salsa around the Santa Rosa region of Northern California. Despite the well known after-affects of receiving Chemo therapy, Margarita is in good spirits and has donated her hair to an appropriate organization. In keeping with her very humble and private character, Margarita had to be convinced to allow her friends and fans to spread the news about her plight. Margarita has not been able to work and needs financial assistance to see her through this ordeal. Our prayers are with her and if you are able to help, please send your gift of love to her at the following address:
Margarita Valdes
68 Walnut Circle
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
(USA)
Hasta la proxima! Chuyvarela@aol.com
DLB - May 2009
MANNY LIVES! The passing of Latin percussionist icon, Manny Oquendo, sent a wave of sadness throughout the Salsa and Latin Jazz world. Manny was a percussion hero to me and someone who taught us all about Latin music through his performances and encyclopedic knowledge. Manny dug San Francisco and that amor is evident on the live recording, "On The Move! (Muevete)" on Milestone Records (1996).
On one of his visits I recall many of us taking him and Andy Gonzalez to the home of Cuban music collector, Emiliano Echeverria, and spinning some old 78s for him. He listened and pointed out things out to the group gathered about the players and the styles. It was quite a lesson. But Manny's connection goes back to the early 1950s when he first came out here with Tito Puente's band.
MANNY"S LAST STAND: What follows are excerpts from an article I wrote in 2007 about a show billed as Manny Oquendo's last public performance with Libre. He would do perhaps a couple more shows with the group but his declining heath condition no longer permitted him to perform.
The word spread like wildfire around New York City that Manny Oquendo's last public performance with Libre would take place on Friday night, January 12, 2007, at S.O.B.'s. Since he and bassist Andy González formed Conjunto Libre, they mustered a band that played high quality music and served as breeding ground for leaders and innovators in Salsa and Latin jazz.
Dig the alumni: Jerry González, Dave Valentín, Oscar Hernández, Hermán Olivera, Papo Vásquez, Jimmy Bosch and Steve Turré. "To me, there are two grand masters of the timbal from the times of the mambo--Tito Puente and Manny Oquendo," says Turré, who came to sit in and pay due to Manny at SOB's. "Tito is like Max Roach and Manny like Art Blakey."
Being in Libre was like attending a graduate school with professor Manny O. He certainly paid his dues and delivered music to generations of people who danced and listened with captivated interest for over 60 years. He has helped mentor emerging musicians, and instilled in them the important elements of a musical tradition.
"What Manny has given me is the right feeling," continues Turré. "He taught me what the clave is all about. Before I met Manny I superficially knew the clave. After playing with Manny I could feel the clave."
The second set at SOB's was comfortably packed as the band came out smoking with ¡Qué Humanidad!. Manny announced from the onset that after that night he was hanging up his sticks with Libre. It's hard to believe after being at the right place at the right time in the bands of Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez, Charlie Palmieri, Eddie Palmieri and many others that this was it. It was like Picasso announcing he was going to stop painting!
"Tonight was my last night performing with Libre," said Oquendo after the show. "I'm going to record an album called Super Manny Oquendo y Libre, with a band Andy [González] is going to take over after 33 years. I'm not in good health so I can't keep on playing. I would continue if I was in better health because I always wanted to play until I died. But I have to rest."
Frankie Vásquez spit out inspired improvised verses and built a momentum on ¡Qué Humanidad! that wound up the crowd into a serious spin. Manny sat down, obviously overwhelmed by the swirl of energy around him, but belted out a steady bell beat as he surveyed the group.
"I've had a lot of great people who have gone through the band who always remember to come back and play with us," Manny added later. This was his band and he knew it! Keeping them in line and driving them to play better was his mission, and the respect they gave him was deep. After a quick breather and stepped back up on the tight bandstand behind the timbales."Manny, Dios te bendiga," yelled out a fan.
The guajira, "Cuando Llegará," kept the pace burning and it was obvious that we were in for a descarga of king sized proportions as Steve Turré joined the horn section with Dan Reagan (trombone), Alex Torres (trumpet), and the rest. Jimmy Bosch was in the house but opted to dance rather than play.
"Esto se Pone Caliente Porque Libre Está Presente" rang the chorus for the upbeat descarga that followed and would close the show. Singer Jorge Maldonado tore into the song with inspiraciones that highlighted his mellow tenor voice which added a nice contrast to Frankie's. Eddie Zervigón was the icing on the cake taking great solos on flute and adding well placed melodic and rhythmic counterpoints to the themes.
"Se fue!" were the last words Manny said on stage as the concert ended with a punchy break that lingered for over a minute of free blowing, while the band dragged out the last note. "It's 2007! You can't live in the past, it's passed," advised Manny O as he packed up his gear. "Go forward. That's what you should keep in mind. I'm still finding new things on the timbal and you'll hear it when we record, Super Manny Oquendo y Libre."
As Louis Armstrong once said, "Musicians don't retire. They stop when there's no more music in them."
Desde La Bahia - April 2009
VIVA CHATA! On Sunday Feb. 22, 2009, hundreds braved torrential downpours to attend a benefit for the acclaimed Bay Area Salsa broadcaster, Chata Gutierrez. The event organized by her good friends, Gil & Ollie Medina and Jose Solis, was held at Cafe Cocomo in San Francisco and went from 3:00pm in the afternoon into late in the evening. Some of the SF Bay's best bands came through for Chata like Louie Romero & Mazacote, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, Fito Reinoso y Rito y Armonia and Eric Rangel y Orquesta America. Special guests included John Santos, Julio Bravo and DJs La Coqui (Ivette Fuentes), Mr. Salsa (Rolando) and Luis Medina. But it was especially heart warming to see L.A.'s Johnny Polanco and Artie Webb making a special trek to appear at the benefit.
It's was truly a love fest for Micaela “Chata” Gutierrez, who is struggling with liver cancer but was in good spirits at the event as she wages her fight against this life threatening disease. For lovers of Salsa, Chata's show - Con Clave on KPOO 89.5 FM - is a Saturday afternoon ritual. Broadcasting from Noon to 4:00pm, she has garnered numerous awards in her 36 years in broadcasting. Her journey in radio began at KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley in 1973 with the collective Comunicacion Aztlan. Mentored by Emiliano Echeverria, she began at KPOO a few years later at the invitation of then-manager Joe Rudolph. Since then her program stands as the longest-running Salsa radio show in Northern California.
A kick-ass club DJ as well, she explained the difference between being a radio DJ and club DJ. "I don't play the same salsa on the radio as in the clubs. There are alternative salsa spaces as well as mainstream ones. I play accordingly. And I don't play salsa monga"
Some of her awards include the Bay Area's Tom Donahue Radio Award for Best Program and a Special Recognition Award from the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. As a volunteer radio programmer who has never been paid a dime for her radio work, Chata shares a passion with her audience for music she got turned on to as a kid growing up in the San Francisco Mission District. A trooper for the community, Chata and her program reflect who we are as a vibrant barrio culture and aficionados of música Latina.
Props as well to Carlos "Kookie" Gonzalez for a fine event poster too.
SALSA RUEDA FESTIVAL: The launch of the San Francisco Salsa Rueda Festival over the weekend of Feb. 20-22 was a unique and enthusiastic success that brought out hundreds Cuban dance fanatics to partake in dozens of workshops at the Hotel Whitcomb in downtown SF. Organized by Bay Area dancer and instructors, Salsa Nick and Serena Wong of Rueda Con Ritmo, the day long workshops and evening dance events made for a non-stop 3-day excursion into the world of Cuban dance that was unforgettable for the participants. Performing at the Saturday night blow-out dance were Jesus Diaz y su QBA and Rumbache. The two bands gave the crowd their all playing sets filled with Timba, Songo and strightahead Salsa.
Watching the workshops throughout the day, the instructors were non-discriminating and entertaining teachers who took neophyte beginners and seasoned ballroom dancers through the intricacies of Rueda De Casino, the Cuban Salsa wheel. The collective partner dance has deep historical origins that date back to the 1800s and the Contradanza in Cuba. But it was re-invented in the 1950s as a performance showcase in the Havana Casinos. The 1980s saw a renaissance of the dance as it got a major boost to the CUban TV show, Para Bailar. It takes several couples to make up the rueda wheel with a leader calling out different movements and steps. As the circle turns, partners are exchanged creating this synchronized wheel that is fun for the dancers and its viewing audience alike.
The Bay Area's own Jose Barraso, led a popular workshop on dancing Rumba since it is the foundation for most Cuban dance. Julian Mejia from Atlanta, GA, was also on the mark and had his group twisting in knots with the complexities of Rueda and its in-and-out, under-and-over moves. Perhaps the most entertaining was David Huo from Beijing, China, who is a Youtube.com star with a couple of clips of him dancing in Cuba.
Some of the other instructors and performers included: Wrenn and Maribel Vasquez (Energetic Soul-Michigan), Manuel Suarez (CultuCuba- Oakland), Sidney Weaverling and Ryan Mead ( Rueda Con Ritmo- SF/Bay Area), Sandra Moro Sleeper (Street Salsa - Austin), Ramon Ramos Alayo ( Cuba Caribe/Havana/SF), Royland Lobato (CultuCuba - Oakland), Cora Barnes (Timbea - Oakland), Mike and Simona (Rumbanana - Corvallis),
Fuákata (New York), Las Que Son Son ( S.F./Bay Area), ¡Timbea! (Oakland), Ahmed and Katherine (Starlight Dance Studios-NY), DJ Waltdigz (Anejo Prod. - Bay Area),
Ernesto Cardenas (Havana - Oakland), India Gomez ( Bay Area), Chris Rogicki (New York), DJ Dark Rum (Anejo Prod. - Bay Area), DJ Reyna (Washington D.C.), Isaac and Mary (Salsa By The Lake - Oakland), Jennifer Gonzales, Saoco D.C. ( Washington D.C.),
Victoria-Hadar Harel (New York), Leyder Chapman (Havana - Oakland), Yismari Ramos (S.F./ Havana), Marcos Ravelo (Havana/Calgary), Leslie Vazquez and Reinier Fernandez (CMV con Ritmo-Mexico City), Yussef Breffe (Havana/ Bay Area), Ninoska Cumaraima and Javier Rosillo (Caracas, Venezuela), Salsaddiction (Edmonton, Canada), Casineros Que Son Son (L.A., Rueda4Fun), Afri-K-sineras (Los Angeles, CA).
The hotel is already booked for 2010 so don't miss out if you are a fan of Salsa Rueda for
this wonderful and invigorating conference. Hasta La Proxima! Chuyvarela@aol.com
Desde La Bahia - March 2009
THE SAN FRANCISCO SALSA FESTIVAL: The Bay Area is never at a loss for great events related to musica latina and this Spring it looks like there will be a superb flowering that will be taking place. From March 27-29, the first SF Salsa Festival will be happening at the Cathedral Hill Hotel and from the looks of the schedule and enthusiasm of its organizers it is gearing up to be a dancer's delight.
The idea of Jhon Narvaez and Liz Rojas, and via their John & Liz Production company, the festivities get underway at Cafe Cocomo, 650 Indiana St., SF, on Thursday night (Mar.26) and then continue at the Cathedral Hill Hotel with workshops, clinics and competitions until 3:00 AM (Fri.) and 5:00 AM (Sat.).
The full package for the festival includes two nights of hotel, parking, breakfast, and admission to all the workshops and dancing events for only $298.00. There's a Beginners boot camp Saturday with local bay area instructors and an Intermediate/Masters boot camp with out of town instructors. The dance competition happens Friday night with select performances both evenings. There will be live music by the Bay Area All Stars alongs with DJs like DJ Chino, DJ Fab Fred, DJ Boricua, and DJ El De la Clave.
Visit www.sfsalsafestival.com for complete details.
JHON&LIZ: Directors of the Salsamania Dance Company, John and Liz, hail from Colombia and are dedicated dancers and educators. I caught up with this dynamic duo on-line via an e-mail interview to give us some insight into their upcoming SF Salsa Festival.
JV: Thanks for taking the time to talk about the upcoming 1st Annual SF Salsa Festival.
What inspired the idea?
J&L: Over the past 10 years we have traveled the globe, anywhere from Mexico to China, Korea, Japan, Canada, England, and Italy. We’ve had the opportunity to live abroad, teach workshops, perform shows, and have experienced an incredible life in the world salsa community. Along the way, we have been to the most amazing salsa congresses and festivals. We’ve made many friends and met the most amazing dancers in the world. The social dancing, workshops, and shows brings so much fun and joy to people.
Nothing could have been possible without this beautiful dance we call Salsa. If it was not for these Salsa experiences, we would not have had the pleasure to live them. By having a smaller event with an ambience of intimacy, it will give more opportunity for others to live these experiences as well. Last but not least, it is a great business opportunity since we have such a large Salsa community that starves for more events. We are going to be able to bring new people from outside the community that we have networked with in the last ten years which will make our community bigger.
JV: Checking out the schedule and layout of the festival, it looks like a mini-version of the Salsa Congress. Is that the case?
J&L: Yes it is. Our experiences have been that small congresses or festivals are more intimate and make it easier to meet people rather than getting lost in the shuffle. Don't get me wrong large congresses are amazing with lots of variety and we love them as well, however, it is always good to experience a bit of both.
JV: Of course, the foundation for this event and the nucleus of your educational work is your Salsamania Dance Company which you founded in 2000. How has the company grown since its inception?
J&L: It has been a remarkable journey. We started with 14 dancers in 2000 and grown to almost 130 dancers divided in 5 levels: The Professional Performance Team; Semi-Professional Performance Team; Amateur Performance Team; Training On "2" Non-Performance Team; and the Training On "1' Non-Performance Team. We have had a 300% growth in 9 years and are now a registered company as a non-profit organization thanks to the many talents of our people. We now offer a variety of dance programs such as:
Academic Credit Program Information-Students can get extra college credits with the company.
Intensive Dance Program Information-Cross training in other art forms. We bring other professionals into our studio to trained our dancers.eg. ballet, international ballroom,afrocuban, flamenco, hip hop, etc,.
Salsamania Dance Syllabus Program. A comprehensive manual which lists shines, technique, styling, music/salsa mambo, Afrocuban, Spinning Techniques, etc,.
International Intership Dance Program that gives an opportunity for international students to trained with Salsamania. We have had students from Japan, Canada, Mexico, and other countries where we house them with us and train them in all aspects of the dance.
JV: As dancers in the SF Bay, John & Liz, you are seen as the promise of the future. Being from Colombia, a country that loves Salsa and has contributed greatly to its growth, how did you get to such a level of expertise?
J&L: "Where there is a will, there is way"! In the last 10 years, we promised ourselves to have a strong work etiquette, perseverance and vision if we were going to set precedence in the world of dance and set ourselves apart from many others. Our parents have implanted in our mindset to have a never dying attitude to continue to innovate, inspire, and redefine. Last but not least, share and give. Yes it is that simple. We have never stopped being students of the trade and continue to be open minded to the fact that we are teachers and will stay teachers. We constantly cross train in dance styles to strengthen our Salsa dancing.
JV: At a time when TV shows are creating a resurgence in the popularity of ballroom dance, do you think its helping Salsa dance get more recognition?
J&L: Absolutely! Thanks to TV shows such a as "Do you think you can dance," there is a Salsa component that recognizes it as a sport dance rather than just a street dance. Last but not least, the world salsa championships that have been aired on TV thanks to Albert Torres and the Salsa Seven has taken Salsa to another level.
JV: Finally, I know it is a lot of work putting on a festival of this type but what do you hope to accomplish with the 1st annual SF Salsa Festival?
J&L: We are hoping as result of a well planned event that the social dancing, work shops, and shows will bring tons of fun and joy to the people that attend. To have the festival to attract and bring people to be tied firmly together. A very good friend of ours taught us that “Life, my friends is the art of getting together.”
Muchas Gracias Jhon and Liz! Hasta la proxima readers, chuyvarela@aol.com
DESDE LA BAHIA FEB. 2009
VIVA FLAMENCO! Recently I gave a lecture at Cal Performances as a pre-talk to a Flamenco dance performance by the distinguished Jose Porcel and his company from Spain that I called, “Flamenco 101.” Held at Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, I invited Chus Alonso, the renown composer, educator and flautist, to join me as we discussed the roots and evolution of Flamenco music and dance in Spain.
I could not have picked a better authority than Chus. His resume includes leading his own Flamenco jazz group, The Potaje Ensemble, and currently director of the Community Music Center in San Francisco. He is a founding member of La Moderna Tradicion, the Bay Area’s retro-danzon orchestra, and plays Flamenco with the Mark Taylor Quartet and La Tania Flamenco Music and Dance company.
From Zamora, Spain, Chus was introduced to music as a child and wound up in the Madrid Conservatory studying classical piano and theory. As an alternative, he also studied with Pedro Iturralde, one of the first musicians to experiment fusing Flamenco and jazz. In 1984 Chus re-located to the SF Bay Area where he has established himself as a talented musician and composer.
His most recent recording with his Potaje Ensemble is titled “Flamenco Cat” and a follow-up to his debut CD, “Potaje” (which means “stew”), a few years ago. In the following interview, Chus tells us about his new album and the new textures he is honing that integrates classical piano, modern harmonies and the traditional sounds of Flamenco.
Nevertheless, a contemporary instrumental ensemble, such Potaje, though firmly rooted in flamenco, also aspires to enrich this music by expanding its instrumentation and embellishing its sounds. Therefore, I became interested in exploring ways to incorporate the piano in my compositions for the ensemble. I tried both, adding the piano in addition to the guitar, and also, instead of the guitar. I was attracted by the wide range of the piano and the possibility of adding sophisticated modern harmonies and the challenge of finding techniques for the piano that would succeed in imitating the rhythmic drive provided by the guitar in flamenco.
I was also interested in working with pianists with a strong classical background. I wanted to include the classical sensitivity and utilize their technical dexterity. From the composer’s point of view, it is amazing how some classical pianists can bring to life almost anything you write on the paper. You can not say the same about flamenco guitarists. Most flamenco guitarists do not read music, and those who do, don’t like to be told exactly what to play. Again, from the composer’s point of view, this is both an asset and a limitation. Typically, flamenco guitarists know how to accompany the various styles such siguiriyas, tangos, bulerias, etc; and, by ear, they find the appropriate chords and embellish the music with their own crop of falsetas and licks.
This is a wonderful skill and a good guitarist can add a lot to your music without you having to write papers and figure out the details. On the other hand, when your music is very specific and not too typical, finding a flamenco guitarist that would be willing and capable of reading and learning it might be a problem. Most flamenco guitarists have their own style, their own way to accompany, and their own falsetas, licks, and musical phrases. This is very different approach from the classical pianist whose training is to interpret what it is on the paper.
Lunares was the first flamenco ensemble piece I composed in which the piano had a central role. It has three movements (track numbers 12, 13 and 14 on the CD). It originated as a piano solo composition and was performed for the first time by pianist Allison Lovejoy on March 21, 2003. Little by little I added other instruments until it became part of the Potaje repertoire.
The idea of developing a new Potaje repertoire that incorporates piano took off when I began collaborating with Pianist Paula Dreyer. She worked hard on assimilating the new concepts and techniques and offered feedback on the pianistic execution of the music. New to flamenco but with a strong classical background, great sensitivity, and solid sound, she spent several years familiarizing herself in this manner with the flamenco “grooves.”
The remaining ensemble members are long time collaborators with whom I have a strong bond. We know each other well and over a long time we have developed a common language. These musicians include: Mark Taylor, a sophisticated and tasteful guitarist; Tregar Otton, a grooving violinist; Steve Senft-Herrera, a strong and reliable bassist; Brian Rice, a versatile percussionist; and Sage Baggott, an anchored and knowledgeable percussionist.
JV: You have an upcoming concert at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley on Feb. 7. What can people expect?
CA: On Saturday, February 7 at 8:00 pm, Potaje ensemble will bring the music of our new CD to La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley. We will present “Flamenco Cat” in concert format during the first set. Then, the dance floor will be cleared for a Latin dance party during the second set. In addition to our flamenco repertoire, Potaje also plays original Latin dance music. We’ll do that in the second set so the audience can stand up and dance with us. We know a lot of our fans enjoy attentive listening as well as moving their bodies with our music.
