Your favourite song examples for cascara, merengue ...

Swiss Matthias

Platinum Member
Hi guys

As a drum teacher I'm always looking for good examples for different styles
of music. Tell me some of your favourite tunes for

-cascara and clave
-merengue
-cha cha
-mozambique (other than Gadd's :) )
-some sambas and bossas
-other specific styles that come to your mind

I'm very interested, thanks for your contributions!!
 
One thing that you might have trouble with is that most Afro-Cuban bands are playing around the cascara, rather than playing the exact pattern.

When I had to learn real Afro-Cuban music, (not Latin jazz) I struggled to find recordings where the bands actually played the patterns, instead they played around them. I guess this is similar to how we play jazz or funk, we don't play the exact pattern, because that would sound pretty lame, instead we imply it and play around it. I found it easier to understand how cascara and clave fit into the montuno or tumbao.


That being said, if you pick up some Xavier Cugat records (he was one of the first people to bring Cuban music to the US), all his songs tell you what rhythm is. So you know if it's a Rumba or Son that you can expect to hear someone playing cascara, where as you won't hear that in a Cha Cha Cha.


Brazilian music (Bossa and Samba) is much more relaxed, and it's easier to get the rhythms from the bigger rcordings... Joao Gilberto, et cetera.
 
Timba

From his jam block rhythm, it seems to be 2-3 rhumba clave based.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_34oDF6ZIs

Rumba, not "Rhumba"


That's what you pick for an example? Instead of something that is simpler and more coherent and easier to follow. He's jumping all over the place, tries to do to much, and kind of creating an incoherent mess. It made my head hurt. He crosses clave.

Timba is all about Rumba. This is Rumba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOQvzI1A2P0&list=PL0CC100ABDC651CDF

See how it takes 5 percussionists to do it. The drums have conversations. They don't just wail away when they feel like it.

Try this for some Timba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrZ1P7E8EFI&list=PL_4HzdLMFlg68mAPF1NSx85zIi43QhWyc
 
I picked it because.. I like it?


Rumba AND Rhumba actually..

Rumba in North America[edit]
Main articles: Rhumba and Rumberas film
In the US, the term "rhumba" (anglicised version of rumba), began to be used during the 1920s to refer to ballroom music with Afro-Cuban music themes, particularly in the context of big band music.[5]

Yes, Timba is about Rumba.

And NG La Banda created Timba..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NG_La_Banda

Jimmy Branly on the drums is a tremendous afro cuban born drummer, first known to the worldwide drumming community through Chuck Silverman's Drumset Artists of Cuba video. Have you even heard of him before? :rollseyes:

"He's jumping all over the place, tries to do to much, and kind of creating an incoherent mess." I'm sure you know better than an authentic cuban player.
 
Loving this stuff. I need my horizons expanded. I can't wrap my head around this stuff yet
 
Here are a few things I like:

Mozambique: Eddie Palmieri / Melao Para El Sapo, Mi Mambo Conga
Partido Alto (the Brazilian funk groove): Azymuth / Partido Alto
Partido Alto (the samba song style): Chico Buaque / Partido Alto
Samba/drumset+percussionist: Milton Banana / Linha de Passe
Samba/batucada: Airto / Celebration Suite
Samba/cruzado: Dom Um Romao / Mas Que Nada
Cascara: Eddie Palmieri / Vamanos Pa'l Monte
Chacha/boogaloo: Eddie Palimieri / Mi Sonsito

Fusion 6/8 and samba with an Senegalese percussionist and a Brazilian percussionist: Don Pullen / El Matador, Capoeira
 
I picked it because.. I like it?


Rumba AND Rhumba actually..

Rumba in North America[edit]
Main articles: Rhumba and Rumberas film
In the US, the term "rhumba" (anglicised version of rumba), began to be used during the 1920s to refer to ballroom music with Afro-Cuban music themes, particularly in the context of big band music.[5]

In Cuba it's Rumba. I'll stick with that.

Yes, Timba is about Rumba.

And NG La Banda created Timba..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NG_La_Banda

To me, Timba is just the natural continuation of Songo (Son A Go Go.) Which Points to Juan Formell's crew. Just semantics but that's my take.

Jimmy Branly on the drums is a tremendous afro cuban born drummer, first known to the worldwide drumming community through Chuck Silverman's Drumset Artists of Cuba video. Have you even heard of him before? :rollseyes:

"He's jumping all over the place, tries to do to much, and kind of creating an incoherent mess." I'm sure you know better than an authentic cuban player.

To paraphrase my Dad "That's my opinion and I'm stuck with it." :) 20 years of listening to a lot of old Son and Rumba trying to get at the roots, playing congas and bongos, started out when I saw Grupo AfroCuba de Matanzas and taking my first workshop from them. Seen Cuban artists when I could. Not even claiming to be an expert but I know some stuff. Bringing this stuff out of my head and not Wikipedia anyway. ;-)
 
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This is Mozambique. By the originator.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oSGpi_jV3M&spfreload=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjdPjEswqcE

Something to think about is that most of the music that we are talking about here is Dance music first and foremost.

I know that you all are looking for different things, for different reasons, and looking for varying depths, but I still think that you would do well to at least listen to some of the original versions of these musics instead of getting it 2nd, 3,rd, 4th... hand. Or to Jazz and other interpretations of it. Enough to get your toes wet. I've always liked to go back in time and development to get at the roots, which is also usually simpler and easier to pick up. When you're listening to killer diller players that are pushing the envelope of layers of innovations that have come after years and years, things can get a bit confusing.
 
Great thread! Love this stuff.

I'm not nearly qualified to comment on authenticity, terminology, Rhumba vs Rumba and so on. (Songo means Son A Go Go eh? Never knew that)

But I want to listen to it all. And get a Jam Block, haha
 
This is Mozambique. By the originator.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oSGpi_jV3M&spfreload=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjdPjEswqcE

Something to think about is that most of the music that we are talking about here is Dance music first and foremost.

I know that you all are looking for different things, for different reasons, and looking for varying depths, but I still think that you would do well to at least listen to some of the original versions of these musics instead of getting it 2nd, 3,rd, 4th... hand. Or to Jazz and other interpretations of it. Enough to get your toes wet. I've always liked to go back in time and development to get at the roots, which is also usually simpler and easier to pick up. When you're listening to killer diller players that are pushing the envelope of layers of innovations that have come after years and years, things can get a bit confusing.

To each their own . I like modern jazz and bebop. Can't stand Dixieland and loyis Armstrong type stuff.
Same goes with Latin music. I like what I like and listen do most stuff that is played in salsa clubs. Old stuff, not so much.
 
Pello's version of Mozambique seems very different from Eddie Palmieri's thing, which is the concept of the style that had legs in the US. The only similarity I picked up between the two things was the little "Mozambique" vocal line.

Nate's Kit, has anyone that you know continued doing Pello's thing since the 60s?
 
Pello's version of Mozambique seems very different from Eddie Palmieri's thing, which is the concept of the style that had legs in the US. The only similarity I picked up between the two things was the little "Mozambique" vocal line.

Nate's Kit, has anyone that you know continued doing Pello's thing since the 60s?

That's a great question. Wish I had an answer.

I learned about it from Afro-Cuban All Stars take on it and then went to Pello El Afrokán out of curiosity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VtayX4TpoE

It's related to Cuban Carnival music Comparsa, which of course is still going on. Not the best video but I gave up looking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1lL6ZdaG7I

I guess Eddie Palmieri is doing his own take on things. Pello does variations on theme as well.
 
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