by jorge » Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:40 pm
Hi Mario,
Welcome to the forum. You ask a very interesting question, what do I mean by guarapachangueo? Maybe I am using the word a little loosely, but I am referring to modern rumba styles in which either there is only one tumbador/tres dos player or the tumbador and tres dos have conversations in guaguanco that complement the quinto and the singers. Los Chinitos are generally recognized to have developed and disseminated their style, which I heard was given the name guarapachangueo by Manuel Martinez el Llanero (who taught many of us in NYC a lot about traditional Cuban rumba in the 1980s). The modern styles of rumba played in La Habana and to some extent by Cubans in New York / NJ and the Bay area in California incorporate a lot of the influences of Los Chinitos as well as influences of other modern Cuban rumba groups including Yoruba Andabo with Pancho Quinto and Roman Diaz, Clave y Guaguanco, Markito Diaz y Maximino Duquesne (Rapsodia Rumbera, Rumberos de Cuba), and others. There are multiple styles and influences, and the guarapachangueo of Los Chinitos is one important piece of this bigger picture. A lot of these styles were previously called la timba, before that term was commercialized in the 90s to refer to modern Cuban popular music. Of course all of the rumba styles are heavily based on African culture, specifically Congo, Abakua and Yoruba music as you said, and reflect a community creativity not just individuals like Los Chinitos or the rumba families of Matanzas. In reality many people contribute to development of a musical style and only certain ones get credit. I am all for giving credit to true creators, especially among rumberos who so often have their creations taken and popularized with no credit given, but to say Los Chinitos invented the modern rumba (which I maybe too loosely called guarapachangueo), Pablo Mesa invented the Matanzas seis por ocho style, or Tata Guines invented the modern tumbao is oversimplifying a bit and not giving credit to the other drummers in most cases also contributed to developing those styles. All of these were collective efforts, with brilliant creators involved, but also based on centuries of traditions from Africa and to a lesser extent, Spain and other cultures. All these guys have been excellent bataleros, many paleros, Abakua moni bonko, and their creations reflect their religious drumming culture as well. The batarumba specifically incorporates the Yoruba traditions and the rumba. To make it even more complex, modern rumba in Cuba and outside Cuba is constantly developing, changing, and evolving and what we mean by modern rumba today may be different in a few years.
If you listen to Guaguanco Matancero and Muñequitos recordings before 1996, Gregorio Diaz (El Goyo, from Matanzas, different from El Goyo in La Habana) is the tumbador on most songs. Listen carefully to how the tumbador talks with the seis por ocho (second drum) in the guaguancos. In most of the recordings the seis por ocho is played by Agustin Diaz, Goyo's son. The style they developed, the tumbador fill-ins, and the concept of the conversation between tumbador and second drums complementing both the quinto and the singers, were well known to rumberos in both Matanzas and La Habana. The amazing interactions between them, almost like telepathy, reflect to a large degree the family relationship and the fact that Goyo taught Agustin. Pedro Tapanes (Pello) is another great tumbador from Matanzas who has recorded with Afrocuba de Matanzas and who plays a similar style to El Goyo. The guarapachangueo-based rumba styles I have heard, mostly from Yoruba Andabo, Clave y Guaguanco, Rapsodia Rumbera, Rumberos de Cuba, and NYC Afrocuban groups playing modern rumba like Puntilla's group and Raices Habaneras have all incorporated these concepts and taken them to another level. I have only heard Los Chinitos play on YouTube and El Goyo's (Gregorio Hernandez from La Habana) recording "La Rumba es Cubana" and have an idea of their style, but haven't met or talked with any of them. To my ear, a lot of the modern rumba tumbador/tres dos conversations sound a lot like drum conversations El Goyo and Agustin Diaz have played in guaguanco matancero since the 60s and Goyo and Pablo Mesa (seis por ocho of Guaguanco Matancero) played before that. Rumberos here in the US who play modern rumba / guarapachangueo all have great admiration for El Goyo and Pello, and guaguanco matancero in general, and do recognize the important influence of guaguanco matancero on development of modern rumba in La Habana. They also recognize the contributions of Los Chinitos to development of the guarapachangueo and modern rumba, as well as contributions of Pancho Quinto, Markito Diaz, Maximino Duquesne and others.
Since you are in contact with Los Chinitos, it would be great if you could ask them how they see El Goyo (de Matanzas) and his influence on their development of guarapachangueo. Can you ask them next time you talk with them?