Who was your Inspiration and why?

Let's discuss about the origin and history of this beautiful instrument...

Postby blango » Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:32 pm

Always nice to hear from Sr. Altman. Im sure im not the only one who is glad to hear who inspired you to further the tradition.

My story... a cat named Ken Meyer, who probably has no idea how much of an impact he had by simply:

calling me out of the blue, as i played Flamenco and Jazz at the time. Ken called simply to 'drum' up some students for some cat from Cuba who needed to find students while he was here.

Well, it turned out to be the Regino Jimenez, one of Cubas finest folklorists!

I cant express my gratitude to Regino, and all my teachers, for enriching my life. I certainly hope i can contribute to the tradition in return.

Chris 'Flaco' Walker and Sandy Perez are such incredible inspiration, and i am so lucky to work with, and study from them.

The cats at La Pena, for all the guidance and support.

Yaya, Yagbe, Jeff, Butch, Damian, Bruce, Michael, Orlando etc.

Much praise and thanks to all those who share their knowledge. As a european, i feel truly blessed.

Two relatively unknowns who inspire me today - Joseph 'Pili' Martinez (board member, Isla partner) and Colin Douglass.

Pili has the best rumba chops in the bay, other than Sandy.

Colin is a eruopean player who absolutely 'flew' through the tradition and now is one of the few european cats to be 'in' with the cuban folkloric community in the SF area.

Sorry for the long windedness... I adore these people.

Tony


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Postby Gallichio » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:27 am

For me my inspiration was Jack Costanso, Mongo Santamaria, Armando Peraza, Alex Acuna. and a ton of Jazz set drummers. The sound they made is just so Beautiful. I Thank God for letting this music into my heart.
All the Best!
Mike Gallichio
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Postby zumbi » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:11 pm

peace & blessings,
when i first heard elvin jones on the john coltrane masterpiece "a love supreme", at the age of 13 i knew i had to play drums.
countless other drummers inspired me but to this days elvin and art blakey still reign supreme in my heart.
many years later i got interested in the tumbadoras and so i started my research ang got to know and love mongo, patato, candido, tata guines, giovanni, anga'. anga' is my main inspiration on the instrument for his 360° musical explorations, his originality and the spiritual depth of his music
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Postby Jongo » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:47 pm

My first inspiration was Tito Puente, I wanted to learn to play timbales but I could not afford the new sets and the second hand music store did not have any used. So I bought an old beat up conga and my first teacher and another inspiring figure, Neftali Medina, taught me how to play and gave me a rally good foundation to build on. Gamo Da Paz, a Brasilian guy in SF is a big inspiration to me as well. He is really good but he is very humble and easy going. The guy can really play, I wish I could have studied with him more but I was able to learn some Samba and Afro-Brasilian stuff from him. I also really like Luisito and Roberto Quintero. Luisito in particular, I really like his timbale playing.
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Postby windhorse » Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:02 am

Mostly the same ones Tony mentioned, but only once a year.. :p You people are SO LUCKY in San Fran/Berkely!
But, I was also really lucky to just to run into some guys who played around here. They got me into it about 6 years ago.
Dave Lyons is the big inspiring force around here. Nobody knows him outside of here. He's like a crazy cosmic unknown that just happened to occur out of thin air.
What actually happened was - The "Los Muniquitos" of 15 years ago, came through Boulder. Dave was just messing around playing djembe drums at the time, along with some of his friends who would later form a full-fledged Afro Carribean study group - later to be called "Bamboche".
Dave is a genious. And I'm slightly understating that.
He's played music all his life on every instrument. He's taken the highest level classes in college in everything you can name, and knows just about everything about everything.
So, he can write music faster than we can think. He went and saw them play, befriended someone there, and invited them to come to his house for a week or two where they used his house to teach people in town while they were here. So, he fed them, and just sat at their feet writing, and writing, and writing..
He was kind of like a Mozart meeting another musical genious from a distant culture; saying "wow" "what's that? How do you do that?"
He learned very quickly how to play a conga correctly, and how to play all the rhythms they were willing to share in the short time they were here. He developed the quick writing notation that all us Boulderites share, and his volumes, from the Muniquitos' visit, fill a really thick three-ring notebook.
So, I owe it really to the Muniquitos 15 year old version - though I've never seen them, via my teacher Dave.

I thought it was different enough to elaborate, so thereyago.. I'd say we're as blessed here as most of you!
And thanks to everyone of you with the heart and musical spirit that makes people smile when they hear you play!

And to the those blessed Africans for --- well we could start with -- beginning the human race with the first homo sapiens,, as well as the most lovely danceable music on earth! And the Cubans for hanging onto it, and in my humble opinion turning the coolness knob up another whole notch.. :cool:
Positive Vibes!
Dave
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby windhorse » Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:15 am

Eric just told me that he was with me the day that Dave said Munequitos came to Boulder, and he's been saying "15 years ago" for several years,, Eric says it was actually 1982, or close to it, Making it more than 26 years ago!

No worries,, I just don't like bad information..

Dave
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby Isaac » Wed May 07, 2008 11:43 pm

I'm a visual person, so the good drummers I got to see live were my first main inspiration.
This was next to impossible for a Jewish kid from the north end of Winnipeg, Canada.
I sought out records.
I first listened to Mongo, Armando and Candido and Ghanaian Master drummer - Mustapha Tetty Addy on vinyl.
One of my friends, Geoffrey Clarfield was studying musicology in Toronto, and told me I must buy these albums.
In high school I first got the Cal Tjader LP - "Live at the Funky Quarters". I listened to it so much I wore it out
after a few years...My next purchases were "Yambu" by Mongo Santamaria and "Top Percussion". Of course
Santana was a standard bearer with Armando Peraza. Growing up I noticed a lot of good funky congas
and bongos in the background music used for TV sports shows. It turns out that was - Candido!
...and of course the funky congas of Motown hits - turned out to be Eddie "bongo" Brown. Those Motown songs
were like the air we breathed back in the mid 60s. I listened to a soul station in Little Rock, Ark, that could be picked up
all the way up the midwest into Canada. That was my #1 influence since the age of 7.
The first drummer I saw live that made me think " I want to do that too"
was Ramon Lopez who played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. I saw Kenton in
Minneapolis in the mid 70s... I was almost blown out of my seat from their high energy.
On the same trip I met a conga player
from Chicago ( I don't kow his name) He had spent a few years in Ghana
and let me drum with him in a Park in Madison, Wisconson, while he was
teaching me and his small son..It was a pivotal moment.
Later, back in Canada I started studying with Camerounian percussionist Emile Bisseck.

Living in Jerusalem in the late 70s I was exposed to some great Arabic, Yemeni and Morroccan drumming.
Shlomo Barr, a Morroccan Israeli drummer used to host some nice jams at his place.
My friend Yitzhak Levy-Awami taught me some very lean & funky grooves from North Yemen, based on
the various walking tempos of camels! We would go to the ethnic Jewish Yemenite festivals and see many groups
with all shapes & sizes of drums, depending what region they were from. I began performing Yemeni
music which rhythmically is a mix of India, Arabia and Africa. Vocals & percussion were the main thing.

Later in New York I used to see Mongo, Ladji Camara, Airto, Tito Puente, Jose Mangual, Pete El Conde Rodriguez,
Celia Cruz, Johnny Rodriguez, Steve Berrios, Bobby Sanabria, Manny Oquendo, Johnny Pacheco, Eddie Palmieri, Pappo Lucca,
Jerry and Andy Gonzalez, Nicky Marrero, Eddie Montalvo, Giovanni Hidalgo, Patato, Candido,
Pablo Rosario, Oscar D'Leon.
But mostly, it was Fajardo's group that I went to see once a month for several years...with many great percussionists sitting in,
I studied at the Harbor Conservatory (1990s)
with the late Luis Andino, with Joe Gonzalez (of the Mario Bauza Orch), Ray Cruz, Jimmy Delgado; and Jimmy Sabater,
with whom I got to work.
I went to Cuba for a few weeks in the summer of 1988 which was
a very decisive inspiration.. We had conga classes - My teacher was Guillermo Lopez
I also audited the bata classes, not to play, but just to hear Lazaro Ros sing every day.
One night I was invited to attend a rehearsal with Orquesta Reve and later to sit next to
them at the carnaval. The Papines were there sitting with me! They played
with the highest level of energy I had ever seen...

For a few short years we had a nice steady flow of Cuban groups in NYC and I got to
see the Munequitos, Grupo Afrocuba, Chucho Valdez, Los Papines, Tata Guines, I met Changuito & Anga with Roy Hargrove,
and also not to leave out Los Hermanos Cepeda from Puerto Rico, whom I attended
a Bomba workshop (Dos Alas) with. Chucho also privately told me not to neglect the music of my own Jewish roots,
and to combine it with my love for percussion...In his words
" If you don't do it, who will ?"

I lived in NYC long enough so I could jump out
and catch a set whenever I had a chance in between my job & family time.
Now I don't get to see quite as much...but play whenever I can
and am very greatful for the opportunities I had...

There's a lot of younger great talent now...but for all their innovative speed technique,
and master's degrees, they employ odd changes for the sake of showing chops, it doesn't do so much for me....
If the music were food...I'd be going home hungry.

Like the old charanga tune says....
"Sabor, Sabor, Sabor
...... y nada mas"


ISAAC GUTWILIK
Last edited by Isaac on Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:36 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby Tone » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:26 pm

I was always passionate about music, asking my parents to play the piano when I was a kid and then playing guitar and all the insturments I could lay my hands on.
When I was about sixteen i made a cassette of this album that a friend of mine was playing. It was an album by Carlos 'Patato' Valdes.
I don't know what the album is called, I could never find it again. In the end I have made a CD of that cassette and it till sounds awesome (cassettes are very underated). 30 years later I am still listening to this record. I had no idea what this music was at first, it has son, and rumba mixed, all great tunes.
To this day, that is the type of playing I like best. Totally roots, simple and and incredibly groovy and soulful.

I am surprised no one mentioned him. So here is a massive big up for PATATO!
tone
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby Changuiri » Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:29 am

SOME NAMES JUST CAN'T BE FORGOTTEN AND HERE'S A FEW:

RAFAEL CORTIJO
MONGO SANTAMARIA
RAY BARRETTO
ANGEL CACHETE MALDONADO
ORLANDO PUNTILLA RIOS
MILTON CARDONA
FRANCISCO KAKO BASTAR
TITO PUENTE
BABATUNDE OLANTUNJI
WILLE BOBO AND MANY MORE...

ONLY REASON FOR ME IS THAT WHEN THEY PLAY IT COMES FROM THE HEART!!!
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby vinnieL » Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:01 am

My first exposure to conga therefore my first inspiration is an unknown conguero in Central Park NY. My parents took me there one day as a very small child and i heard these drums and i was drawn to the sound and i left my parents side following the sound and my parents found me some time later (got a beating for getting lost Lol) standing in front of this guy playing. It took a long time for me to start playing but i finally did. As an adult my inspiration is Mongo,Tata Guines,Patato,Barreto and some others. I try to find something i like from a lot of the congueros out there.
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby TONE74 » Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:13 pm

I had a simmilar experience. When younger and living in Cuba I went to visit an uncle of mine in Matanza and while walking to his house I saw a gathering where they were playing rumba I think they were playing the song "tiembla tierra" and I just stood there listening frozen, they had to pull me away to keep walking. I have no idea who they were cause at that time I dint pay attention to things like that. Ever since I had that sound in my head.
My inspiration comes mainly from rumba specially Pancho Quinto, Afro Cuba, Munequitos etc.
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby deadhead » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:24 pm

I began playing drums and percussion in middle school band. I was really into classic rock at the time and played mostly rock drum set. I remember watching my dads Santana Live in South America video and being totally taken by latin percussion. So I guess you could say that Karl Perrazzo and Raul Rekow influenced me to look into latin drumming. I was especially taken by the timbales and how much fun it looked like Karl was having during that show. So I went out and bought a set of beginner timbales and all the bells and blocks etc to go along with them. I bought the LP video with Karl and Raul and learned a good little bit.

Our highschool band director played trumpet in a merengue band and brought in his rhythm section to do a latin percussion clinic for our percussion class. I remember answering all their questions about clave time signatures and cascara and stuff, and both the director and his drummers were really impressed that I knew what I was talking about. Ever since I have been a lover of latin music and the instruments that go along with it.
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby pcastag » Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:16 pm

For me it was seeing Armando Peraza with santana in SF in 1984 at the Waldorf. he had orestes, armando and raul, incredible. Graham lear was on the drums, I'll never forget Armando's bongo solo. I went and bought me some generation II LP bongos that I still have today. Orestes played an incredible timbale solo and had a huge bell tree that he played melodies on.
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby dabesa » Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:29 pm

Hi guys,
being living in Amsterdam, I got inspired by Gerardo Rosales that I saw in a live concert accidentally...
I have been a Salsa dancer for some years and loving the music I decided to start play after I saw him having fun on stage!! :)

Ciao
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Re: Who was your Inspiration and why?

Postby beres » Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:33 pm

Hi all.
My first post here as a newbie.
Although there are so many talented congueros today. My inspiration is mongo santamaria. He was not as fast as some of todays players,BUT he was humble, smiled alot, and had precision. He was so PRECISE. Every note perfect, perhaps harder to play so consistently than to play fast ?

I love the Yambu and up from the roots. Very serious and very deep.
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