congaplace.com

The KAOS Network (4343 Leimert Blvd) in Leimert Park (Los Angeles, California) has agreed to host the first Rincon Rumbero, an free, open, but structured rumba.

Rincon Rumbero, will take place on Saturday, May 5th from 3 PM to 6 PM. So if your in L.A., or will be in town, mark your calendar and tell your friends.

Do not bring a drum or any other instruments! We will have all the necessary equipment, just bring your Afro-Cuban drumming, dancing, and singing skills and be ready to put them on display with other rumberos or students of the music.

If you know the pattern, part, etc, your welcome to try your hand, but don't bring an ego if your asked to step down from a part if your throwing off the vibe.

There will be a DJ spinning music in between drumming sets.

The event is free, but donations would be accepted (the space has to cover lights, etc...) and if you wish, a dish for a potluck.

If you have any questions, please contact me or even shoot me a call at 310-941-3838

Looking forward to this event.

Hope to see you out there.

We just want the community to have a regular place to practice the art form and present it to the public...

Sounds good, I'll have to stop by......and just watch cause I'm still a newbie

Is this going to be every Saturday??

We are shooting for the FIRST Saturday of every month through the Summer, depending on the interest level.

Come on by, and hey man, it don't take too much experience to participate in the coro!

I am really happy for you that someone like you that loves rumba has somethin goin on for the LA rumba scene.
and is doing it for the love of the rumba, people coming together, meeting friends, sharing, and livin the rumba life stule in LA.
and not someone who is just looking to get money out of this, but rather bringing people together in Cali......I CAN REALLY RESPECT THAT MY BRO!...ur real about this man

The way they use to do it in the NY parks,...no need for fancy auditoriums yet man....no need for big money, or big companies ...although it would be good for you to get some type of reguard, and recognition, either trough money or frienships.

But i think this was necessary cause there are so many hidden individuals that play rumba, or love rumba but dont come to this events, or do the driv to attempt to show up,because they either don have a job, or money is super tight for them, and they just rather not get excited abou the new rumba event in Cali man.

I tell you a lot of this cats in Cali, doing rumba groups, dance calsses etc...are truely doing it just for the money.
You always have some students in a calsss who truely dont have the finances, and are doing a $40.00 dollar gas drive to get to LA who cant afford this events that are goin on.

I see that a lot of groupies go to the payed for rumbas...and a lot of females go too ..for rumbas you pay to get in as if you are gettin in the club..

But park Rumbas, a lot of times you get more loyalist rumberos, true players, and sometime rumba masters, who aint about the money, coming in to this park rumbas...

KEEP IT UP! BRO.....keep this going !!!

Thanks for the words of encouragement Mr. Conga.

We don't need money,or recognition, but we need you to come out and bring any other people who love the music as well.

The people organizing this event are doing it for the love of the music, and to give back to the scene. We were introduced to rumba, and other Afro-Cuban styles, and learned a lot about them by going to Griffith Park back in the 1990s. There were a lot of heavy cats who would show up, and really introduced the art form to a lot of us, for free.

Now, several years later, any sign of real rumba in a public place has pretty much disappeared in L.A. There are a lot of people hitting their congas out at parks, but nobody is really organizing rumbas in a free, public setting.

I am sure there are a lot of private rumbas, with serious players, but the next generation, or new students don't have a space to progress.

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Ben Caldwell of the KAOS Network, we have been given the opportunity to present this sort of event for free at his space.

I am just a student of this music, and want to preserve and promote it here in L.A., because it made a positive difference in my life. It connected me to my family and its culture, at a time where I didn't give a damn about Cuba or whatever family I might have had there. The other guys organizing this, also have been positively influenced by rumba, drumming, etc... We owe the music, something...

If some heavy cats come out in May, that would be a blessing, but if it is just students learning their way at the event, that would be great as well. You only get better by putting your practice into action with other people.

Again, let everyone know, and lets make it a positive thing for everyone who loves rumba in L.A.

Hmm...sounds fun, I think i'll go and take my brother along

It is the going down this Saturday! Hope some of you come down.

So How did this go?

Went pretty good for the first one.

We had a few serious rumberos who really helped the development of the scene here L.A. during the 80s and 90s. The crowd got about approximately 50 at its height and around 100 for the entire afternoon. We had good feedback.

Our plan is to go ahead and do it the first Saturday of the month for a bit, see if the interest maintains or grows.

You can see pics from the event here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-Rumbero/126013927528436
Thanks for asking...

Not sure if any L.A. members made it out, but Rincon Rumbero went off today.

We had Cusito from Rumberos De Cuba make it out and sung two rumbas. Chief Yagbe Awolowo Onilu was visiting from Oakland, California and really put on a show.

We'll be back again next month...

Here is a link to a montage of pictures from our event on June 2, 2012:
[url]
http://youtu.be/1B-cG0EKlgQ[/url]