Los Afortunados Live - July 1992 (Belmont Park)

Here is another gem of rumba with Los Afortunados....Felix manning all the tumbas part and Abie and El Llanero leading the singing...it don't get any better folks

(Video Credit: quintokid)

Abe and Pedrito Duo

Eddie Bobe - Vete Tu

Here is another gem from Eddie Bobe's up an coming project.

Track name: Vete Tu

Musicians:
Giovanni Hidalgo: Bongos
Eddie Bobe: Tres, Coro & percussion
Juan Papo Garay: Lead Vocals & composer of Vete Tu
Chris Theberge: Congas
Reut Regev: Trombone
Abe Rodriguez: Coro


Artist: Descendientes del Ritmo
Title: Back to the Root
Label: Descendent Music
Executive producer : Chris Theberge
Produced by : Eddie Bobe
Release Date: TBA

Herencia Rumbera

(Video Credit: Eddie Bobe)

Quinto Mayor

Gene Golden - quinto
Skip Burney - tumbador
?- tres dos
Abraham Rodriguez - lead vocal
Papote Jimenez and Jose "El Chino" Real - coro

(Video Credit: Enchemi1)

Can someone please identify the dancer to the right, the couple that is dancing the yambu, the tres dos player and the gentleman that is standing behind Abie and Papote?

More Youtubin' "GFYEN"

(GFYEN Rehearsal, Video Credit: rasmann6)



(GFYEN Rehearsal, Video Credit: rasmann6)

Black and White In Color, Da Bronx

Remember that video of Los Afortunados at Black and White in Color? Well Susan Sanabria posted a pic, that I want to share with all of you.

Los Afortunados at Black and White in Color in the Bronx. From left to right - Roberto Borrell, Evelyn Smart, Abraham Rodriguez, (hat is on head of Felix Sanabria), Manuel Olivera, (eye and ear belong to Paula Ballan) and Nick Chevarria on the end..... Susan Sanabria

Yemaya - Los Afortunados

Here is another great clip from the "AAA." This Afortunados performance at "El Taller Latino Americano" was obviously the place to be on this particular night. They ran the gamut from Yoruba to Rumba to popular (i.e. Son). When Willie told me that Alfie hooked him up with the tape from this night I was pretty excited as I didn't really know what to expect but I knew it would be good. So far we have posted clips showing Los Afortunados doing guiro, bata, rumba tap (with Max Pollack), rumba, and we even put a clip showing the great Abraham Rodriguez singing a rumba number in English as I always wanted to see him do. I'd like to thank Alfie for contributing greatly to the blog and hopefully she will soon be able to post directly.

This particular clip shows Los Afortunados tocando para Yemaya. Abraham is at the helm singing the akpwon part, and Emilio Barretto, Fernando Taboada, Izzy Santiago, Victor Jaraslov are singing the ankori part. The late Michael Rodriguez (ibae) is playing a steady, yet tasteful okonkolo, Brandon Rosser (whom I am very glad to have on tape playing) is laying down a nice segundo and of course Felix is playing a mean caja. If you notice Felix's wife, Susan is dancing for Yemaya. Susan is very humble, yet very knowledgeable of not only her craft (i.e. dancing) but also the history behind the drums and the people that played and so forth.

Abraham Croons @ Mappy's Birthday

Abie and I share another passion...we are Doo Woppers as well as percussionists. In this video we hear Abraham Rodriguez take a classic tune from the American Songbook and put it to guaguanco. This is a AAA video.

More From Mappy's....Max the Rumba Tap Man

Los Afortunados @ the Taller Latino Americano 6/1/01

The occasion was Mappy's birthday and she had chosen Felix Sanabria and Los Afortunados to provide the entertainment. I was honored to do a few numbers with them. This video shows the group playing a "Guiro" for Oshun. An extremely versatile group...we will be presenting videos of them playing rumba in its various forms, Bata, Bembe and Son. From the "AAA." Willie...

Of particular distinction is opportunity to see Felix Sanabria's padrino/babalawo, Oluo Siguayu Gerardo Taboada Fernandez (in the cream shirt with white hair between Emilio and Abie). Buffy Drysdale is dancing for Oshun. Felix is playing caja, and Emilio is singing the akpwon part. Victor Jaraslov (blue shirt), Izzy Santiago are included in the ankori section, and our very own Willie is sitting in on chekere. Ralph...

"Perdon" - Anya Ade

Here is a clip that Felix put up on youtube. I believe it took place after his presentacion of his fundamento "Anya Ade", at Julia de Burgos. If you look carefully, Pedrito Martinez is on quinto and singing, Bembesito is standing up to the right, Emilo Barreto is sitting on the left next to Ramin Quintana. It looks like Jonathan may be on tumbador, and Abi Holiday is on tres dos. Abraham Rodriguez is singing duo along with Wilfredo "El Jabao" (ibae). Nicky, Mikel Sotolongo, and Pepe Calabaza (ibae) are around the circle, and it looks like Obanilu is playing guagua. If you notice to your right there is a man and woman dancing, the "man" just happens to be the late Canute Bernard (ibae) and the woman is non other than Ileanna Santamaria (Mongo's daughter). Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Los Afortunados con Changuito, Part 2

Looks like Felix beat me to the punch on this one. The night I went to Felix's place we were so focused on capturing vids, that I think we called it quits at about 2am. This is part 2 of Los Afortunados w/ Changuito playing quinto, Felix on tumbador, and Tony Rosa on tres dos.

Los Afortunados con Changuito...

Here's a rare treat with Changuito on quinto and if you notice he's also playing a little iya. Miguel Rios (Puntilla Jr) is on tumbador, and the great Tony Rosa (Conjunto Libre, Puntilla's Crew) is playing tres dos. I kinda like what Miguel is doing on tumbador, its really sparse.

Here you can see Abie and Manuel singing duo up close and personal. As I have said before Abie sings a hell of a duo, and here is just one more example. This is only part one, as part 2 has our own Felix Sanabria on tumbador (which I am working on putting up shortly as well).

*film courtesy of Felix Sanabria

Los Afortunados - "Beny More"

(Abraham Rodriguez, Photo Credit: muratphoto)

In my personal opinion, Abraham Rodriguez is probably one of the most underrated rumba singers still alive. His great voice and skillful delivery make for a killer combination. He has sang with the best of the best and has more than held his own. He has sung duo with Puntilla, Totico, and Manuel "El Llanero" to name a few. He can sing in English just as easily as he can in Spanish. Check out his duo with Manuel on Los Afortunados unreleased tribute to, "El Beny".

Los Afortunados - Part 1

When speaking of NY rumba one would be remiss to leave out one of the more important groups of the last 20 years, Los Afortunados.

(Photo Credit: Felix Sanabria)

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.

"Kubata was one of the best ensembles that emerged from the Mariel phenomenon. Borrell wasn't only a good musician..he was a consummate showman that had a great dance routines that accompanied the music. Felix Sanabria, percussionist with Ben's Sonido Isleno was one of Roberto's main percussionists." (Willie Everich 10/17/05)

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

(Photo Credit: Felix Sanabria)

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.....