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Hi guys,

I have a very specific question; could someone please help me out by explaining which rhythm is played on the following song:

Willie Colon ft Hector Lavoe - Che Che Cole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-jhq7HOSyY

I suppose it's a certain bomba, or an interpretation of it?
Hope to get some responses, thanks a lot!

Alan from Holland

No bomba to me, sounds rather like a puertorican rhythm called "orisa".

You can also hear it in David Byrne's "Make believe mambo" (from the album "Rei Momo") :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPLJDiEWjc You can even hear Celia Cruz in it.

I think this one is an orisa too, but I could be wrong. (different drum parts).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l86SlPptyGY

I think I have wrote the drum parts down... somewhere... gotta search.

Allright, this is allready helpful and it seems you're absolutely right.
If you have more info regarding the rhythm and its context, I'm interested!
Thanks a lot,

Best regards,

Alan

This is a mixed rhythm with both bomba and oriza. There is definitely a bomba rhythm, including very typical bomba riffs on the quinto (primo). The rhythm is also mixed with oriza but not the original Cuban version of oriza by Silvestre Mendez or the modified Puerto Rican version that Cortijo and Ismael did some years later that flipped the bell to the upbeats from the original downbeat pattern of Silvestre Mendez. They changed the oriza high drum part. The high drum is definitely playing a bomba pattern with bomba riffs interspersed with the typical buleador part, on top of the tumbador playing an oriza rhythm, with the bell on the upbeats like Cortijo. Not sure if it was Milton Cardona overdubbing the 2 conga parts or Jose Mangual on tumbadora. Either way, very creative fusion of 2 rhythms, one of Willie and Hector's biggest hits. Las dos alas...

Jorge, thank you for "putting the record straight".