Hey Faniatic and Thomas,
yes, Ramón Quián "Monguito El Único" is perhaps not among the top most famous singers, but he is definitely one of my all-time favourite Soneros. Glad that you guys like him too. His style of "inspiraciones" was very special (often repetitive, short, "simple" pregones). It seems to me that he must have especially looked up to Miguelito Cuní and Conjunto Chapottín (the same way that Papaíto seemed to have Abelardo Barroso and Cheo Marquetti as referents). Before those SAR recordings, he had worked with stars like Arsenio Rodríguez and Johnny Pacheco, as well as in some interesting productions with African and Afro-Antillean musicians, also very nice. I would love to find out more about him and his career, anyway.
Monguito's singing and those kind of recordings in general have something that moves me. I agree that it is rather simple music, but to me, the (apparent) simplicity, the repetitiveness and the subtle, tasteful variations is where lies the beauty of this music. I think that's also the reason I love other African-derived genres, including Hip-Hop and Techno.
Thomas Altmann wrote:The guataca: not quite the Cuban design, but works just fine. Flea market, 1.50 DM.
It has an excellent sound. I have been looking in Flea-Markets for a nice guataca for quite a while now, but the closest I found so far is an old rectangular brick trowel. With a triangle beater, the sound is nice but raw; so far I have been too lazy to scratch off all the little cement pieces stuck to it.
Thomas Altmann wrote: Conjunto music and Son Montuno are only the "home of clave" as far as band music (using European instruments of definite pitch) is concerned. Son is reported to have adopted clave from Rumba; but you can go further back to the Afro-Cuban musical traditions (Carabalí, Lucumí, Bantú etc.) and as far as Central- and West Africa itself. However, I speculate that clave as a spiritualized concept, as opposed to a physical instrument playing a concrete timeline rhythm, started with Rumba. In Son, I can almost hear how it took on shape during the Septeto period and started to reign with Arsenio's music and everything that came after.
I have heard a few times about clave being added to Son through Rumba/Abakua when Son reached the Western part of Cuba, sometimes pointing even personally to Ignacio Piñeiro as the main agent. But I guess it must have been more or less collective. And I suppose Rumba was at the time traveling to the East too, if not already there, right? When I listen to some "Duo Los Compadres" or "Trio Matamoros" records (also all-time favourites!), I too think I hear the early transition (or pure coexistence) from more clave-neutral oriental-style to more clave-oriented Son.