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)

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?

Quinto Mayor

(Quinto Mayor, Video Credit: Gene Golden)

Quinto Mayor

More great clips from Gene Golden's stash. Can anyone help me name the chekere player, and the singer?

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.

Raices Habaneras @ Esquina Habanera

The now defunct Esquina Habanera hosted some of the best rumba in the city for a couple of years. At it's strongest, you had acts like Los Munequitos coming through, and famous rumberos such as Ernesto Gatel, Amado Dedeu, Orlando Puntilla, and countless others. The Raices Habanera crew (based out of NJ) had many regulars in attendance throughout. Gene Golden was no exception.

This elder of "la rumba Nuevayorkina", was definitely a mainstay and his latest youtube offering has him taking part in a tasty columbia, check it out for yourself:

(Columbia @ Equina Habanera, Video Credit: Gene Golden)

More Youtubin' "GFYEN"

(GFYEN Rehearsal, Video Credit: rasmann6)



(GFYEN Rehearsal, Video Credit: rasmann6)

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...

Youtube Vids

The following videos have been posted on "youtube", but not by Willie or I. I just wanted to highlight them for the players they feature.

Yambu @ Brecht Forum, Gene Golden- quinto, Skip Burney- tres dos, Matanzas (?) - guagua

(Video Credit: NaciPaBailar)

Guaguanco @ Brecht, Skip - quinto, ? - tres dos, Bailando Guaguanco: Pedro Domech, Tito Sandoval, Rita Macias, Xiomara Rodriguez

(Video Credit: NaciPaBailar)

Tata Cepeda - bailando, Obanilu Allende- primo

(Video Credit: tatacepeda)

Patato (ibae) and Friends

(Video Credit: chegodoy)

Abakua - Los Afortunados

Here is a great "Abakua" with Roberto Borrell, dancing a mean ireme part. This is a cool video because you have Felix Sanabria on itones, Benjamin "Brinquito" Burney on Obiapa, Yeyito Flores on kuchiyerema, Ralph Sosa on biankome, (one of the few Dominican cats that were playing this music at the time), Victor Jaraslov on erikundi, and Gene Golden playing a mean bonko enchemiya, truly a United Nations of rhythm. Paula Ballan, Evelyn Smart and Gina Iyaleo on coro. This was at the now defunct Black and White in Color in the Bronx.

Abraham Rodriguez is singing duo alongside Manuel "El Llanero" Solitario. Believe me folks you would be hard pressed to find an Abakua done this well outside of Cuba.

*film courtesy of Felix Sanabria

Gene Golden - Part 1

A couple of years ago, while in NY, I made it a point to check out Chico Alvarez's band "Palo Monte". They were playing every so often at Sob's, so I decided to head out there one Friday after work. While the band was cookin' I admit I really only went for one reason, Gene Golden.

I had followed Gene ever since getting into the music, but had still not had the opportunity to see him play live. It really was a real treat watching this seasoned pro play the tumbas with the energy of a 20 year old. At this particular gig I had approached Gene about doing a little interview, he politely obliged and we went downstairs.

Unfortunately time did not permit a proper interview but I did get some information that I will share in the meantime.

RD: Gene how did you get started playing congas?

GG: Well, my mother would run me out of the kitchen because I used to like to play on the pots and pans. Alot of drummers started out that way. When I was about 8 years old my godfather would come to the house and my mother would talk to him about m my interest in playing the drums, so one day he bought me a conga drum. So I started playing, I was playing in the streets, in the parks. I would stay with my grandmother alot of the time and she lived on 107th between 5th and Madison Aves. She was from St Croix and she spoke Spanish. Alot of people in the neighborhood were Latino, so there was that influence. Then I moved back to 150th between Convent and St. Nicholas, thats when I really started to get into it. I was a little older then and was starting to play in little local bands.

(Quinto Mayor- Gene on tres golpe, Pedrito Martinez on tumba, Roman Diaz on quinto, Barry Cox and Max on coro, Joe Gonzalez on guagua, ? on guiro, Video Credit:Jicamocubano)

GG: I met a guy named Joe, who used to play with alot of Bebop bands. He was trying to put conga drums in bebop music. I used to like his drums because they were all painted pretty, I was like, "where'd you get a drum like that?", he said, "c'mon I'll take you..." So he took me down to 116th st off of Lenox Ave. The place was a bakery, this guy used to make drums there so I got one from there.

Then another friend took me to a place on 125th st called "Club Cubano", where Arsenio Rodriguez played every saturday. It was more of a social club type place. Arsenio's band would play nice stuff earlier but after 8pm I noticed that the mothers would take children home. I would then see the mothers come back looking sharp, and the bands would get more serious.

Quique (Arsenio's brother) was the one that taught me how to play congas. I didn't play with them, but Quique would show me different techniques on the drum.

RD: What kind of player was Quique?

GG: Quique was very strong, he was a palero.

Soon after I would meet Julito Collazo, Tommy Lopez, Patato, Totico, and Lil' Ray Romero...

(Gene Golden, Photo Credit: justsalsa)

As you can see I didn't get to ask him many questions. Gene started talking and there was no way I was going to interrupt him as he was giving me such great information. Soon after we started talking he was called up to start his set. I stayed to watch the band and left soon after they finished. I've called Gene afterwords to try and finish the interview but have never been able to hook up with him again. Hopefully I will be able to do so in the near future.

* Barry's site has a great post about Gene, and a great video link as well