Orestes Vilato !!

[CongaTick]

Conga LA one of the first CD's in my collection and played so often I think the DVD laser has burned a few deep grooves in it.

Also, Vamonos Pal Monte. If you haven't seen this video. you must, and be prepared to move. Absolutely smokin!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf9NwNX_mSc

[Omelenko1]

[quote][/quote]That's why I would always be reluctant to call any one "the best timbalero on the planet".

Never forget Tito -

ThomasThomas Altmann

I can call Orestes the best because first of all I come from the seed (La Habana) and was born "en clave", where rumba, bembe' and bochinche are part of daily living. As a child I saw Ulpiano Diaz, Orestses Varona and Guillermo Barreto playing live (these guys are Vilato's mentors). Having had a 35 year friendly ralationship with Mongo I saw Willie Bobo, Chihuahua, Steve Berrios and Johnny Almendra perform on timbs on numerous occasions. I saw and interviewed Tito many times, seen Manny Oquendo, Nicky Marrero, actually sat in with Nicky, Patato and Jorge Dalto at SOB's in NYC. Have been a personal friend of Orestes and his late dad for years. Nobody plays timbales like Orestes, his finesse and technique are second to none. Rlaphie Irrizary and Jimmy Delgado, two of today's finest, come from the Vilato school and credit him as their main inspiration. Tito was probably one of the biggest icons in Latin music, great arranger, composer and instrumentalist (timbales,piano, vibes.....)the most recognized timbalero in the world, but Orestes is a better more complete timbalero, the best danzonero, more tipico than any and can play in any musical setting (Latin,R&B,Jazz, Rock....).
My 2 cents.

Dario

[Thomas Altmann]

Dario:

I am not going to get into that entitlement issue again. What I believe, is that it is a tremendous asset for a musician to grow up in an ambiente where rumba and bembe are "part of daily living". I don't believe, though, that it helps to value or evaluate and enjoy the music any better. If bochinche is something like what I understood as quarrel, trouble, fight or argument, then that does neither help the musician nor the listener, nor is it anything to be proud of.

The funny thing is, Orestes is perhaps my favorite timbalero, too. Which is something else than to state that he is the best, period. I sincerely envy you for having seen Ulpiano Diaz, Orestes Varona and Guillermo Barreto. From the fact that one artist influences another, however, we cannot conclude that the first is better than the latter; or is Gene Krupa better than Buddy Rich, just because Buddy admired Gene and was influenced by him in his early days? Certainly not. I love Orestes' traditional style more than anything else in timbal playing, but objectively I don't think that it allows us in turn to disregard Ralphie's shifting rhythmic tectures and time concepts, for example. And who inspired Orestes? (This is a serious question I'm sure you can answer.)

Hell, up from a certain artistic level it does not make any sense to try and line them up in a comparative gamut of "better than the other". Is Mozart better than Beethoven? Is John Coltrane better than Wayne Shorter? This is something the so-called "critics" may be concerned about.

Thomas