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The thread goes way back with John Santos. Although the title of his current album, Para Ellos, means "for them", in fact Santos has been honoring his musical and predecessors for many, many years. In 1972, he established, with the aid of LP artist/Santana percussionist Raul Rekow, the group Folklorico Kindembo as a labor of love, its purpose being to explore musical roots. Although the strength of the ensemble is combining various indigenous influences into coherent compositions, happily there is no dilution of the originals.
The first track is a gentle piece entitled "Elegua". A sparse structure with chorus, it pays tribute to a Yoruba child saint and to bata master Collazo. The tranquil tone of the track owes to the influence of the sacred Yoruba tradition. Those unacquainted with the tradition will delight at the realization that so much music is being made with so little-mostly coro/vocals, shakere, bells, and some minimal bass accompaniment by David Belove. Here we see a gathering of the essential members of El Coro Folklorico Kindembo: Jose Luis Gomez, Jesus Diaz, Barbara Valladares, Orestes Vilato, Fito Reinoso, Sandy Perez, John Santos, Michael Spiro, Javier Navarrette, Ismael Rodriguez, Willie Ludwig, and Yaya Maldonado.
Then we're on to "Maestro Mongo", a tribute to Mongo Santamaria, who is credited for introducing conga drums into popular music. The beauty of this piece is the textural thickness of the descending-chord rumba vocal chorus. Lest you fall prey to the suspicion that this music is entirely "jammed", there is a hard stop at the 8:03 minute mark, evidence of a tight arrangement. Improvisation is only the half of it!
Ogun" steps up the energy, operating soundtrack-like in depicting the journey of a Yoruba warrior. The vocals of young Havana musician Marta Galarranga are compelling and seem to rise even higher in pitch as the drums increase in frenzy and tempo (3:50). Again, in the tradition, the instrumentation is mostly vocals and drums throughout.
The title, "Misa", refers to a Catholic mass, and the track melds the European influence with the Congolese, as seen in Cuba and much of Latin America. Instrumentation in this solemn piece includes several cajons, plus claves and shaker, the latter a significant instrument creating a sort of "glue" to the arrangement. The juxtaposition of vocals and cajons (wooden boxes) here played in the folkloric manner without so much "conga-like" resonance, as heard these days, is particularly memorable (for e.g., 4:00). When bass and 12-string guitar join, around 5:45, the effect is as if a full orchestra has entered, such was the minimal instrumentation preceding!
The sacred piece is followed by "Quisiera Hacer Un Recorrido", an example of the Columbia strain of rumba. The lead voice of Jose Luis Gomez is commanding, his every trill showing true respect for the storytelling tradition; his voice fairly percolates with enthusiasm throughout.
The clave begins in 3-2 form in an Afro six eighths-to-the-bar feel. This is the introduction to "El Panadero", a traditional tune reworked by John Santos, complete with vocal chorus. The tempo quickly picks up and the eighth note becomes a dancing quarter, and we're face to face with the meeting of Afro-Cuban-Spanish influences implicit in salsa. The piece, which alludes to street vendors making music, is dedicated to the great Armando Peraza.
We come to "Los Rumberos", one of the set pieces of the album. The sound of the drums attains a special character, more muted and dark than is heard commonly today, thanks largely to the more folkloric performance of Orestes Vilato, who works out on quinto, as opposed to his usual timbales and bongos.
Haunting is the word for what sounds like an indigenous wind instrument, undulating and bagpipe like, at the intro of "Santa Teresa". The sound is credited to the synth of Wayne Wallace. Meanwhile, Rebecca Maleon recites to the backdrop of John Santos' bata. Effective and memorable, the track is gone in the blink of an eye.
The vocal chorus of Pedtrito Martinez, Emilio Barreto, Willie Ludwig, and John Santos graces "La Cultura" (e.g. 2:40 and throughout), an original rumba with call and response. The piece is dedicated to one whom the liner notes term as "the Charlie Parker of rumba, Pancho Quinto".
"Conga Carabali" takes one step uptown, the other back again, with the horns leading the forward journey, a joyous dance and march. Check out 2:47 and the vocal refrain, almost stuck as if a needle on a vinyl record, the percussion gaining force underneath-truly exciting.
The final two tracks pay respect, in the vocal traditions, to the elders and the deceased. First, in "Para Ellos", John Santos employs spoken voice in his homily, as in the canto form of elegy. The vocal cora simmers in the background.
Then,"Tema Kindembo" is an a capella uplifting chorus that takes this album out on a less solemn note and signals pride of tradition.
The album works on several fronts. It is tailor-made for libraries and other houses of culture seeking gems of musical history. It will also delight the more casual listener seeking solace and spiritual replenishment-not to mention percussive excellence.
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