~underst~(\ld~ng ·

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t ~r•t~ ~H-t/t.
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This recording was conceived of as a means for pre-
•- senting to today's percussionist thoroughly authentic
Latin rhythm material of a traditional nature that would
have present day applicatioii~f'·
Certain musical forms are classics and are of timeless
beauty. The Latin rhythms chosen for pr~ntation i
,• this recording were selected based on their ad
ity to both contemporary music, no m~er'io!Y
category, as well as to whatever will . fol!O'ol·-'-
future. These rhythms are the roots of some -:o (!
powerful and compelling music_ever crease.
ot_h er classic art forms, will never l!)se_!~it~
It was no easy task confining this rei;ordi
rhythms, as there are so fmany that--c ou
presented. It was my desire to adequa_t_eft_'J_·
rhythms_m~t applicable to modem n:iu~
touch briefly on a greater number. List
each selection.,There's lots of material to be
You'll find yourself playing the sel~iOIM
·:;: Jci~~~:a~ua;- ~-~d ·-~~~
f..: - -.· / . ·_, J1f ·i:}~
:;~·2;~~,;~~;i_c__~?~
;.h:_t
ingthe 1>fo}l t 1aying togeth'er i;'g:rgeous,·thrt bbing ;
harmony. You'll notice the accent is on unity, not solo. "·
lt is this perfect interplay of components that must tie' ;
thoroughly understood before one may consider them, , · •
selves a Latin percussionist.
Wl-\ile this tpay not be the first and only instructional
b1 reccirdfng on Latin rhythms, it can boast being the most
'110! ti It offers two things that are essential !....
r~ of rliythmic fallerns, as well as a guide to
r$'er phrasing o these rhythm54 something not
in any other offeringt , ·
hllght of this record in~ is the pairint: together of
s probably the " heaviest" percussion duo the
of percussion has ever known - Jose Mangual
Patato (Carlos Valdez). Mangual, Sr., the undis-
d master of the bongo drum, ,and Patato, the
wned kinf of the conga. Wherever this Fcair has trav-
·;,~' :h~~
~n\~ie'r:Jt~"~1• ~~~iu~s~!!l~~e~t~~:gTt:::i~~
.~,
- ~Mfn! ;~ q ~endo was cho'sl!n for timbales bec!iuse of
his style being so basic and beautiful. His tinie is impec-
._ cable, taste unquestioned, and his left hand legendary.
~. He brings out the importance of a stro11g Jeft hand for
• . a timbale player, which adds the "bottom" to the.;:•
·rhythm, accentuating harmony with the tumbao of the
cr·hoyntgam~_-!ld_f;!_t e bass, and most imf)ortant, i~e clave
th 0
,
In choosing a bass player for this session, I insisted ·on~
the best, and feel honored that I was able to have·
• . Bobby Rodriguez, the undisputed master io.ihe fie!g o1
Latin. While this album's accent is on percussion._il
takes a "funky" bass pl<1yer to really put the music ''1
orbit. · '· ,"!-..
This album is dedicated lo all the marvelous Latinos wfio
have inspired Latin Percussion, 1/lc. throughout •the
years, and especially the Mangual family, whos'e friend-
ship remains one ,: f -my~~ ,o~\ ~~,e~rished_,--~p
...·o~sessi_<l.,\1~·

~'-\i9
1
over. That's good! The interplay· of i ' It was Jose Mangual's performance on the bongo at a ,,,
;'~' component must be fully understood.\: ' . • Monday night jam session at Birdland in the 1950's that
Most vital to the understanding, an~ ' ultjmlle y· th! offered the inspiration that ultimately led to the forma- --.i..-..._ ,-, &-' •,r
proper execution of Latin rhythms, is a thorougfi co lion of Latin Percussion, Inc. • \ ·
prehension of how each percussion instrument relat
to the clave, a pair of special wooden· strikei, lrolll d.
which the rhythms revolve like the planets -around -t e
5 1
:~~s:s~~~:~a~s ~;,1~~~~~c:~ ~~~1i k:
1
is essential, it Is this melodic element that is part and
:;10 1 1
n~'i~!t~: · •
RECOROEDAT BROAOWAV . .
Mart~n_~?h~f 'i •
;_,.;. -, ., ··,,-:,
' '7' 1\\,.;
:...~ ·......·..........
sun. Even if the band omits a clave player, his presence.•· parcel of virtuosity. While Latin Percussion, lnc.'s drums •·:t "'
1974
is felt In the ,:nin~s-~~~ ~v:i.ry..,;;;.
_m~~ber of the musicai_:--. are built to exacting standards, with time-tested de- •
group. • _ //'I!':.· . ....... ~- signs, it takes time to acquire the technique necessary ASCAP ® 1971 • , ••
Every musician on this recording has devoted his entire
professional career to playint: Latin "'funk."' Sure., there's
lots of guys around who claim to be Latin perrussion-
to extract the full tonality of each of the percussion in-
struments, especially the bongo and the conga drums.r
It is for this reason that I felt ii essential that one be .•
.,..,.-#<,
t · ; -,.
.J-..._i - ·• ei_
·-y
l_tures . I \
ists. Truth is, ther aren't! What you will derive from presented with the ultimate to serve as a. ~oal Mtoward • · ,. __ - °'-i a d ,vision of
this recording wil be, above all, a "'feel " for the music. · .
Each rhythm starts with basic• and builds in percu\sive
achieving excellence in performance. Wit
Patato, and. the other experts on this recording: that _·~-
angua1, . ,
•- ·
I. ,..,,. , LATIN PERCUSSION, INC.,
, f·
. ,• ;;
• ,
"'~"'>
· ,._.

Instrumentation until the entir~ rhythm section, i~clud- 'I: ultimateJrame reference is established I, - ~ -~ , .--. P.O. Box 88 1 Palisad~s Park, N.l. 07650 _ -~ ·..;-::'\ ·/ .:
· · ; • • ..: .:11 -._-) , . ..• ;;~,..;;
•..i:'••' • ; • . / ~ •...ft~ -. ~- ~> -J:,• , ~ ·-• '
0
•
...
'lrusUl1e le~~i\®
.,. .. ..,; ~.,11b-..._• , "1 '!';_/ " 1 t I
 GREDI~ · a ~. Martin Cohen
Producer, Photogr P,-,~6:Mangual, Jr.
Musica.1 Director-ltl6-lng Greenbaull)
Recording Engineer -lsihorr
hi Menegus • d'
yrap cs-::
.,. . : Recordea at·~roadway Recording Stu ,o, ' I
: · . Oct. 17th and 18th, 1974. i

- --~
...
;/
' : 1.
SELECTIONS
~\~· -~••' Side 1
. Vo~al (Masacote)
Cha-Cha 2:30
,Gu,~~,. Mambo 1 :29
ona ~. Shekere 1 :50
Son Montuno 4:4S
Masacote 6:40
ual •. \ ·
11 (S.Qn 'Montuno)
Side 2
Bolero 1 :08
Merengue 4:28
Bomba

~.,., ,~,~~-:
5:20
Guaguanco 7:15

.....,
\·
I '
·,.
'
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l
r

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_:

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(I

I/i I
f,
' .I ,,

Manny Oquen o

<.
t ·":,j, .•
left to•iJghti ·
Carli>i'IP.itato" Valdez
and:Jose Mangual, Jr.,
Bollby.iltodrlguez, .
-~- -,. _ Jose.Mangu~I
and "Pa_t,4.10'1, ·

.. .Jtt . s I . s:nih
:lll1b------ · ·- - - - -~ . - - . .. - • - -~ --~ - ~ -. - -~ - - - ~ ... _ - -~ . • - .
'

INSTRUMENTATION
_,..__
Cowbells

7
::, I
lJ ;- I
- I

.'.:l IL' '

For more detailed information on in1i 11u1 r,ent• t.. o

L. P. Vent ures / P.O. 13ox Bf\ / P, l1~ad c~ I l; i t <·

Irving Greenbaum, recording en~ ; -

 $3.50
under tanding
lL TM ~MS~
by Martin Cohen

rirust the leader.®

J:eVentures
LATIN PERCUSSION, INC. • P.O. Box 88, Palisades Park, N. J. 07650
Intr odu ctio n
uest iona bly_, is Afr ican in orig in. It rna
The mat eria l con tain ed in this albu m, unq
, or the Dom inic an Rep ubli c, but it s y
hav e had a stop -ove r in Cub a, Pue rto Rico
can heri tage was ver y muc h p r eser ved in
roo ts shou ld not be forg otte n. This Afri
This recor ding 's Gua guan co, whil e it s
Cub a, aug men ted by thei r Spa nish cult ure.
plif ies the Afr ican root s.
form dev elop ed in Hav ana , Cub a, best exem
has exis ted for yea rs. Tho se perc ussi on-
The need for this inst ruct iona l mat eria l r
ed the exp osu re to the top Lati n drum rne 8
ists outs ide the Lati n com mun ity hav e lack ty t o
in man y cas es , mis sed the oppo r tuni
'
and even toda y's Lati n you ngb lood s hav e, on
c harm ony . The stre ss ih this albu m is
exp erie nce the bea uty of Cub an rhyt hmi rhyt hmi c heri -
h in refi ning thei r Afr ican
Cub an rhyt hms , as Cub a has done so muc l m usic al
k" whi le mes hing it with Inte rnat iona
tage ; alw ays reta inin g the orig inal "fun
odu ced mec han ical tuni ng to the bon go and
hap pen ings . It was the Cub ans who intr
the con ga drum .
x
rock can 't help but noti ce the grow ing influ
Any list ene r to con tem por ary jazz and rhyt hms s u itabl e
e mus ical grou ps. Whi le
of Lati n rhyt hmi c com pon ents into thes
may dep art from this reco rded mus ical
for thes e par ticu lar mus ical situ atio ns retch
leav e the dru mm er wel l prep ared to "st
mat e.ri al, mas teri ng this mat eria l will , the Cub ans
s him self in. Rem emb er
out" in wha teve r mus ical situ atio n he find 've
play ing tech niqu es. Don 't sell wha t they
dev oted man y yea rs to dev elop ing thei r
befo re goin g bey ond . Doi ng so will _m ake
lear ned sho rt! Mas:t~hese tech niqu es speed.
eria l, pur er soun ds , and gre at er play rng
pos sibl e the eas ier le~ 7 ing of new mat

PLA YIN G TEC HNI QUE S

r hyth m
Of the vari ous com pon ents of the Lati n
ire the
sect ion, the bon go and con ga dru ms requ
com er t o thes e
mos t atte ntio n in ord er for the new
d. Whe n
inst rum ents ,to extr act thei r cor rec t soun
it is
a drum is stru ck with a stic k or mal let,
n it 's skin
rath er easy to get the righ t soun d. Whe
aga inst skin , it's a diff eren t stor y.
c es between
The re are both sim ilar itie s and diff eren
irin g a
play ing bon gos and con gas; the bon go requ
the conga
mor e fing er-o rien ted tech niqu e, whe reas
bot h case s , it
drum req uire s mor e wri st acti on. In
c orr e ct sound,
is not mer e bru te forc e that '11 get the
fing e r pos i-
but a com bina tion of cor rec t han d and
re ct speed.
tion s, atta ckin g the skin s with the cor
nique s
The follo win g des crip tion s of play ing tech
dru mm er. Left-
wer e wri tten for the righ t-ha nded
orde r of ha nd
han ded dru mm ers shou ld rev e r se the
and dru m pos itio ns.

2
 A

THE CONGA DRUM

Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4

While some drummers play the conga drum mounted on a stand, Fig. 1, it is more
traditionally played in a seated position, Fig. 2. A conga drum mounted on a stand
has greater volume, as the sounds can exit from the open bottom unimpeded. The
sound thus produced has a somewhat different quality than when the drum is played
while re sting on the floor.

Playing the conga in the seated position requires that it be tilted forward slightly
to get a fuller sou~1d. One significant advantage to playing the conga while seated
is that it offers the advanced player a greater variety of tones. This is made
possible by raising the drum somewhat by grasping it between one ' s knees as a
beat is struck. Very often a drummer finds himself playing in a carpet ed room .
This playing situation dampens the drum's sound substantially (equally true with
bongos), and it is a common practice to place a wooden board under the drum(s)
when such situations are encountered.

The sounds typically extracted from the conga drum, playing the basic tumbao, can
best be described by discussing one hand at a time.

Right Hand

(A) Open Tone. This creates a full, unmuffled sound. For this , the hand is
quickly removed from the head after striking it to allow it to vibrat e in a
sustained fashion . See Fig. 3. Note , all fingers except the thumb str ike the
head in a flat position.

(B) The Slap. This is perhaps the most difficult of all sounds to get . It takes
mucho practice. Be patient. Once mastered, it's pure joy ! ,.;, 's the failur e
to get this cor r ect sound that makes for a tumbao lacking in authent icity a nd
s eparates the amateur from the pro.

3
 ~o get the slap, the fingers are held in a cup-like fashion. See Fig. 4, AU
fingers, including the thumb, strike the head simultaneously. It is the tips
of the fingers that strike the surface. It must be done quickly, and as the
fingers touch the head they are "drawn" to the edge of the drum. This point
may be confusing since the finger tips really don 't move after striking. It's
more of a hint of motion. Correctly executed , it should be a sharp sound,
significantly higher in pitch than the open tone sound. This higher pitch is
further brought about by the left hand resting firmly on the head as the right
hand strikes it,

Left Hand

Many newcomers to the conga drum underestimate the role played by the 'left hand ,
as the sound from the right is most pronounced. The left hand puts in the "tasty"
accents, and most important, serves to keep your timing together. The basic
sounds from the left hand are two in number:

The heel of the hand followed by,

- the tips of the fingers.

In summary, the basic Latin conga tumbao is played in the following sequence (see
musical notation):

1. Two open tone beats--right hand .

2. One heel beat--left hand.
3. One finger tip beat--left hand.
4. Two slaps--right hand. (Left hand resting on head, keeping it taut. )
5. One heel beat--left hand.
6. One finger tip beat--right hand.

The secret ln attaining speed in playing is to avoid raising the hands off the surface
of the drum. If you watch a top drummer, y~u '11 notice his hands sliding across the
surface rather than being raised from it. or: course, soloing requires a depar ture
from this technique .

THE BONGO DR UM

The basic rhythm played on this instrument is called the martillo. If you were to
phonetically sing the rhythm , it would go "Dicky-Docky-Dicky-Dueky. " Each sound
is made up of two beats. Here's the sequence:

Dicky 1. Small drum. Left side of thumb rests on head, while edge of head
is struck with finger tips of right hand. First "S" in notation.
Fig. 5B.
2. Small drum. Finger tips of left hand strike head centrally.
Second "S" notation, lower line.
Docky 3. Small drum. Same as (1) above , but left thumb not on head.
Second figure, top line of musical notation, Fig. 6.
4. Small drum. Side of left thumb strikes head centrally .
D icky 5. Same as (1) above. Small drum.

4
 6. Same as (2) above. Small drum.
Ducky 7. Finger tips of right hand strike large drum--open tone. Last
figure, top line of musical notation. Fig. 7.
8. Side of left thumb strikes small drum.

Fig. 5A
/I
Fig. 5B Fig. 6

Fig. 7 Fig. 8

It is essential in correctly mastering the martillo that the bongos be correctly

held between the legs, small half to the left with the drums resting comfortably
on the calfs of the legs, not between the knees. Of prime importance is keeping
the wrists of both hands fixed on one's thighs throughout the rhythm. This
technique avoids unnecessary hand motion and will enable the most up-tempo
rhythms to be quickly mastered.

5
 -
A technique often used in soloing which, as is the case with the conga drum, is
difficult to master. When properly mastered, its sound is ear-piercin g and of very
high pitch. To get this special sound, the fingers are held in a cup-like fashion and
the head is struck with great speed. As with slapping the conga, it is important to
draw one's finger tips inward immediately upon their contacting the head of the drum.
See Fig. 8.

While not a more typical method of playing bongos, it is nonetheless sometimes

advantageou s to mount the drums on a stand, such as in show work where the
drummer must move quickly from one instrument to another. Fig. 5A shows the
LP201A Bongos with an LP202 Bongo Mounting Bracket mounted to an LP332 Bongo
Stand.

CLAVE

Both Latin Percussion, Inc. 's african and

standard claves are of a very unique design
intended to give a deeper, richer sound than
that produced when two plain sticks are struck
together. To get the optimum sound from these
claves, it is essential that the large half be held
correctly! If not properly held, you won't get
the correct sound. Study Fig. 9 for finger posi-
tion. Notice that the fingers are held together
forming an air-tight sound chamber. Strike the
large half directly above the center of the cutout.
A little practice is all it takes to get it right.

Fig. 9
TIMBALES

f.

Fig. 11 Fig. 12
Fig. 10

6
-

Fig. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15

The large, low-p itched half of the timbal e is always to the left. The
most often
used playin g techni que calls for the right hand holdin g a timbal e stick,
playin g on a
cowbe ll (eithe r the LP204 Black Beauty Cha-C ha bell, or the LP322
Presti ge Line
Mamb o Cowbe ll, as used in this record ing), Fig. 10, playin g the
side of the
smalle r of the two shells , Fig. 11, or cymba l, while the left harid,
withou t stick,
accent uates 2 and 4 on the larger half. The left hand strike s an open
tone on the
second beat, Fig. 12, and a closed one on the fourth , Fig. 13.

On some tunes, such as Bolero s, the timbal e player will play on the
sides of both
shells with sticks .

Timba le sticks , unlike regula r drums ticks, are of straig ht design

, made from
hardw oods. The ones offere d by Latin Percu ssion, Inc. have rounde
d ends to give
longer skin life. LP's timba le sticks come in four differe nt diame
ters (all 15"
long) to meet every playin g need.

5/16 11 d iarnet er Popul ar in charan ga bands where a light,

delica te sound is called for.
3/8 11 diame ter A good all-aro und size. Fits most requir ement s.
7 /16" diame ter Good where more volum e is requir ed.
1/2 11 diame ter Used where the timbal e player must be heard
above a large band. Same size as Tito Puente
uses. (His , though , are cut down to 12" in
length .)

A very typica l "lick" on the timbal e is called th: abanic o ~a-ba- nee-~o
) which is
played on the small half of the timbal e and cons1s ts of a rtm shot,
Fig. 14,
followed b
y a ro11 , F'1g. l5 , and compl eted by anothe r rim shot. It requir es a bit
of practi ce to get it right. If there •s any one thing that must b e learne
d in timba le
Playing , lt is the abanic o.

7
Many timbale players today fail to realize the importa nce of the left hand, and it was
for this reason that Manny Oquendo was chosen for this recordin g. His left hand is
legenda ry--alw ays using it strongly to reinforc e the conga drumme r and bass player's
tumbao.

The Latin Percuss ion, Inc. 's Tito Puente Timbale s feature a centrall y located cowbell
post, placing the cowbell s in the best playing position . On the inside of the record
album, it will be noticed that Manny is playing the cha-cha cowbell as it rests on the
small head of the drum. The handle end is attached to the rim by means of a sponge
rubber ball with cuts on it, top and bottom, to mate with the cowbell handle and drum
rim. This style of cowbell playing comes out in the Cuban charang a band which is a
sweet sounding , yet swinging , aggrega tion of musicia ns featurin g violins and flute.
Playing the bell in this fashion yields a magnifi cent sound which is enhance d by the
sound of the skin it is ·resting on. The bell used in this fashion is generall y removed
during solos.

MARACAS

It is difficult to go into much detailed

instruct ion in playing this instrum ent beyond
saying it requires a techniqu e that involves
essentia lly wrist moveme nt, Fig. 16. While
LP 's maracas come in matched pairs, one
deeper than the other, no generali ty can be
made as to which half is held in which hand.
Consult the musical notation for the Son
Montuno rhythm for a typical pattern- .-

Fig. 16

GUIRO (Cuban Style)

See Fig. 17 for the correct way to hold it.

The basic pattern is as follows:

1. Very brief, light down-st roke, going

immedia tely into- -
2. A sustaine d up-strok e of substant ial
volume.
3. Brief down-st roke, longer in duration
and of greater volume than (1).
4. Same as (3), only an up-strok e.

The most appropr iate stick to use for this guiro

is 5/16" in diamete r.

Fig. 17
8
TORPEDO (Merengue Guiro)

:\

! l
' t
(
//' ' .

Fig. 18
Fig. 19

While the LP Torpedo was designed as a multi-purpose instrument for both playing
as a conventional merengue guiro, as well as a Braz Uian ganza (a shaking instru-
ment), Fig. 18, it is only used as a guiro on this recording. It is held by its handle
in the same position as the Cuban style guiro and is rubbed with a fork-like wire
scraper. See Fig. 19. For the rhythm played, consult the musical notation under
Merengue and Bomba.

TAMBORA

Fig. 20 Fig. 21 Fig. 22

The tambora is suspended from the neck in front of the drummer. In the right hand,
a stick is held (a 1/2" diameter wooden timbale stick is a good choice), which
strikes both the center of the head ("O" in musical notation), Fig. 20, as well as
11 11
the edge of the head over the wooden shell ( S in musical notation), Flg. 21. The
left hand plays slap sounds on the left head, Fig. 22.
VIBRA-SLAP
®
(Pat. No. 3439572)
-
This patented instrument of Latin Percussion,
Inc. was invented to serve as a dependable
substitute for the fragile, difficult to come by,
jawbone of an ass. While it has since its
inception become much, much more, it is used
in this traditional fashion on this recording in
the Cha-Cha. It is played by holding the wire
handle and striking the wooden ball on the palm
of the hand. See Fig. 23.

Fig. 23

CABASA/AFUCHE (Pat. Nos. 3521518, D215, 123)

Another patented instrument of Latin Percussion,

Inc. is the cabasa/ afuche, which while not used
on this recording, is an extremely valuable per-
cussion accessory used extensively in both Latin
and non-Latin music. It, too, like the vibra-slap
was designed to offer a more dependable and
versc1tile substitute for a traditional instrument
customarily made from a grooved coconut shell
surrounded by a network of beads mounted on a
wire mesh structure. Owing to the lack of flexi-
bility of this wire network, the original version
lacked durability and more often than not experi-
enced premature failure.

This instrument most often is played by holding

the handle in the right hand while cupping the
beads with the left hand, Fig. 24. The sound is
created by either twisting the handle with the
beads held stationary, or by holding the handle
while the beads are rotated against the afuche's
textured stainless steel structure . The form er
Fig. 24 method is more traditional. An alternate method
of playing is to shake the instrument, maraca
fashion. This method is often used in the r ecord-
ing studio where big volume is not essential. Its
greatest value lies in the ability of this tec hnique
to extract intricate rhythm patte r ns difficult , if
not impossible to create by other me ans.

10
1#
Fig. 25 Fig. 26 Fig. 27

CASCARA

In the Guaguanco recording, the cascara refers to the rhythm played on the side of
the LP271 Tambora, Fig. 25.

BONGO COWBELL (LP206A)

The musical notation for the cowbell as used in the Son Montuno calls for an "H"
sound created by striking the open end of the bell, Fig. 26. The "T" notation refer.s
to the higher pitched sound created by striking the handle, closed end of the bell,
Fig. 27. Additional colorations in sound are created by applying and releasing
finger pressure on the underside of the bell with the left hand.

TAMBORIM

While not used on the recording, it is worthwhile

mentioning the very useful Brazilian percusslon
instrument called the tamborim. It has no jingles
and is played as in Fig. 28 by striking with a
stick as the head is alternately tightened and
loosened with the fingers from the inside of the
drum .

•
Fig. 28

11
SHEKERE

African in origin, this instrument is becoming

more and more popular in all forms of music
because of its unusual, versatile sound. Two
distinct sounds can be heard on the recording.
The high pitched one of the shells striking the
outside surface is one. The other very deep
sound is created by striking the closed end of the
shekere with the palm of the hand. See Fig, 29.
Latin Percussion, Inc. offers three sizes of
shekeres; small, medium, and large (LP315,
LP316, and LP317, respectively.)

Fig. 29

AFRICAN METAL CASTANETS (LP318)

y ' ,}

These unique imports of Latin Percussion, Inc.

are worth mentioning as they have such a potent
sound , capable of cutting through the loudest of
bands. Where standard claves can't be heard,
the african metal castanets make excellent sub-
stitutes. See Fig. 30.

Fig. 30
AFRICAN TALKING DRUM

This instrument is of special interest as it has

great melodic possibilities. It is customarily
struck with a special curved stick while its
pitch is changed by squeezing the rope structure
joining the heads. Fig. 31 shows the Talking
Drum (LP314) being played without using the
special striker.

31 12
 ABOUT THE RHYTHMS

T~ guiding star of Latin

. rhythms is the clave , a double meaning word referring to
th a two-bar rhythmtc pattern as well as the special wooden strikers used to pro-
~~ce it. The rhyth?1ic pattern is one that is felt in all Latin rhythms whether or not
rnusical group includes a clave player. The clave can be of either the 3 /2 or
the
z/3 variety. The f O11owmg
. .
LS a summary of the claves used on the recording:

Cha-Cha 3/2
Mambo 3/2
Son Montuno 2/3
Masacote 2/3
Bolero 3/2
Merengue 3/2
Bomba 3/2
Guaguanco 2/3

It is not possible to convey in words the essence of each of the rhythms of the
recording, but some important details should be pointed out. The combination of
the recorded material and musical notation should suffice to fully describe the exe-
cution of each selection. The following is intended to clear up any ambiguity that
may arise in comparing the musical notation with the recording.

CHA-CHA & MAMBO

Technically the Cha-Cha and Mambo are the same except for the tempo. The Cha-
Cha being slower than the Mambo. While both the Cha-Cha and Mambo on the re-
cording do not contain the bongo cowbell or maracas, it is quite typical to use both
of these instruments in these rhythms.

GUAGUANCO

The Guaguanco is a 6/8 rhythm originating in Havana, Cuba, but with heavy African
roots. It traditionally consists of the rhythm played on three conga drums with the
highest pitched, or quinto, soloing and offering expression, while the second and
third drums carry the basic rhythm. The low drum, or tumbadora, keeps the founda-
tion going while the second, or conga drum, puts in the middle part. Soloing on the
quinto is usually in harmony with the performance of the dancers. Rounding out the
rhythm on this recording is the cascara, or the beating of sticks against the side of
a tambora. Often times at parties or other occasions instruments are improvized,
such as spoons beating on tables or whatever, to create the same effect. In this
recording of the Guaguanco, Manny Oquendo is playing with a mallet on the left-
hand or low-pitched half of the timbales, while Patato answers .the timbale beat with
the low-pitched sound of the shekere created by striking the bottom, or closed end,
with the palm of his hand. The introduction to the Guaguanco rhythm was done in
such a way as to illustrate to the listener how each of the three conga drums is
played. It starts with the tumbadora followed by the conga, or middle-sized drum.
Then in comes the quinto played by Patato. To make the learning process easier,
the musical notation for the Guaguanco was written in 4/4, but its correct execution
calls for a 6/8 "feel." While a brief quinto "riff" is included in the notation, the
extemporaneous nature of this drum's part makes it virtually an impossible task to
write out this drummer's part.

13
MASACOTE

The Masacote rhythm is a non-exact rhythm but one where two drummers are soloing
almost simultaheously, but answering one another in their rhythmic patterns. This
particular Masacote, and there have been many, is a re-creation of the performance
that took place and was recorded during the 160 1 s with Patato and Jose Mangual in .
Paris, France. It is in this rhythm that the harmony of the various percussion instru-
ments is best demonstrated, for while you do have two of the drummers soloing, the
res.ult is total rhythmic unity. The maturity displayed by these men is seen in the fact
that neither is performing truly by themselves, but always complementing one another.
You will notice that the clave, as in all rhythms, continues to beat out throughout and
the soloists are always working around this pattern.

THE BOLERO

The Bolero rhythm is essentially a slower .version of the Cha-Cha, but it is important
to note the different rhythm pattern played on the conga drums as it is a departure
from that played in the Cha-Cha and Mambo rhythms. It fills in the empty spaces.
While this selection does not contain timbales, it is typical to include a timbale with
the timbale player playing on the sides of the timbale shells.

MERENGUE

The Merengue, a rhythm originating in the Dominican Republic, is typically played

using a tambora and a Merengue guiro, such as the LP Torpedo. For this recording
we incorporated, in addition to these rhythm instruments, Patato playing three conga
drums. His unique style in playing the Merengue is of great value when one masters
the basic techniques. This recording is unique in its marriage of Cuba and the Domini-
can Republic in the intensity created in this fabulous rhythm. Traditionally, the
Merengue has been allocated to "country-type" music, but it has great intensity and
shows great promise in being able to be a part of many modern musical forms. While
in the recording the Merengue is played in 2, it was written in 4/4 for easier learning.

BOMBA

The Bomba, a rhythm originating in Puerto Rico like the Merengue, is one generally
associated with rural music. It is very African in feeling and has tremendous poten-
tial in contemporary musical forms. Like the Guaguanco, the Bomba was performed
in this recording featuring three conga drummers, again with the quinto player soloing
and it is very typical for the quinto player to have his solo follow a dancer performing
to his music. In a more typical performance of the Bomba, you would have two conga
drummers performing instead of the three drummers as in this recording. As with
the Guaguanco rhythm, the quinto drummer is playing in an improvised fashion and
notating his performance is virtually impossible as it is one that is forever changing
and evolving.

SON MONTUNO

A Son Montuno is a rhythm that, in tempo, falls between the Cha-Cha and the Mambo.
While the tempo is not fast, there is a certain quality to the Son Montuno that in spite
of its relaxed feeling has a great deal of intensity. A good dancer really appreciates
this rhythm because it is an opportunity to bring out all the fancy steps.

14
 T r ansc r ibed fr o m re cor ding by Jose M adera

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