La rumba no termina...

This is what's it's all about folks. I don't like to say too much when a simple video can explain it better. Real rumba, Nicky, Felix, Angel on quinto among others...

Tribute to GENE GOLDEN, just a little snippet.

(BERTA JOTTAR VIDEO)

Bruckner Rumba

A little snippet from a rumba earlier this year with Angel Rodriguez, Jose "Apache" Rivera, Willie "El Ruso" Everich and Babafemi.

Yambu con Angel, Willie, Apache, Babafemi...

(Bruckner Yambu, Video Credit: Dennis Flores)

Bruckner Rumba

(Willie, Angel, Anthony, Apache, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)

Willie organized a rumba outside of his building which unfortunately I could not make. Dennis Flores took some video which will hopefully make it's way to us soon. Willie told me it was a successful rumba. I wouldn't want to miss the next one.

* I have updated this post with more pics by Ivan Ferrer.

(Angel Rodriguez, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)



(Apache Rivera and Willie El Ruso, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)



(Jose "Apache" Rivera, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)



(Babafemi, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)



(Jose Rivera, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)



(Jose Rivera, Photo Credit: Ivan Ferrer)

Angel R Rodriguez - Workshops

Angel R Rodriguez

(Angel R Rodriguez, Photo Credit: Dennis Flores)

One cannot expand enough on the way that drummers, singers, dancers like Quique Dreke, Totico, Patato, Virgilio and Eloy Marti, Frankie Malabe, Tommy Lopez, Julito Collazo, affected a whole generation of NY drummers. If I be allowed to further dissect the influence that these drummers and the like had on future generation, we could construct a sort of "Family Tree" that shows how each generation influenced the next. We won't go so far though.

I would have to discuss the topic a little further with Willie, but Angel Rodriguez probably fits in right after the Golden Years of the drummers, singers and dancers that hit NY, and happens to be one of the few that has managed to continue to play at a high level of technical proficiency throughout the years.

Here we see a small glimpse of what Angel has been doing lately.

(Angel @ Hunts Point, Video Credit: Dennis Flores)

(Angel Rodrigez on tumbas, Video Credit: Dennis Flores)



(Angel Rodriguze on chekere, Video Credit: Dennis Flores)

The last video shows him playing a beautiful chekere with a great bottom end. I wonder who made said gourd?

Angel Rodriguez....25 years later

From the 19 year old kid in the photo below to the consummate performer, educator, producer and director. The POINT, 1999.

"Congueros de parque......."

Here is a vintage photo of a rumba taking place in Mulally Park, the Bronx, circa 1974. A 19 year old Angel Rodriguez is in the middle and that's Ray Marrero to his left. We need help to identify the rumbero to his right. Just about everyone was playing LP fiberglass congas at the time.

June 26, 1999 Armando's Rumbacera

I remember that evening as being hot as all hell. Folks were embobao from the heat. It took the rumba awhile to get going but once it did it was "sal del medio hay viene el tren." Angel Rodriguez and Jose Rivera are on claves, yours truly is on guagua, "Yambu" Monsanto is on quinto, Armando Costales is on tumbadora and our elder statesmen Jorge Tapia, is on tres golpe. El Chino Venezulano is singing Gallo and Pacheco is to his left and Victor Montanez is to his right singing coro along with several others. Jorge Tapia is a Central Park original. That particular meeting place has been the scene for rumba since the early 60s. Tapia was there from the earliest times. Here he is in his early 70s still holding it down.

Que Viva Armando's RUMBACERA

This was one of those really good nights on 182nd St and Amsterdam Ave. The date was 7/3/99, July 4th eve and folks were in a party mood. We have spoken much about Manuel "El Llanero Solitario" as of late. Well here he is kicking things off on lead vocal soon to be followed by "Chino El Venezolano." The drummers are Jose on tres, Rene Lopez II on tumbadora and Eric, Angel and Yeyito taking turns on quinto. Beatrice joins later on tumbadora. Beatrice is one of the few woman that can hang with the fellas and has much respect. There are many more usual suspects in the coro "miyare" that formed to push the rumba. Suffice it to say, a great time was had by all.

A Tribute to Babafemi Akinlana

Babafemi is walking, talking, drum playing history. Al "Babafemi" Humphries has been playing drums for over 56 years. His is the story of the reintroduction of Africanism into American mainstream culture. I am honored to say that this Tata in Palo and priest of Obatala in Ocha is a mentor and friend. I will be writing an extensive biography about Baba for these pages. His story will read like a who's who of percussion as he has played with such world renown figures as Katherine Dunham and Olatunji to name but a few. Here we have many of his students paying tribute to him the POINT CDC in the Bronx where he has resided for many years. Babaila is on lead vocal. The rest of the group consists of myself, Angel Rodriguez and Dafadi on drums, Jimmy Cruz on bell and Kali Ramirez and Chano Rodriguez on shekere. Date: 7/20/02

Rumba at the POINT C.D.C.

The Hunt's Point section of the Bronx is home to the Point CDC, a great community action center involved in many issues affecting the quality of life of South Bronx residents. The Point gave Angel Rodriguez, percussionist extraordinaire a forum for teaching his skills to the children and even some adults in the neighborhood. It was called All America Is Drumming. Angel also created the Living Legends tribute series where over 35 of our major artist were honored for their contributions. More on that later. This night which occured in February of 1999, featured Rumba and included Jose "Apache" Rivera on vocal and clave, Angel Rodriguez on tumbadora, myself on tres golpe and Jose "Mongo" Rivera on quinto.

A Bronx Tale...

(Willie Sanabria, Angel Rodriguez, Jose Rivera (behind Angel), Rene Lopez II, Tony Rosa, Willie Everich, Hector Elegua, Mike Rodriguez, Photo courtesy of Willie Everich)

The main reason I started this blog was to highlight several groups and individual rumberos which have played a significant role in the development and longevity of rumba in the city. One such group that plays a major part is whom i like to refer to as "the Bronx crew".

This particular crew of rumberos has consisted of street rumberos and members of Totico's house. I am going to name a couple that will hopefully be covered more deeply in the coming weeks/months.

Jose Rivera

Jose "Apache" Rivera

Ralphie Davila

Izzy Davila

Angel Rodriguez

Willie Sanabria

"Bamboo"

Rene Lopez II

Scorpio

* Willie reminded me to add John "Babaila" Martinez to this list as he has played a significant role as well...we will prepare more info on Babaila soon.

All these cats are heavies in their own right, and most are still playing in the NYC area. Some like Scorpio have moved on to other cities (i.e Atlanta) and sadly some have passed. Its is safe to say that without players such as these, NYC would not have the thriving rumba scene that it once had and still has (especially among the younger generation of rumberos y tamboleros). These individuals, to me are the unsung heroes of rumba in the city.

Now this is not to say that this was/is the only crew in NYC that mattered, as mentioned before Puntilla's extended crew was equally as heavy, the Central Park Crew, Chevere Macum Chevere crew and others will all hopefully be covered at some point in time on this blog.

(Wille "El Ruso" Everich", great rumbero, friend, and Sentimiento Manana partner)

You will be hearing me throw around Willie's name in probably every blog entry I write. See, Willie is my ear to the streets so to speak. Since I haven't lived in NY for quite some time, Willie has been gracious enough to provide me with contacts and inside information on the rumba scene as he knows it, and believe me, Willie has been around long enough to be considered an authority on said scene. Willie is a true Bronxite and his straightforward demeanor, guidance and honesty have provided much help to up and coming rumberos and his willingness to share what he has learned and experienced have provided valuable insight to all that know him. So that said...let's formally welcome Willie "El Ruso" to the blog....

He is in fact of Ukranian descent, but "El Ruso" does have a nice ring to it...

On a side note...if you haven't checked out Barry Cox's site...shame on you...you are missing out...

http://esquinarumbera.blogspot.com/