Made in 1964 and loosely translates to “We Are the Music”
Written and directed by Rogelio Paris (1936-2016)
This film was his first major project and he made it when only 28.
Paris worked as a documentary maker at the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) and was also a permanent professor of Filmmaking at the Faculty of Cinema, Radio and Television of the Institute of Higher Art
This single film could be the basis of an entire University course in Cuban music.
A rare panorama of Cuban music and dance from the 1960s. Featuring legendary Cuban musicians as well as vibrant spontaneous performances, We Are the Music captures the mood and vitality of Havana during a golden period.
Note: If you’re a jazz hound and nothing else will do for you, fast forward to 22:00.
Great news!
You can now watch this video – and all Spanish language videos – with English subtitles. It’s free!
President Jimmy Carter thawed the freeze between the United States and Cuba a bit by allowing a boatload of American musicians to travel to Havana to perform with Cuban musicians, the first such officially sanctioned visit since 1961.
Check out the young, very serious and (very thin) Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’Rivera.
Smoking hot!
Personnel:
Dizzy Gillespie, leader and trumpet
Arturo Sandoval, trumpet
Stan Getz, saxophone
Paquito D’Rivera, saxophone
David Amram, french horn
Ronnie Jones, guitar
Ben Brown, bass
Oscar Valdes, chekeres
Los Papinesm, congas
Mickey Roker, drums
If anyone knows other musicians not listed, please let me know.
Also, if anyone knows where the rest of the tape is, I’m all ears.
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
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Gilberto Valdés Zequeira was born in Havana on August 16, 1928.
Note: His mother was a milliner (hat), not a millionaire.
As a kid he listened to Chano Pozo’s rehearsals in the Colon neighborhood of Havana.
His vocal group had a weekly gig at the San Souci night club in Havana and he appeared on Cuba’s pioneering television channel twice a week in the 1950s.
Roy Haynes introduced him to American jazz drumming and gave him his first set of drumsticks.
He performed with his old friend Bebo Valdés when the two of them found themselves in Europe in the early 1960s.
He spent time as the #2 man at Egrem.
He was Dizzy Gillespie’s host when Dizzy visited Havana in 1977.
He introduced Irakere to Columbia Records and toured the world with them as their manager.
He helped save Cuba’s most important jazz club La Zorra y el Cuervo from being turned into a pizzeria.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Gilberto’s remarkable life.
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
Bobby started his music career as an opera singer, but switched to popular music working as a vocalist at the legendary Tropicana nightclub and dancing professionally as well.
As a sideline, in 1960, he was Cuba’s champion long distance jumper.
Along the way Bobby also picked up the trumpet, the bass, the congas and the drums.
In 1980, he organized the first “Jazz Plaza Festival”, better known now as the Havana Jazz Festival, which I can tell you without hesitation is today one of the great music festivals on earth.
Rumbibop
Over the years, Bobby’s been a mentor to countless young Cuban jazz musicians – multiple generations worth – and remains a tireless promoter of the music.
He continues to perform, record, create events to help showcase other musicians – and paint. (He just had a gallery show in Havana.)
P.S. Fans: Please write to Downbeat and Jazz Times and ask them to review this and other major albums from Cuba.
Cuba has a globally important jazz scene.
It would be good as a matter of policy for US jazz publications to recognize that due to the vagaries of history, Cuba lacks a well funded jazz music promotion machine and is unlikely to have one anytime soon.
In the meantime, American fans and readers of these magazines worldwide are being deprived of a wealth of great and important music.
I haven’t been to Madrid in Spain yet, but it looks like it’s a good place to enjoy Cuban music.
Not long ago, we featured Chicas de Habana who are based there.
Here’s another young Cuban group in Madrid having fun with Gandinga, Mondongo y Sandunga, the classic Frank Emilio composition.
“Having fun” is a lesson some North American musicians could learn from their Cuban brothers and sisters.
Enough with the long faces. Music can be profound and fun at the same time.
Personnel:
Luis Guerra, piano
Yuvisney Aguilar, timbales
Reinier “El Negrón”, contrabajo
Juan Viera, congas
Michael Olivera, bongó
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
Released by the Cuban National Film Institute in 1964
There’s a myth in some people’s mind that Cuban jazz began with musicians like Chucho Valdes and Arturo Sandoval.
With all due respect to those gentlemen, no.
The show starts at the 00:35 point after a brief piano prelude and then a second group comes on at 5:30. This music is from the early 1960s
The tune is “Gandinga, Mondongo y Sandunga” written by Frank Emillio.
Personnel
Frank Emilio, piano
Guillermo Barreto, drums
Tata Güines, congas
Orlando “Papito” Hernández, bass
Gustavo Tamayo, güiro
Hot enough for you?
The group is described as “Quinteto Instrumental de Musica Moderna.”
The film segues into another piece that features the dancer Ana Glorioa and Milacho Rivero’s percussion group
Released in 1964 by the Cuban National Film Institute which was formed in 1959.
I’ve been told, and I have no reason to doubt it, that the Cuban government frowned on jazz in the 60s and 70s. If that’s true, how do we explain this film which clearly celebrates jazz?
Here are many of the same gentlemen – about 20 years later – playing under the name “Los Amigos”
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
– Ken McCarthy Jazz on the Tube
Charlie Parker