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)

70's Bomba

Check out these great pics that Eddie Bobe sent me...

 

On the top pic, is that Yeyito on the drum to the right? 

On the bottom pic of course there is Felix on the left, Eddie himself in the middle, who is the drummer on the right hand side?

Thanks Eddie.

Felix w Sonido Isleno

Felix "Quinto Kid" Sanabria doing what he does best...he is arguably one of the main rumba and santo fixtures in NYC today. I have heard Felix's story many times and it never gets old. I believe he is still teaching so if you want to learn from the best you need to reach out.

(both videos uploaded to youtube by the man himself)

New York Rumberos

(Video Credit: Cecilia Salvatierra)

El Balcon - Eddie Bobe

This is an unreleased unmixed, raw track from an up-n-coming Eddie Bobe project. Eddie on guitar, percussion and voice, Felix Sanabria on quinto.

http://descendientesdelritmo.com

Anya Ade / Susan Sanabria

Anya Ade plays bata for Obatala at the 12th Annual Conference of the Egbe Omo Obatala. Susan Sanabria dances for Obatala. On stage left to right: Amma, Oloriwa, Olu Dare, Jonathan, Emery, Oluo Felix, Nicky & Bembecito.



(Video Credit: Nicky Laboy)

Anya Ade @ The Obatala Conference

I forgot to mention that these videos are from Nicky Laboy's youtube page.

Anya Ade Dossier

Añade, which means the Crown of Aña was born in Havana, Cuba in September 2003 from Aña Bi Olorun, the Aña of Oluo Fran Marquetti. Aña bi Olorun was born from the Aña of the late Jesus Perez. Jesus Perez, Oba Ilu, and Pablo Roche, Akilakpa were the most influential olubatas of the 20^th century. Since its New York debut at the start of 2004 Añade has presided over many Orisha ceremonies in the greater New York area wherein many omolorishas were presented to Aña.

Añade was received by Felix Sanabria, Awo Orunmila Ifamola omo odun Oshebile, Olo Obatala Igbinlaye who for over thirty years has been performing Orisha music with many of the most prominent drummers of our time. Most notably – the late great Orlando “Puntilla” Rios, Oni Shango Obatilemi who was a leading exponent of Aña, Orisha and Afro -Cuban music in the United States for close to thirty years.

The omo alañas of Añade include some of the youngest and brightest members of our Orisha community and they are dedicated to sustaining our traditions for future generations. These young men and women are part of the Añade family and have committed themselves to the ongoing study of Orisha liturgical music, respectful performance of religious songs and ritual and sharing the gifts and blessings of Aña with our community.

Click here for more....

Los Afortunados

Gene put up a great video of Los Afortunados playing a guaguanco at a recording studio in Brooklyn (I believe). Gene Golden on tres dos, Alberto Serrano on tumbador, Felix Sanabria on quinto, Skip Burney on guagua, Donald Eaton on chekere, Manuel "El Llanero" Solitario on voz y clave, Bill, Paula Ballan, Chico Alvarez on coro.

In this next clip you have Skip singing akpwon to a great guiro, with Donald Eaton, Bill on chekeres, Felix on guataca, Paula Ballan, Alberto Serrano, Manuel Martinez singing the ankori part, and of course Gene Golden on caja.

All videos uploaded by Gene Golden.

Los Afortunados w/ Chico Alvarez & Crew

Gene has been putting up some great stuff on facebook, and for those that don't have an account, take it from me, you are missing out. Hopefully we will get him on board with Sentimiento soon, so we can post more vids directly to the blog, in the meantime I will share what I can. Check out this rare Los Afortunados recording from yesteryear featuring members of Chico Alvarez band. Gene is on tumbas, Alberto Serrano on quinto, Manuel El Llanero on clave, Donald Eaton on chekere, Paula Ballan, coro, Felix Sanabria on cencerro. Unfortunately I can't name the bass, tres, and flute player. If you know, let us know.

(Los Afortunados w/ Chico Alvarez, Video Credit: Gene Golden)

Ibae...

If you don't know where you have been, how can you go forward in a progressive manner? I'd like to extend this particular idea to those that came before us when it comes to the drums. Drumming has had a long and storied history, better drummers than us came before and not only paved the way, but also faced obstacles and persecution that we know little about. To the older generation, we salute you, to the younger generation, take heed.

(Photo Credit: Felix Sanabria)

El baile que no termina...

(Los Afortunados at El Vacilon, Susan Sanabria - yemaya, Gene Golden- okonkolo, Felix Sanabria- iya, Brandon Rosser- itotele, Photo Credit: Susan Sanabria)

In Afro Cuban music, you cannot separate music and dance. Dance makes up an important third of the Song, Drum, Dance, triumvirate. Dancers such as Susan Sanabria, Pupy Insua, Rosalia Gamboa, Xiomara Rodriguez, have played a major role in keeping the traditions alive and well in NYC. I want to start highlighting a bit of the history behind several of the dancers that make up the NY scene. Hopefully I will be back with more info soon...

Anya Ade

Check out these videos showcasing the young talents of Anya Ade at a tambor in the BX.

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

Classic Anya Ade pics...

Here are "vintage", Anya Ade pics showing most of the regulars that play with Felix's tambor ( I got this off of Felix's facebook).

(Top L-R: Danny Maldonado, David, Echi (?), "Oso"(?), Jonathan Troncoso. BottomL-R: Nicky Laboy, Oludare Bernard, "Bembesito" Lora, Photo Credit Felix Sanabria)



(L-R: Echi (?), Jonathan Troncoso, Oludare Bernard, "Bembesito" Lora, Emery Damon, Photo Credit: Felix Sanabria)

Interview w/ Felix Sanabria

(Jose Rivera, Willie Everich, Photo Credit: Ralph Duque)

In October of 08' I made a trip to NY to catch up with Willie, Jose and Alfie, but also to conduct a comprehensive interview with Felix Sanabria, "Awo Orunmila Oshebile". We mapped it out and choose a Saturday when everyone was free, and headed out to Staten Island. Felix and his lovely wife Susan greeted us with open arms and Susan hooked up a wonderful meal that was slammin'. At the end off the night we walked away with 4 hours of interview material. 4 hours!!!
Now that is not only alot of information to go through but also alot of material to edit. So until now we are still working on being able to present to you the clips in a manner we feel most presentable. The amount of information and conviction from which Felix told us his history was not only informative, but moving as well. For Willie and I, that is all the validation we need to "do what we do".

(Felix doing his thing, Video Credit: Ralph Duque)

So all that to say, that soon enough we will have parts of Felix's interview up on the blog. Stay tuned...

Los Afortunados - Guaguanco

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 Birthday party........

Just when they thought it was over, just when everyone was ready to call it a night...a Rumba broke out and the festivities continued at least a little while longer. An AAA video.