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I took this line of discussion out of the foot pedal thread, since it's a different topic.
I'm not sure what a "Pregone" is. But, I think I got most of what you said.
I am working mostly in house on my singing with bell, or clave, and not much practice of drums with song.
But, on the TV show we did, I was reduced to a one handed pattern on the lead to Iyesa, so that I could sing one of the most basic and simplest songs I know.
It's almost defeating to have to sacrifice a hand to sing. But, I've decided it's a step in the right direction as long as you get better.
I just hate to do on public TV.. Ouch..

akdom wrote:Hi there
For me, it is not a question of speed at all. but more a question of singing.
Depending on the singing, I can have a hard time to play at the same time. I then stick to simplier versions of the rythm.
Singing most of the songs is fine, but some "pregones" have a really specific timing. For those that give me a hard time, I sometimes adapt the rythm of the lyric to what I play. Pregones are mostly improvisation anyway.
If we reverse the thing, I can say that when the singing is not fully mastered, it is hard for me to syncronize lyrics and playing. I then have to, as I previously mentioned play a more basic pattern at some times.
But there is a solution..... practice and practice some more.

B

I think it is a good thought to move this topic to a new thread. Good move.

For info, a "pregon" is the improvised singing part in between "coros" (the several voices sing along part).

For exemple, in "El cuarto de Tula" that everybody knows, the "coro" goes like this:

"El cuarto de Tula, le orrio candela, se quedo domido y no apago la vela"

This sentence is repeated and in between comes the "pregones":



¡Que llamen a Ibrahim Ferrer, que busque los bomberos!
Que yo creo que Tula lo que quiere Seňor es que le apaguen el fuego.

El cuarto..

Ay, por ahí viene Eliades, en tremenda corredera
Viene a observar el cuarto de Tula que ha cogido candela

El cuarto…

Carlo' y Marco' están mirando este fuego
Si ahora no se apaga, se apaga luego (candela)

El cuarto…


Puntillita ve y busca a Marco', pa' que busque al Sierra Maestra.
Que vengan para acá rapido que La Tula, mira cogió candela.

El cuarto…

Ey Marcos, coge pronto el cubito y no te quedé allá fuera.
Llénalo de agua y ven a apagar el cuarto de Tula que ha cogido candela.

El cuarto…

Tula está encendida llama a los bomberos
Tu eres candela ¡afina los cueros!

El cuarto…

I hope this is clear enough.

Usually, the musicians play very few variations in this part. Actually the song goes pretty straight during pregones.



B

Over the last year and 1/2 or so I have gotten a lot better at singing and playing congas at the same time, however; I to often get to a part that throws off my drumming. The bigger problem for me is remembering the songs. I don't speak Spanish, so I have nothing but the words themselves to recall, if I knew the idea conveyed in the words, that would help in the recall process. The singing and playing clave is coming along also, but I get thrown off more playing clave, and the 6/8 bell pattern even more. The practice has paid off however, so keep at it. I remember well the beginning stage, as I'm still there in a lot of the other areas of percussion, but I do not feel daunted by the challenge, because of the progress. Seeing those pregones videos posted by Barry reminds me of the a-rabs, as we call them in Baltimore, that I would see as a child, hawking thier fruit or fish on a horse drawn wagon, with a melodic holler. Waaatterrr melooon reddd to the rinnnnne. I guess another example of how much of the culture was retained even he in the states.

peace & blessings!
on the topic of pregones as vendor's chant this is something that was very much diffused in many parts of the world.
in southern italy, for example, each category of vendor would have his own particular melody so even before the client could hear the words she would know by the melody that the fish vendor, for example, was approaching.
i guess in this era of globalized advertising this may be one of the beautiful traditions that may soon got completely lost.
as for singing and playing drums at once: there's only benefits to be gained by practicing it whether or not we plan to do it on a stage at some point.