zaragemca's bongos,congas timbal and Bata.

[Doctorumba]

The guy in the picture above is the legendary "Chorizera",El Chori.What follows is my posting on El Chori from the latinjazz group:


In conversation with Mongo,he told me that on one occasion when he went to La
Habana to visit his mother Felicia,Tito was also in La Habana and he took Tito
to see Choricera in la playa de Marianao (this must have been 1957 or before,as
Mongo left Tito's band in late 1957).Choricera's (El Chori) real name was
Silvano Shueg,he was born in Santiago De Cuba, in Oriente province.
Anyhow,on this occasion Mongo said that after introducing Tito to
Choricera,that Choricera "le tiro' una trompetilla a Tito" (the English
translation for "trompetilla" escapes me,is not spit) and Chori proceeded to
"repartir en la paila",take a timbal solo.
El Chori was the author of two son montunos,"La Choricera y "Hallaca de Maiz"
and also appeared on a couple of films. On the movie "Before The Night
Falls",which is available on DVD and VHS,you can see a segment of "Habana PM" on
which "El Chori" appears,this documentary was banned in La Habana by the Castro
regime.I bought the DVD just to have a clip of Choricera.
El Chori,like J. Santos stated, was a member of the group Los Tutamkamen and
every
Sunday was part of "La Pen~a Musical de Sirique",where he would play paila and
make facial gestures.He went on a crusade all over La Habana writing his name on
the sidewalks and walls,we would write"Aqui Estuvo El Chori"He died in La Habana
in 1974..
I recommend buying the movie "Before Night Falls",where at the very end you
get to see "El Gran Choricera" en accion. Saludos, Dario

[zaragemca]

Well you have to realize that in 1957,Tito Puente wasn't a big name in the music business as other bands before him,(that was the reason of Mongo leaving the band and taking Willy Bobo with him to Cal Tjader's Band), also Wilfredo de los Reyes,(drummer),remembering taking Tito Puente to Marianao Show where 'Chori' was performing,also Cab Calloway,Marlon Brandon,Frank Sinatra,Meyers Lansky,Lucky Lusiano,and many mores have been at the 'Chori' shows in Marianao.Dr Zaragemca



Edited By zaragemca on 1142368550

[Facundo]

Doc Z,

Excellent historical summation! However, one key person seems to be missing - Arsenio Rodriguez. While, he was primarily famous as a tres player, singer and composer; I read that he is credited with adding the conga to the Cuban bands. Even if this is not true, he certainly has to be given credit for incorporating many of the folk (I hate that term-lets call them indigenous African) melodies and rhythms into much of the secular music. How would you place him in this history?

Facundo

[zaragemca]

Welcome brother Facundo,I know that he was credited with that in some articles,but it is a mistake,Santos Ramirez,Miguelito Valdez,(Conjunto Casino de la Playa),Chano Pozo,(Conjunto Azul),Julio Cuevas's Orquestra,etc., they all incorporated Congas before Arsenio Rodriguez....But in the article I'm mentioning the bongocero which was playing with him,and his brother, 'Quike' Rodriguez which was his Congero..Also he used a good structuration of his approach of Tres/playing to create a more dynamic interaction in the Conjuntos between the Piiano,Tres/Guitar,Percussion and Double/Bass,(he had the opportunity to find out how it would work when he recorded with Conjunto Casino de la Playa,before forming his own Conjunto)..Saludos.Dr. Zaragemca



Edited By zaragemca on 1143767711