Playing To Afro Blue - How do you play with this tune?

[Quinto Governor II]

Hello all!
When Playing Afro Blue with my band, I play my version of Columbia and Abakua with no variations. I'm thinking of trying to play the more improvised pattern I hear on a lot of recordings. Is it correct to call it the Caja (sp) pattern? If I'm not mistaken that's how Changuito referred to it in the video History of the Tumbadora, when discussing the Bembe rhythm. In your experiences, has playing this way ever caused a problem for the musicians in the band, especially when they are soloing? Another question comes to mind. When, or is it ever correct to used the terms Bembe and Guiro interchangeably? Thanks!

[verticalgil]

CAN ANYBODY HELP ME WITH SOME ROCK PATTERNS,RHYTHEMS FOR ROCK MUSIC??? CONGAMYK,J C. TKS...



Edited By verticalgil on 1165857690

[ralph]

Hello all!
When Playing Afro Blue with my band, I play my version of Columbia and Abakua with no variations. I'm thinking of trying to play the more improvised pattern I hear on a lot of recordings. Is it correct to call it the Caja (sp) pattern? If I'm not mistaken that's how Changuito referred to it in the video History of the Tumbadora, when discussing the Bembe rhythm. In your experiences, has playing this way ever caused a problem for the musicians in the band, especially when they are soloing? Another question comes to mind. When, or is it ever correct to used the terms Bembe and Guiro interchangeably? Thanks!

Well caja is not necessarilly the wrong term if playing bembe...but for columbia you would be improvising with the quinto, and abakua the bonko enchemiya...in the traditional setting the improvisation does not obstruct but rather plays an intrical part, if you are playing these rhythms along with a band, it depends on the band your playing with....you may have to play a watered down abakua, bembe or columbia...simply to make everything work well, with the other music thats happening, sometimes the band i play in plays a 6/8 or 12/8 rhythm and i'll play palo, and play the caja part in an improvisational manner...it seems to work fine, but i try to stay in the groove, and don't deviate too much from certain motifs on the caja...Bembe usually refers to bembe drums, toques de bembe thats played using the traditional bembe drums...guiro is usually affixed to the gourds that play seemingly the same rhythm but with guiros, and a conga that improvises...some people use the word bembe to refer to a toque in which bata are being played...at least here in the states if someone invites you to a bembe expect bata...a guiro expect chekere-guiro/conga instrumentation...

[Charangaman]

I don't know all the in's and out's but I just love the way Mongo rocks it with Cal Tjader..

[zaragenca]

I have to play that song several times with differents bands,(both with drum/set,or, congas),the musicians could take both 6/8,or 4/4 metric to improvise,(since usully the jazz musicians improvise base on the first beat of the metric...When playing Congas, I just use any of the Itotele/pattern which have been transported to the Congas for the purpose of Afro/Jazz.Dr. Zaragemca

[JohnnyConga]

Verticagil......I would have to hear the type of "rock" music...it's in 4/4 time..u should follow the bass line of the tune and create your conga patterns from the bass line figure....count may be like 1 2&3 4& 1 2&3 4& 1....gottit?....Let me know if this works for ya ...."JC" Johnny Conga....

[akdom]

The afro blue riddim I play is quite basic on two drums and let you improvise a lot and use a 3dr drum too. Think 6/8 !

S - - - T T - T - -
T T

using an alternate r l handing..

B

[Tone]

the pattern in the conga book using split hands works great too! It lends itself to a lot of impro on both drums and is easily extended on three.
Also check Ponco Sanchez versions which are differnet and very interesting.

Peace

Tone