Where Was Patato Laid To Rest ? - Donde Enterraron A Patato ?

[Omelenko]

Patato's wishes was to be burried at the cemetery where Celia and Tito where laid to rest in NYC. If not, he should have been burried in Puerto Rico,where he had a home and where his wife,Julia, and his daughters and granchildren reside.

Instead, I've heard that he was cremated against his wishes and his ashes were initially misplaced.

Patato was a Santero, since Cuba and cremation is against the Santeria religion. He was cremated against his own wishes. Where was LP, a company that made a huge fortune from Patato's name ? At least they should have provided,at the end, a decent burrial for the "little giant" (pequeño gigante de los cueros) that made them rich and was their ambassador all over the world. My 2 cents.

Patato was cremated, un hijo de Chango'. Que horror !!!

[ralph]

Dario,

I'm pretty sure your not surprised at LP not footing the bill for Patato's funeral...LP is and has been a business first program for a while now, and I have heard countless stories till this day of LP taking advantage of at least a couple of artists if not many....check out the yahoo latin jazz e group's postings, Max put out something from Willie Everich which probably hold pretty accurate if not dead on....as to why Patato was most likely cremated....its not out yet as it takes a day or two to get a post through......i encourage you check it out....but for the record....i am just as saddened that he was cremated as well, for whatever reason....



Edited By ralph on 1199741812

[pcastag]

Un hijo de chango quemado, increible.
PC

[snigohosian]

Gentlemen,

Normally, I do not respond to gossip on these types of websites. However, I felt that the slanderous and misinformed comments that were said about LP were just too blatantly vicious and erroneous to not warrant a response.

Since when is Latin Percussion, or any other company for that matter, legally allowed to have a say in how someone is buried or cremated? The people who are in charge of that person's estate are the ones who determine what happens to the body. To hold LP responsible for Patato's cremation is ridiculous and simply unfair, not to mention irresponsible. I suggest you call an attorney to educate yourself about the legalities of how someone's estate and burial/cremation is handled.

As far as LP contributing to Patato's memory, the company is contributing, both financially and otherwise, to his memorial service, which will take place this Monday, January 14th in NYC. So, again, you make accusations without even bothering to check the facts.

Wouldn't this be a much better site if the bochinche was left where it belongs...in the garbage can...and instead, we honor Patato's memory with positive postings about him and his music? If you'd like to learn more about his wonderful history and career, feel free to log onto the LP website at www.lpmusic.com, where we have a tribute to Patato that was put up the day he passed away.

Signed,
Steve Nigohosian
Director of Artist Relations
Latin Percussion



Edited By snigohosian on 1199823278

[Coco]

To be fair it was apparently the family that dictated how things were done. I read elsewhere that Martin Cohen said that if money was an issue he personally would take care of it in the event that LP didn't. The family still cremated him.



Edited By Coco on 1199810893

[pavloconga]

Omelenko and Ralph,
??? Come on guys isn't it just common sense?
Think about it - how could any company in the USA have any say - legally or morally - over how someone's remains are dealt with? That is always a private family matter. Or did you just see this as an opportunity to bash LP for your own reasons?

Instead of spreading such misinformation and innuendo let's celebrate and honor Patato's contribution to music and percussion. R.I.P. Patato!

peace
Pavlo



Edited By pavloconga on 1199831998

[Omelenko]

Patato Valdes was my personal friend, so was his late daughter Nancy, I also know Julia his wife. I spent a lot of time with him when he resided here in Miami. I deeply cared for the man, an icon of Cuban music.

Patato was a Santero, a Santero is not supposed to be cremated. I'm not saying LP was responsible for his cremation, I never made that staement. I now realize that it was the estate.

As far as educating myself about his life on the company's website, I don't have a need, as I knew the man very well. If I may add, his correct last name is VALDES, not VALDEZ.

Mongo Santamaria was like my father, I know evrything there is to know about the mass production of Afro-Cuban instruments in New Jersey after the Cuban embargo. At the time Mongo was the premier tumbador in NYC and in the States and Mongo related the stories.

Enclosed: Don Ramon (Mongo) and I.

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... _Mongo.jpg

[ralph]

Omelenko and Ralph,
??? Come on guys isn't it just common sense?
Think about it - how could any company in the USA have any say - legally or morally - over how someone's remains are dealt with? That is always a private family matter. Or did you just see this as an opportunity to bash LP for your own reasons?

Instead of spreading such misinformation and innuendo let's celebrate and honor Patato's contribution to music and percussion. R.I.P. Patato!

peace
Pavlo

Maybe I just wanted to bash LP, that aside...Pavlo...you are correct there is some misinformation....most recently...this news came in from PR....

Sepultan en la intimidad al percusionista Carlos "Patato" Valdés
lunes, 10 de diciembre de 2007
(08:23 p.m.)
Agencia EFE

SAN JUAN(EFE).- Los restos del percusionista cubano Carlos "Patato"
Valdés, considerado uno de los mejores del jazz latino y quien
falleció la semana pasada en Cleveland, fueron sepultados el pasado
fin de semana en Puerto Rico.
Una fuente cercana a la familia, que no quiso ser identificada,
aseguró hoy a EFE que el sepelio se llevó a cabo en la intimidad
familiar para honrar ritos propios de la santería, religión que
procesan muchos percusionistas caribeños.
La misma fuente indicó que próximamente se celebrará un "rumbón",
fiesta con música de rumba, en memoria del conguero, y que aunque
Valdés había pedido que lo cremaran y esparcieran sus cenizas en
Nueva York, su condición de santero exigía que sus restos fueran
enterrados.
Diferentes artistas del entorno de Valdés consultados por Efe han
rehusado ofrecer detalles de las exequias realizadas en el
metropolitano municipio de Carolina, donde residen las dos hijas del
percusionista, Juana e Ivonne, y su viuda, Julia.
Valdés nació en La Habana el 26 de noviembre de 1926 y a mediados de
la década de 1950 dejó Cuba para instalarse en Nueva York, desde
donde se ganó fama mundial y fue maestro de algunos de los mejores
percusionistas internacionales.
En Puerto Rico, en 2002 se le dedicó el Heineken Jazz Fest de San
Juan y el Senado puertorriqueño le entregó una proclama en
reconocimiento por su aportación a la música caribeña.
Ese mismo año ganó un Grammy por "El Arte Del Sabor", con Bebo Valdés
e Israel López "Cachao".


Source:
http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/otros/espectaculosasi/sepultan_en_l
a_intimidad_al_percusionista_carlos_patato_valdes___/136979


(for those that don't read spanish, basically from what I can gather, Patato was in fact buried in PR, and not cremated? And this was done against Patato's wishes of being cremated? WTF?)...At this point probably only his surviving spouse and children can really say what happened....



Edited By ralph on 1199900729

[afrocubarico]

I attended the tribute to the late Carlos "Patato" Valdez held at the St. Peters Church in NYC this evening. This was a fitting tribute to a legend in every sense of the word. There was a who's who of Latin Jazz & Afro-Cuban music in attendance; Candido Camero, Papo Pepin, Eddie Martinez, Roman Diaz, Pedrito Martinez, Pequeño Johnny, Chembo, Milton Cardona, the Mangual brothers, Alfredo De La Fe, Jerry Gonzalez, Andy Gonzalez, Gene Golden, Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez, Felipe Luciano, and many others.

The opening Bata ceremony was so good it sent chills down my spine! Some of the musicians spoke in memory of Patato and his son and grandson were also there. It was really great to see all of the old timers together. It was a treat for me to see Jerry Gonzalez playing his muted trumpet and then playing quinto in the rumba. The event came to a close with a nice rumba where several of the percussionists took turns on the skins.

One thing that kind of bothered me though. The MC, I can't remember his name, gave me the impression that he really enjoyed listening to his own voice. Then to top it off, in the middle of the event he starts to pitch sales for his upcoming book. I thought that was really tacky and inappropriate for such an event. I think I heard him pitching something else of his at the end of the ceremony where no one was even listening to him at that point. Did anyone from this site show up?

afrocubarico

[tfunk]

Yes, I was there. It was for me, the most amazing gathering of Afro-Cuban musicians I have witnessed, in one place, in my life. They put forth a fitting tribute to Patato.

The Bata ceremony was something special. Man, can Pedrito Martinez sing!

For a change, I was glad my Spanish is so bad. As afrocubarico stated, the MC was annoying and long-winded. I'm happy I couldn't get most of what he said.

It was great!! Amazing rumba and Latin-Jazz, I'm glad I was able to attend. Plenty of legends in the house, I even saw Johnny Griggs, (conguero with James Brown, and Pucho and his Latin Soul Bros.) One of my favorites on the funk/soul side of things.

tfunk

[JohnnyConga]

I didn't have to be there to know that Patato;s Manager Jesse Ramirez did the opener at the tribute then former Young Lords gang leader now turned Newscaster Felipe Luciano....Johnny Conga...LONG LIVE "PATATO!"



Edited By JohnnyConga on 1200441542

[zaragenca]

Well I'm glad that the whole situation was cleared..R.I.P...'Patato' Valdes.Dr. Zaragemca

[tamboricua]

Part of Patato's Memorial service @ St. Peter's filmed by Martin Cohen.

Patato's Memorial NYC

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio



Edited By tamboricua on 1200518433

[Congadelica]

And this amazing line up . RIP Potato


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7FGcQ7_eg&feature=related

[76-1197407555]

God Bless Patato ...

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... congas.jpg