congaplace.com

Posted: **Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:45 am**

(4/4) Yuka as taught by ET and Ife Ile. Note, the Xs mean using a stick with the non-dominant hand against the side of the drum. That makes a crazy clacking sound since all three drums are doing it. The whole song sounds like a train. The Tumba is the lead drum, and can use a stick or slaps notated as Xs with much more variation possible. When I was playing with them we played the bell as a regular cinquillo pattern.
The "O"s are tones.
Comments?
Does it look familiar? Or is it a wierd thing or misnamed? This is one of those times I post on the forum to find out if I'm being told the right things..

count:| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
bell: | X - - X - - X - | - - X - X - X - ||
cata

R - L - R L R - | R - L - R L R - ||
hcong:| O X O X O X O X | O X O X O X O X ||
lcong:| O - X - O - X - | O - X O - O X - ||
tumb: | O - - - X - - - | X - - X - - O - ||

Edited By windhorse on 1196343106

Posted: **Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:02 am**

No comments?
I was just curious since it was taught to me first as Makuta, then they said,, "well it's really Yuka"..

Dave

Posted: **Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:46 pm**

OK, here's more on the topic of what makes Yuka, Yuka, and what makes Makuta, Makuta.
We played a non-stick version of whatever it is -yesterday at Neri's dance class the entire time. They had a full class, and we had a full compliment of tumbaderos even though Boulder had 6 inches of snow on the ground! Two people even braved Hwy 36 to get there from Denver, along side cars sliding off the road everywhere!! That, I couldn't believe!
Anyway, the pattern went like this:
Bell played Cinquillo..
Cata plays Cinquillo, the tumba goes “And a One!” like the tumba in Illesa, as the lead drum. There’s a kachimbo high drum playing downbeat or something like that. The Segundo plays where the lead of Illesa plays.
So, to my ear it was pretty much Illesa, but ET said, it's Makuta, and Neri kept calling it Yuka.
ET said, "Don't worry about it", "There's 5 or more ways to play this."

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:38 pm**

funny you mention that...the way i was taught how to play Yuka, was using one stick one drum...i was taught to play Makuta that resembled Iyesa...I don't know if you've heard Steve Wardinsky's Afro Cuban study CD, but he goes over pretty much all the afrocuban rhythms including yuka, garabato, makuta, palo....the way Steve plays makuta (as he probably learned it from Regino Jimenez) sounds like the typical makuta with the bell playing a bomba-esque pattern (which is not the way i learned how to play either) i've heard it many ways, and they all sound pretty damn good, so whatever its called or whatever is being played, just play it right i say

Edited By ralph on 1197466739