The 1^st visit of Alfredo Rodriguez to Seattle will surely result in more fans for the raising Latin jazz star. Alfredo came to Seattle’s Dimitrious Jazz Alley this week, bringing along Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. The trio of young artists clearly reflected the joy they felt playing their music for the Seattle audience.

Alfredo Rodriguez Piano Improvisations Bring Memories of Keith Jarrett

Alfredo Rodriguez at Seattle

The first song opened with Alfredo hitting the piano low notes to create a mesmerizing sound effect, which was followed by a prolonged solo before Francisco Melo and Peter Slavov joined in.  From there, Alfredo offered a really entertaining show, where his talent took center stage and the audience didn’t want to miss a single note he played. The unity and communication among the trio of musicians also added to the beauty of the show, particularly with the high degree of complexity and improvisation of some of the pieces.

Alfredo moves while playing piano

As Alfredo Rodriguez improvises, he moves and contorts his body in a way that immediately bring to mind his idol Keith Jarrett. The resemblance is limited to using movements of the body as a way to either call or reflect inspiration and emotion while playing, but the moves are different and the playing styles, are different. Alfredo has created a unique style of his own, in which he borrowed Jarrett’s approach to liberty of expression, but creating and expressing his music in his own way.

As Latin Jazz master percussionist Bobby Sanabria says, the beauty of Latin jazz is that it can drink from the musical well of traditional jazz as well as from the well of Afro-Cuban and other Latin music genres. Cuba is one of the most musically rich countries in the world, and Alfredo’s second song was his version of a classic Cuban “danzón” titled “Veinte Años”, where Alfredo improvised freely.

Francisco Mela demostrated why he is a master of the drums

The improvisation on the pieces was such that during a number in which Alfredo grabbed drum stick to play percussion against the piano to accompany Francisco Mela, Mela let out a laugh at the end of a song as Alfredo suddenly ended the song in a good note.

The Joy of Music

Watching the Alfredo Rodriguez trio was so wonderful because these young musicians reflect so much joy for doing what they love, which is playing music. The experience is like when you visit a “virgin” beach in an unpopulated costal area. You sea the beauty of nature unspoiled by crowds and commercialism. In the same way I hope Quincy Jones doesn’t over-commercialize Alfredo Rodriguez so that the trio can keep the joy for many years and it doesn’t become a “job”. This notion I had of them, which I wrote in my notes before the concert concluded, was validated when after most of the audience left the Jazz Alley, and Alfredo had signed his last autograph, he went over to the drums and started playing with them, just making some noise. Soon Peter decided that he would sit in the piano and also play around some. Francisco would not be left behind, so he went and grabbed the bass, and before you knew it, they were improvising in instruments they don’t play; sometimes one giving hints of how to play a part to the other.  

Peter (at piano), Francisco (at bass), and Alfredo (at durms) playing around after the show.

The joy of music is what makes music great. Alfredo brings that joy and passion to music, which I hope is contagious.

Related Latino Music Cafe Blogs:

Alfredo Rodriguez Brings Fresh Style to Jazz

Master Percussionist Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez comes to Seattle

As I took a vacation road trip to explore Oregon, I had plenty of time to listen to various Latin music albums while driving. Among the salsa albums I listen were the latest releases from Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juan Luis Guerra, and Tito Nieves. All these albums have great music, but as they say in Sesame Street, one of these is different from the others.

Tito Nieves Used the Same Salsa Formula on Every Song

Tito Nieves “Entre Familia” salsa album is a solid one. Tito Nieves voice is as strong as ever, and the band sounds strong and solid (I’ll do a full review of “Entre Familia” in a upcoming blog, after some other albums I have in line). So Tito, sorry for picking on you…”peldona sa’e”.

But as I was driving I noticed that I started to get sleepy after the 3^rd song. Salsa music tends to keep me awake while driving; as I either sing along or follow the music enthusiastically. I was very aware that I had lost interest in the music, and started to look for why that was happening. I found the answer as soon as the mambo of the 4^th song started. All songs followed almost the exact same formula. All songs had the central theme, chorus and soneos, mambo (mostly lead by trombones followed by trumpets) and a bit more chorus and soneos before the end. Almost all songs that I remember followed this formula and had the same rhythm and tempo. All were Tito Nieves signature “salsa romantica”, only varying the message of the lyrics.

Now, let me clarify; if you are in a party and want to dance, this is one great album to dance to. As I said the musical arrangements are solid, and the band sounds strong. Tito Nieves performance is as good as he’s been. I bet in the radio it will sound great, and will have good air time. But I lost interest when listening to the entire album, because of lack of variety in the music.

Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juan Luis Guerra, and El Gran Combo Mix It Up

The two albums I heard before Tito Nieves’ album had plenty of variety. Gilberto Santa Rosa’s “Irrepetible”, and Juan Luis Guerra’s “A Son de Guerra” both have a variety of rhythms and styles. Both are albums you can enjoy listening to. They have salsas, merengues, Juan Luis has bachatas as expected, and even a type of rock song he sings with Colombian star Juanes. These might seem as an unfair comparison as Gilberto and Juan Luis are super starts known for the variety of their music. Ok, I’ll concede that point.

Consider El Gran Combo’s latest release, “Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso”. El Gran Combo is a hard core Salsa band, and this album is pure salsa. Yet, there are plenty of different types of “son” and “montunos” in this album. The songs and the lyrics vary greatly from one song to another, even when this is a salsa album. The songs simply don’t follow a cookie-cutter formula.

Tito Nieves is not alone in providing little variation in the songs of his album. Tito Rojas tend to do the same, and his best albums, are the ones with more variety. Victor Manuelle is another singer who earlier in his career, and perhaps until recently, had most of his songs sound the same. Victor Manuelle’s latest releases have been adding more variety to the albums repertoire, although most of his salsa’s still follow a cookie-cutter formula. But Victor Manuelle has been adding ballads and in his most recent album “Yo Mismo” has a vallenato song with Colombians Jorge Celedon and Jimmy Zambrano (a returned favor from Jorge Celedon’s duo with Victor Manuelle in his album “Son Para El Mundo”).

Good Sales Possible for Salsa Albums with Repetitive Formula

Lack of musical variety in an album does not mean lack of commercial success. Tito Nieves, Tito Rojas, and Victor Manuelle sell very well and have sizable fan followings, certainly the commercial envy of many more diversified artists. But for us Latin music lovers, these “cookie-cutter” repetitive-formula albums are great for dancing, but become boring for listening.  El Gran Combo has been using a formula where they don’t venture far away from Salsa, and yet, provide a good mixture of rhythms to make the recording memorable and easy to listen to. Gilberto Santa Rosa and Juan Luis Guerra take it further by adding a variety of genres to the album. Either way, musical variety enriches an album, and I believe, it enriches the artists’ art as well.

New paradigms, like everything else, bring pros and cons. I just read one of the cons in the USA Today newspaper while I was on vacation, which indicated that hackers are getting into people’s iTunes accounts and obtaining (out of your unknown generosity) gift cards codes that they can then resell at a discount openly in the internet to make a quick profit while you get stuck with the bill. You can read the USA Today.com article “Hackers invade iTunes accounts, buy gift card codes” for all the details.

This type of hacking was to be expected. Gift card codes are money, and if there is an online account involved, then the bad guys are going to try to get a hand in to make a profit at your expense. I have a Zune account and can see how we can treat our online music accounts with a bit more leisure than our bank accounts. I was one that had my Zune Marketplace account set at automatic log in. Not anymore!

To avoid falling pray to the bad guys, we need to treat our online music accounts, be that in iTunes, Zune Marketplace, Rhapsody or others, as if they were our online banking accounts, because there is money to be lost just as well.

Using strong passwords, auditing your bill, and other actions recommended for our online banking accounts, can save us some grief with our entertainment account. The article “Keep Thieves Out of Your Bank Account” can give you some good tips to follow.

Safeguard your online music store account, and tell your friends to do the same.

Related Blogs at LatinoMusicCafe.com:

Is it Cool to Fileshare Music?

Is It Cool to Fileshare Music? - Part 2

Your Latin Music Search Options Just Got Better

4 New Ways You Can Create, Find, and Consume Music

Its not often you come across an articulated, intelligent, and yes, master of the instrument musician that has yet to celebrate his 25^th birthday. Young Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez is a true artist, one who gets inspiration from everything around him and shares it through music. Many artists do this, and Alfredo seems to not only have the technical aptitude to do it, but also the creative mind to express it like few can. Quincy Jones’ new protégée is coming to Seattle’s Jazz Alley on August 31^st and September 1^st and I can hardly wait for the rare opportunity to witness another star Latino artist on his road to greatness.

I had the opportunity to talk to Alfredo Rodriguez ahead of his visit to Seattle, and covered everything from his musical formation in Cuba, his influences, his approach to music and life, to his recent projects and new CD.

Alfredo’s Musical Development in Cuba and Influences:

Musically educated in one of Cuba’s most prestigious music schools, Alfredo Rodriguez was influenced primarily by his father, Alfredo Rodriguez Sr., who was a known singer-songwriter in Cuba, and by all the music that was played in his home. Alfredo’s music is also influenced by his surroundings, as he reflects in his music his experiences and emotions. The great musical diversity in Cuba, with its Afro-Cuban rhythms all the way to its influences in Jazz, helped shaped Alfredo’s thirst for learning more about music. “I am continually learning and studying music. When I visit other countries, I like to learn about their folk music. I’m also very fortunate to be exposed to the musical richness available in Cuba. My humble advice to those seeking a career in music is to learn every day.”

A friend gave Alfredo Rodriguez a jazz album of the great pianist Keith Jarrett, and this gift opened Alfredo’s eyes to other possibilities that could be explored with the instrument. “When I listened to Keith Jarrett’s music I was immediately impressed with the level of improvisation that could be achieved in jazz”. This seed grew in Alfredo the love for a music genre that could be played without being first written.  ”Keith Jarrett is one of my idols because into his 60’s his music continues to sound new and fresh; he has never lied to his music and continues in his musical journey, just like I want to do with mine.”

Since Alfredo Rodriguez reflects his experiences in his music, the move to the United States has influenced his music by providing a wider diversity of available music from various countries, as well as now being in the country which created jazz. “I reflect in my music what is happening with me. Each person should know what they want and know how to express that. Coming to the United States has given me exposure to many styles of music from many countries within just one country. This is the country to be in to learn jazz, and I’ve been learning a lot.”

The Music Scene in Cuba

Alfredo Rodriguez

According to Alfredo, there has been a boom of musicians developing in Cuba and he has also seen recently a greater musical interchange with musicians from the United States. “There are many musicians coming out in Cuba which are doing very interesting things with music there. Sometimes it’s much harder to get certain type of information or access to certain styles of music, mostly because of lack of means. Not everyone has access to the internet, and you can find everything in internet. But those who really want to learn find a means. When I was there I used to ask friends that were out of Cuba to send me CDs or hard drives with music. Also with the Obama administration, there has been a greater interchange of musicians coming and going between Cuba and the U.S.”

Alfredo Rodriguez Gets Connected to Quincy Jones

Because of his skill and deep musical knowledge, Alfredo Rodriguez was selected among 12 musicians in the world to participate in the 2006 Montreaux Jazz Festival, which Quincy Jones attended. The producer of the jazz fest invited Alfredo to his house, where Quincy Jones was also invited, and asked Alfredo to play a song. Alfredo recounts “I played the song ‘I Love You’ with a special arrangement I made, and Quincy liked it very much. Right there we exchanged business cards and Quincy told me he would like to work with me.”

Despite Jones connections it became impossible during the Bush administration to get the papers needed to bring Alfredo to the United States, but that changed once President Obama took office. “In 2 previous trips to the U.S. Quincy’s manager reaffirmed their intent of pursuing a management deal with me if I could make it to the United States. After much deliberation to leave my country, my family, and my friends behind, I decided to move to this country in January 2009 to work with Quincy Jones.”

As part of working with Quincy Jones’ production company, Alfredo Rodriguez has kept busy playing in the most important Jazz festivals and events in and out of the U.S, as well as with “The Quincy Jones All Stars”.

Visit to Seattle’s Jazz Alley

Part of Alfredo Rodriguez busy work has been recording his 1^st CD produced by Quincy Jones which is titled “Sounds of Space” and right now is only being sold in Alfredo’s live presentations while Jones’ production company finalizes a distribution deal.  “We completed the recording but we are still negotiating with various distributors to get a deal that works best for all”, says Alfredo, who will be at Seattle’s Jazz Alley in August 31^st and September 1^st. 

“I’ll be there with my trio, which includes Bulgarian bass player Peter Slavov, and Cuban percussionist Francisco Mela, who has been in the U.S. for 10 years and has taught at Berklee. I’ll be playing songs from my CD as well as some Cuban standards with my own style.”

The still commercially unavailable CD of “Sounds of Space” includes a varied selection of formats, with songs played by the trio, while for some songs he adds horns, and has a couple of songs with only the piano. “I like the trio format, and perhaps the next project will be just with the trio; and I’m considering if it should be a ‘live’ performance” says Alfredo of the ideas for his next recording.

I look forward to the opportunity to witness a Latino artist blossoming to greatness when Alfredo Rodriguez visits Seattle’s Dimitrious’ Jazz Alley next week.

Photos by Michelle Cantarelli

With this blog I’m introducing a new format of communicating = video blogs. This is my 1st video blog, and it shows! I made several mistakes in recording my piece and then had tons of learning issues with the video software. Yet dispite all that, I hope you find the video blog of La Raza Latina at Lincoln Center New York to be of decent quality.

La Raza Latina was presented this past August 14th live at Lincoln Center as part of a summer program by the City of New York, and offered free to the people that come first to fill the outdoor space. The capacity of the outdoor place was estimated at just over 4,000 people, but some attendees estimate that with the people listening from outside the door, the crowd was approximately 20,000; enough to fill the Madison Square Garden and by far the biggest crowd to these type of events organized by the Lincoln Center of New York.

In the video blog I talk about the event, which was anchored musically by Bobby Sanabria’s big band, with musical guests like Chembo Corniel, Ralph Irizarry, Lewis Kahn, Pete Nater, Sam Burtis, and Cuban singer Adonis Puentes taking the place of Nestor Sanchez, and Ruben Blades reprising his singing role in La Raza Latina Salsa Suites.

I also have part of a video interview that the site My Latino Voice did with Larry Harlow for this event. I hope to be able to get an interview with El Judio Maravilloso, Larry Harlow, so that we can talk about any possible future plans for La Raza Latina the Live show and other plans Harlow has for the near future.

Let me know what you think of my 1st video blog. I’m looking forward to your critique and comments.

The other night I was flipping TV channels and found Salsa singer Victor Manuelle in a popular Puerto Rico TV show singing a ballad. It was so bad that I felt sorry for this great Salsa singer.

Let me clarify that although Victor Manuelle is a very popular Salsa signer and has just recently ventured into ballads, it was not his singing what made the performance a terrible one. Victor Manuelle is at a stage in his career that resembles where is idol Gilberto Santa Rosa was a few years ago, where he wanted to expand his repertoire into signing ballads. It took Gilberto Santa Rosa a few albums to get his ballad singing to a point where he can offer a decent experience. He had to train the voice to the new style which he was not used to. With his appearance in “El Show de Chucho”, it seems Victor Manuelle wants to expand his career in the same way Gilberto Santa Rosa did.

The performance in Chucho Avellanet’s TV show was so bad because Victor Manuelle didn’t seem to know what to do when he was not singing. He was singing the bolero sitting down, and his singing was actually quite good. But when the song went into instrumental intervals Victor Manuelle just sat there with his head down looking depressed (the song was indeed a sad song) but he just looked down and occasionally peaked up like wanting to see if the camera was still on him. It got to a point where I almost felt sorry for Victor Manuelle, and it was so distracting it was hard to focus on the song.

I believe that artists should think about this sort of things ahead of time. Perhaps he did, and they executed perfectly a really bad plan. I think the camera should have gone to the orchestra when Victor Manuelle was not singing. That would have spared us of seeing poor Victor Manuelle just counting the seconds to his next signing part in the song. The situation would’ve been perfect for a Southwest Airlines commercial, where somebody makes a really stupid mistake and the commercial narrator says “wish you where somewhere else”? I bet Victor Manuelle felt like being far away from there at times.

Victor Manuelle Yo Mismo

I guess bad things happen when artist go on TV. Chucho Avellanet is a veteran of this show, which has been in TV for too many years for me to count. And yet, I can’t explain why things like this still happen. Chucho Avellanet is a bolero and ballad singer, so he could have come up with better idea that keeping the camera constantly on his guest. Victor Manuelle is a great singer, who is starting to get into the boleros and ballads to expand his career. In his latest album “Yo Mismo”, Victor Manuelle sings three ballads, and performs some better than others, but I think he’ll get there. But when going to TV particularly to sing ballads or boleros, he’ll have to be careful on what will happen with the cameras so he doesn’t look like his in a bad TV ad.

Cuban percussionist Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez is a veteran of musician who has played with the best in the music scene and collaborated in various Grammy Award-winning recordings. This is no accident, as “El Negro” comes from a musical family in Cuba, and grew up seeing groups like Irakere perform up close from backstage. It was from these experiences that “El Negro” got his admiration for Enrique Plá, Irakere’s trap drummer, and began his love for the instrument in which he has become a virtuoso.

I had a chance to talk to “El Negro” Hernandez ahead of his visit to Seattle’s Jazz Alley playing with Fahir Atakoglu’s trio. Regarding his love for music, “El Negro” recounts “my father had a Jazz show in radio for about 40 years. He knew many musicians because of his radio show; that’s how I was able to get into Irakere’s shows as a kid, and see them from back stage.”

Rubalcaba and D’Rivera Among El Negro’s Many Latin Jazz Collaborations

“El Negro” Hernandez studied music with a couple of well-known music teachers and began performing at a very young age. In his teen years, he played with Nicolas “”El Negro”" Reynoso, who founded the original Afro-Cuba band, one of the most acclaimed jazz bands in Cuba at that time. “That only lasted for a little over a year (of the original Afro-Cuba, as there was a 2^nd version) and we recorded only one album” said “El Negro”.

After the experience with Afro-Cuba, El Negro joined fellow teen Gonzalo Rubalcaba in his Grupo Proyecto. “I hope I don’t offend anyone, but Gonzalo Rubalcaba was the best musician I have ever played with”, said El Negro Hernandez. “El Negro” played with Rubalcaba for 10 years and participated in Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s early albums, including my Rubalcaba favorite “Mi Gran Pasion”, an album that revived the “danzón” in Cuba. “We were both just 23 years old when we recorded that album”, says “El Negro” Hernandez, as he tells the story of how he traveled the world with Rubalcaba’s group when they were in their 20’s.

“El Negro” lived in Italy for the two years after leaving Cuba waiting for the opportunity to move to the United States. When he finally arrived to the states, he was called by fellow Cuban Paquito D’Rivera the day he arrived, and both got in a plane to Miami to record “40 Years for Cuban Jam Sessions”. So “El Negro” found himself in his 2nd day in the U.S. in a recording studio with Cachao, Paquito D’Rivera, Chocolate Armenteros, and a bunch of other Cuban music greats. “I remember being in a room with Andy Garcia and Cachao, and thinking that I was in heaven”, recounts Hernandez of that experience.

Visit to Seattle’s Jazz Alley

Fahir Atakoglu, Anthony Jackson, and

Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez will play in Seattle’s Jazz Alley on August 10 and 11, 2010 as part of the Fahir Atakoglu trio. “El Negro” describes Fahir is a Turkish piano player the “has interesting rhythms, very melodic music which is easy to digest”. “El Negro” Hernandez has recorded three albums with Fahir Atakoglu’s group, two of them included bass player Anthony Jackson, who will complete the trio who will be visiting Seattle. The three collaborated on the albums “Istanbul in Blue” (2008) and “If” (2005). “El Negro” additionally participated in Fahir’s recent release “Faces & Places” (2010), in which John Patitucci fills in the bass.

I’m looking forward to seeing a “El Negro” Hernandez with Fahir Atakoglu’s trio in Seattle’s Jazz Alley, which promises to be a unique experience.

With his ”Todos Vuelven” tour over, Ruben Blades reflected on some of our social problems and focused on examining the impact of the availability (or lack thereof) of opportunities for individuals in our societies and the degree to which these opportunities are used. Ruben Blades wrote the article for the Spainard newspaper “El Pais” and therefore, the article is in Spanish. I considered tranlating the article, but decided on leaving it as Ruben Blades wrote it, to ensure nothing is lost in the translation.

Possibly the only link of this article with music is that it’s written by a musician. Yet Ruben provides a healthy reflection of some of the social problems we have and raises some questions regarding possible solutions.  

You can read the entire article below.

——–

TRIBUNA: RUBÉN BLADES

A mí me ofrecieron las herramientas

RUBÉN BLADES 22/07/2010

Empiezo por comentar lo obvio: la igualdad, como la interpretamos los seres humanos, no existe en la naturaleza. El concepto de igualdad es parte del esquema de control desarrollado por la capacidad intelectual de la sociedad humana, en forma de leyes y normas de conducta general, dirigidas a regular y limitar nuestras acciones, en un intento por mitigar las consecuencias del egoísmo intrínseco a nuestra especie, no necesariamente como una propuesta ética, sino más bien con el propósito de proteger vidas y hacienda.

Podríamos decir, entonces, que el origen del concepto de acceso a la oportunidad, como elemento indispensable para producir la posibilidad de igualdad, no es natural, es una creación del intelecto. Comencemos por aceptar esto, como punto de partida realista, si pretendemos hacer una discusión responsable acerca de un asunto tan sensitivo como el que se ha propuesto.

¿Cómo evitar transmitir/heredar desigualdades que condenen a generaciones a la pobreza? Se me ocurren dos posibles causas de la situación actual. Una, los gobiernos no ofrecen suficientes oportunidades de acceso a salud, educación, ámbitos de vida adecuados, trabajo y/o condiciones económicas; otra, la población se rehúsa a utilizar las oportunidades, cuando las tiene. Algunos individuos fracasan, aún teniendo las oportunidades a la mano. Eso significa que la responsabilidad ha sido sólo suya.

Tal apreciación nos lleva a pensar que el problema de la desigualdad social puede también ser discutido desde otra perspectiva: no es suficiente crear la oportunidad para que se produzca el efecto positivo. Aún cuando se ofrezca igual oportunidad a todos, en igualdad de acceso y con iguales reglas de juego, la oportunidad sólo ofrece la posibilidad de que se produzca un efecto, pero no lo garantiza. En todo caso, nuestra actitud sobre la desigualdad resulta hipócrita, porque somos indiferentes al dolor ajeno, cuando consideramos que es resultado de una irresponsabilidad personal. El argumento de la transmisión de la desigualdad, tiene que examinarse también desde una óptica espiritual, y no sólo estrictamente económica, o política.

Existen seres humanos que aceptan ser tratados, injustamente, con desigualdad. ¿Por qué? Por un problema de baja auto-estima, que se origina en la etapa de formación individual, que tiene su génesis dentro del seno familiar. La desintegración de la familia, el abandono de valores comunes antes compartidos, la corrupción y la mediocridad de los grupos políticos y la ausencia de un liderazgo social responsable e inspirador, es acompañado por un continuo bombardeo de medios de comunicación convertidos en instrumentos para el entretenimiento y el consumismo irracional. El aspecto de la herencia genética, incluyendo la inteligencia emocional, tema importante que aún no puede ser discutido con la suficiente amplitud, también probará en el futuro ser un factor importante en la aparición de conductas inmóviles, disociativas, carentes de solidaridad humana.

Por el momento, creo que el problema central tiene varias aristas: la negación del acceso a la oportunidad para todos, la desintegración de la familia y su secuela de ausencia de valores comunitarios y entrenamiento social primario, y finalmente, la desaparición de la vergüenza social y de las consecuencias personales que anteriormente producían los actos de anti-solidaridad cívica. Hoy, la base moral ha sido sustituida por la adopción de “anti-valores” convertidos mágicamente en paradigmas debido a la ausencia de repudio comunitario, y por las deseables consecuencias económicas que produce su ejercicio. Resulta mas fácil persuadir a todo un país para que vaya a la guerra, que disuadir a una persona para que deje de fumar y salve así su vida.

Vivimos en lo que parece una constante hipocresía. Pretendemos, por ejemplo, resolver el problema de Haití concentrando el esfuerzo exclusivamente en la reconstrucción física del país, sin aceptar que lo que subyace bajo la epidermis social de ese pueblo es un conflicto espiritual e intelectual histórico. En Haití, la transmisión de la desigualdad fue producto de la ausencia de oportunidades, como consecuencia de la extraña y colosal incapacidad política de sus dirigentes; pero también debió ser alimentada por la aceptación, por parte de la población, de que la condición de desigualdad es su destino común y la convicción de que no existe otra salida. Si no, ¿cómo explicar la aparente docilidad demostrada, ante la brutal y avasalladora pobreza en la que han vivido por centurias?

Hace poco concluí un período de cinco años como Ministro de Turismo de mi país. Durante ese tiempo sostuve cientos de reuniones con miembros de distintas clases populares, discutiendo la posibilidad de que se integraran al desarrollo de la actividad turística a nivel nacional. Para ello, incluso desarrollamos programas para que jóvenes pandilleros abandonaran su vida delictiva y se entrenaran como Asistentes Turísticos. En esos cabildos públicos repetí constantemente que, en Panamá, nuestros padres nos alentaban a estudiar “para así obtener un mejor nivel como asalariado”.

En mi caso particular, nunca me dijeron “estudia para que seas un empresario exitoso”, porque esa posibilidad estaba fuera de las alternativas de mis padres. Sin embargo, sí pudieron entregarme una formación espiritual e intelectual que me abrió posibilidades, y allí es donde encuentro la diferencia; me ofrecieron las herramientas necesarias para ser empresario mediante el cultivo del sentido de responsabilidad.

El acontecer social en la actualidad es radicalmente diferente. La gente, especialmente en los sectores más pobres, tienen hijos que no pueden mantener y para cuya crianza no están preparados. Para conducir un auto se requiere de un permiso especial, sin embargo cualquiera puede tener los hijos que quiera, no importa si tiene la capacidad para cuidarlos y formarlos como ciudadanos. En muchos de estos hogares se espera la obtención de la satisfacción, sin esfuerzo, responsabilidad, ni consecuencias; una especie de derecho que no se fundamenta en méritos.

¿Cómo podemos esperar que no continúe el problema de la desigualdad, sin una dirigencia política responsable y sin una familia que oriente, dirija y proteja a su prole? Los sobrevivientes de ayer, representamos hoy a una generación que ha terminado hablando sólo para sí misma, blandiendo valores desfasados, argumentando conceptos diluidos con palabras cuyo valor carece del apoyo moral que una vez existió, en un mundo diferente, balbuceadas ante una audiencia espiritualmente indiferente y distinta.

La desigualdad se sustenta con la ausencia de espíritu y amor propio. La creación de una sociedad justa no es posible en manos de gente irresponsable, sin auto-estima, sin capacidad solidaria, sin amor por sus raíces y sus vecinos, sin un proyecto nacional que haga parte de nuestra saludable dosis de egoísmo, tan necesaria como esencial. Todavía vivimos bajo el influjo de argumentos demagogos y absurdos, que aseguran, con una simpleza insensata, que el pobre es bueno porque es pobre y el rico es malo porque tiene más. La desigualdad, hoy, no se puede atribuir sólo a la insaciable glotonería capitalista, aunque es indiscutible que ésta fue artífice y sostenedora de su inicial creación y desarrollo.

Para alterar la transmisión de la desigualdad se requiere, además de voluntad personal, elementos fundamentales como la garantía del acceso general a la oportunidad, la credibilidad del liderazgo político, revisiones a los códigos normativos que re-planteen deberes ciudadanos y las relaciones económicas y laborales, honestidad cívica y ejemplos positivos y constantes.

Lo que esta discusión no puede ignorar es que tenemos que definir, como sociedad, qué hacer con quienes fracasan porque simplemente rechazan o mal utilizan las oportunidades que le han sido ofrecidas. En las leyes de la naturaleza la consecuencia es la muerte, sin lamento comunitario. Bajo las leyes humanas decretamos un abandono cívico que produce en el sobreviviente la posibilidad de acceso al crimen y al vicio, y en nosotros el deterioro de nuestra capacidad de solidaridad y del espíritu personal y comunitario.

Resumiendo. Se hace necesario que el Estado formule una respuesta y que defina cuál será el destino de los auto-abandonados, los “fracasados”. Habrá que crear una nueva institución social que asuma el rol formativo de los individuos que nacen náufragos de la desintegración de la familia moderna, o por la irresponsabilidad o abandono de los padres. La pregunta es, ¿desea el pueblo facultar a su gobierno para asumir la responsabilidad requerida, demostrando solidaridad social hacia su familia, hacia sus vecinos, hacia el país y el resto del mundo? ¿Acepta el pueblo pagar por el proceso de ayuda a los abandonados y los acepta como iguales, apoyando su reinserción social aún a expensas de su propio egoísmo o beneficio personal?

Miremos el caso de Haití, la mejor muestra de un momento de oportunidad desperdiciado, convertido en un ejemplo del mayor desastre social del Hemisferio Occidental. Mucho discurso, canciones, donaciones, planes y estrategias, con billones de dólares, y al final, ¿qué?

http://www.elpais.com/especial/informe-desarrollo-humano/

© EDICIONES EL PAÍS S.L. - Miguel Yuste 40 - 28037 Madrid [España] - Tel. 91 337 8200

When in the middle of a music show you see a bunch of people dancing between the tables, and you are singing along or clapping to the music, you know you got your money’s worth for the show. Poncho Sanchez makes sure you have a great experience in his show.

I’m glad to see (and support) “blue collar” musicians like Poncho Sanchez because they always keep in mind that we (the paying public) go to see live music to have a good experience. For me a good live music show is when I get much more than what you’ll get in the CD or DVD. Many times we go to see a live music show, and it feels like going to see a recording session. Other than some greetings, the musicians in some shows don’t add much more than what they recorded in their CD. The songs may be a bit longer, but that’s about it.

I prefer live music when the artist engages and involves the audience in the show. Some artists talk between songs about their music, taking the opportunity to do a short story about the music that helps educate the audience on the artist’s music. In Poncho Sanchez’s case, he likes to encourage the audience to dance on the salsa songs. The live music show felt very cozy and Poncho was able to establish a connection with the audience.

A Blue Collar Latin Music Artist Who Keeps It Simple

Poncho Sanchez at Seattle

Just as Poncho had promised in our conversation (Poncho Sanchez; Hard Working Latin Jazz Artist with Love for Salsa), he played a bit of everything, the old and the new, some Jazz standards, some Soul, and enough Salsa to get the room dancing. But the people who provided the spark for getting the room dancing were Poncho’s bass player who kept insisting people get up and move, and the friend with whom I was sharing the table at the Jazz Alley. Bart, a New Yorker who doesn’t know the definition of the word “shy”, sparked the room by getting up and dancing with about half the place, starting with my wife, and continuing to ask just about every woman in the place to get up and dance. The dancing fever spread all over the Jazz Alley, and the crowd really enjoyed the music show.

I believe the secret to Poncho’s success is to keep the music simple but meaty. Although Poncho Sanchez doesn’t have the musical sophistication of a band like Eddie Palmieri’s, his 9 musicians do a very good job of playing the various styles of music Poncho Sanchez includes in his repertoire with a full-bodied sound and good performances by the soloists and by the band in general. Poncho’s band plays with a tight sound, clearly the result of several years of working constantly together. Trombonist Francisco Torres was the glue that kept the band musically attached by acting as musical director and anchoring the wind section composed of trombone, trumpet, and sax. Poncho keeps things interesting in the congas, and his bongo player took over the congas when Poncho decided to get up and sing, which he does decently well. The fact that Poncho Sanchez mixes the rhythms he plays keeps the show interesting and flowing naturally.

Poncho Sanchez and Hector Aviles

Poncho is a hard-working, “blue-collar” artist that keeps playing and touring to pay the bills and uses the opportunity to sell his CDs and T-shirts at the shows. Poncho is also a very approachable musician. He was very open and graceful in our phone interview, and I had a chance to meet him after the show, again displaying a very affable personality towards those who stuck around to say hi or take a photo with him.

Latin Jazz and More Worth Going to See

Paying to see and listen to Poncho Sanchez and his band is really a treat. Poncho plays good music with the audience in mind. One thing that Poncho didn’t do was take petitions from the audience. It must be hard to take audience petitions when you have such a vast repertoire spanning 24 recording, plus some unrecorded music. It would certainly be fun if he could take a few petitions, but I understand it may cause more frustration than fun for the attendees.

If Poncho Sanchez comes to a jazz club or festival near you, which chances are he will, I highly recommend you go and check out his show.

Related Latino Music Café blogs:

Poncho Sanchez; Hard Working Latin Jazz Artist with Love for Salsa

In the first two parts I wrote about Hector Lavoe’s work with Willie Colon, and the early part of his solo career, which in my opinion, produced his best work. In this part I’ll share with you how I see Hector’s work towards the latter part of his career. This later part of Hector Lavoe’s career was characterized by albums with one or two good songs, but no great albums.

Two Specialty Albums; A Christmas Salsa and A Boleros Album

From his later production of Hector Lavoe’s career, probably the best remembered was the first one from this period, which continues the pattern of his 4^th best album being the 4^th one he released as a solo artist. The album “Feliz Navidad” had a few good numbers but does not compare in quality with any of his two “Asalto Navideño” albums recorded with Willie Colon. “Feliz Navidad” had as guest artist the legendary Puerto Rican singer Daniel Santos, and also had Yomo Toro on the Puerto Rican “cuatro” guitar, to provide the album with the Christmas touch. The album has a few good songs, and although there are better Salsa Christmas albums than this one, I would recommend that you buy this one only after you get some of the better ones.  Overall is a good album, although not great.

“Recordando a Felipe Pirela” is a “bolero” only album which Hector Lavoe recorded in 1979 after “Feliz Navidad”, in which he honored the Venezuelan singer who was one of the best “bolero” singers in Latin America. The hit single “Sombras Nada Mas” although a good song, never appealed to me, and therefore, this ended up being the only Hector Lavoe album I don’t have, nor am I interested in owning.

The Last Four Recordings

The next four recordings of Hector Lavoe are nothing to write home about. All albums have some good Salsa songs, but none of the good songs were spectacular hits and the albums lacked quantity of good songs.

The album “El Sabio” had the title song as the best song of the album. Its actually a very good song, where Hector and the band perform the late Tito Rodriguez hit with a very aggressive arrangement. I was waiting for more aggressive Salsa in the album, but only “Para Ochum” comes in a distant 2^nd place in terms of quality of the song.  

“Que Sentimiento” is an album that only inspired a “sentimiento” of disappointment. The “bomba” “Lo Deje Llorando”, the old hit from Cortijo and Ismael Rivera, is perhaps the best song, with Hector showcasing some of the humor that was his trademark.

“La Fama”, written by Hector Lavoe, was the most popular song of the album “Revento”. It is a good song, and has more meaning as Hector shares his frustrations with the fame that he acquired. However, my favorite song of the album is “Dejala Que Siga”, perhaps because its happier and Lavoe again sprays humor into the song.

Finally, “Strikes Back” was Hector’s final studio album, and the best of this one is “Ponce” a song to his hometown in Puerto Rico, which is a song I like  a lot and would think it should have been th e closest to a mega-hit in these last 4 albums. Although it became popular, it did not reach mega-hit status.

A collection of songs from these 4 albums would produce a very nice album, as there are good songs in all four albums. But as said, all albums lack the depth of good songs needed to make the recording worth the money spent. There are several Hector Lavoe “the Best of…” type of albums so I recommend

One album released after Hector’s death was “Hector Lavoe Live”, which was recorded in a New York club during a Hector Lavoe show. This recording not only has a good collection of his hits, but more importantly, captures Hector in a “live” performance, where you see his wit, charm, singing, and his band expanded arrangements on some songs. This one I highly recommend you add it to your collection.

Next: his work with the Fania All Stars