(Skip Burney, Photo Credit: Skip Burney)
I have tried to find as much info as I possible could about Skip, here is some info that I got off of a workshop that he was doing 2002.
Born Kenneth Benjimen Burney in the Bronx on July 20, 1953, Skip was tutored beginning at the age of 8 by his mother, Madame Lucille Burney, who along with Leontyne Price, Inid Dale and Chancy Northern were among the first black musicians at the Julliard School of Music. At 13, Skip met Pancho Mora, a Yoruba priest, and was introduced toYoruba culture. After attending Juliard and receiving a master's degree in Theory & Composition, Skip studied & performed with Baba Chief Hawthorne Bey, Julito Collazo, Machito, Patato Valdez, Totico, the national Ballet of Guinea, Tito Puente, Orestes Vilato, and Chico Perez. Skip was introduced to Orlando "Puntilla" Rios, who has become Skip's mentor and padrino (godfather) in the Anya society. Skip, whom Downbeat Magazine has called "the Charlie Parker of drumming," has also studied trap drumming with the likes of Roy Brook, Louis Haye, Art Blakey and Billy Higgins.
Here is another write up on Skip (from a workshop in 08'):
Skip Burney ‘aka’ Brinquito graduated with a Masters in Voice from Julliard. He has since studied Afro-Cuban percussion with Julito Collazo, Lazaro Galarraga, Hector Hernandez ‘aka’ Flaco, Mongo Santamaria and Armando Peraza.
He met his godfather, Orlando Antonio Rios Alfonso ‘aka’ Puntilla. Skip performs with Puntilla in the group New Generation (Nueva Generacion). In 2002, he went to Cuba with Puntilla and was initiated into the priesthood of Aganju.
Skip has recorded and performed with Karen Briggs, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Chaka Kahn, Monyongo Jackson and the Jungle Book Band, Bill Summers, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Dianne Reeves, Tanya Leon, Sting, Vinx, Phil Collins, Cirque De Soile, John Mac Laughlin, Gene Golden and Quinto Mayor, Saoco, Edwin Bonillia, Lefty Perez, Tito Allen, Charlie Palmieri, Ray Santiago, Stanley Clark, Bradford Marcelis, Trelok Gurtu, and Nu Guajiro.
He currently heads his Afro Cuban Ensemble, Eru Chambo and his latin jazz band, Quimbombo.
(Skip on quinto w/ Quinto Mayor, Video Credit: Barry Cox)
My main goal (as if I don't mention it on almost every blog post) is to make sure these great musicians/percussionists/rumberos are given the credit they deserve. Skip definitely fits this criteria. Hopefully I will be able to hook up with him in the future and maybe do an interview.
In the meantime if you want to listen to Skip, here are a couple of recordings that he has been on (unfortunately I don't have a full discography).
Mark Weinstein & Cuban Roots- Algo Mas
Ray Santiago- Latin Up
Mark Sanders has some great video of Skip playing quinto and tres dos on his blog.
Before we talk about Los Afortunados though, we must first talk about Chevere Macum Chevere. Back in 1980 the group known as Chevere Macum Chevere was brought together by Juan Vega (aka Bamboo), but before that in around 78' Felix, who was hanging out with Yeyito Flores and Abie Rodriguez, gets invited to a Chevere rehearsal in the fall of 1980 when the group was first forming. Here are the members at the time:
Yaya Maldonado
Danny Santos
Abraham Rodriguez
Yeyito Flores
Eddie EJ Rodriguez
Juan Vega "Bamboo"
Once the Marielitos hit NY, Manuel Martinez "El Llanero Solitario", Enrique "Quique" Dreke "El Principe Bailarin", and Pedro "El Cojo" also join the group. Felix mentions that Enrique or "Quique" Dreke was probably one of the best dancers that he'd ever seen dance, especially since Quique was 67 at the time. Quique was sort of the spiritual leader of the crew and his knowledge, experience and the fact that he was Abakua was very important to the crew as a whole. Quique is important to mention since he is 1/3 of the famous Dreke triumvirate, along with Mario "Chavalonga" Dreke, and Juan "Curba" Dreke.
Other members of Chevere would include, Skip Burney, Gina Iyaleo, among others. The important thing about Chevere was that they were simply not just a group of rumberos jamming, this was a group that had singers and dancers as well, all the ingredients that one needs for a real rumba. When Chevere was formed guys weren't going back to Central Park anymore, they were doing their own thing. They were rehearsing and playing amongst themselves. Abie and Manuel would sing duo, Abie or Danny Santos would play tumbador, Felix would play tres golpes, and Pedrito "El Cojo" would play quinto. As time went on Felix would play more quinto and the bonko enchemiya when Chevere would do an Abakua. In 81' when Skip came on board they would incorporate batarumba as well.
As any good thing, Chevere would come to an end. By this time Felix had left the group and soon after hooked up with Roberto Borrell Y Su Kubata.
(Kubata- Felix Sanabria-okonkolo, Roberto Borrell-Iya, Bill Rogers-itotele, Pedro Domech - Chango, Gina Iyaleo- Yemaya, Felito Oviedo -Apkwon behind drummers, Basha Alperin to the right of Felito, in the ankori section, Eddie Bobe, Ole, Mercedes, Julio, Fela, Lourdes, Photo Credit: Olivier)What Borrell's Kubata provided was fertile ground for learning and development. Borrell, being an alumni of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional, brought tons of experience and knowledge. He could dance, sing, play etc...and his teaching method was excellent. Guys like Felix, Victor Jaraslov, Bill Rogers, Eddie Rodriguez and others benefited tremendously from being around and learning from Borrell and each other at the same time. More info will be covered on Kubata in a separate post.
As important as Kubata was, even this group would dissolve. (Speaking of which does anyone know where Roberto Borrell is nowadays? He was in SF doing his thing for a while but I haven't heard of him since and I am under the impression he is no longer in CA, at least permanently.) At this time Felix was starting to hang more and more with Puntilla whom lived across the street in the Bronx. Soon after, long time associate Paula Ballan asks Felix to gather some guys to record an album. This would be the session that would lead to the formation of Los Afortunados. The name "Los Afortunados" comes from a song that Manuel Martinez used to sing.
In 1986 Los Afortunados play the Philadelphia FolkFest with the following lineup:Alberto Serrano
Anthony Carrillo
Abraham Rodriguez
Manuel Martinez "El Llanero Solitario"
Susan Sanabria
Nicky
Alma
Gina Iyaleo
David Hernandez
After the first recording session another (later recording session) in 89' was funded by Michael Kramer. According to Felix, "we used to hang out at the Ansonia Hotel on 73rd and Broadway in Micheal Kramer’s place during the late 70’s and 80’s jamming and having a good time in general..." (Felix Sanabria 9/08).
Part 2, Coming Soon.....
