Ernesto Fernandez – A Cuban Flute

On the 26th of march of 2016 Ernesto Fernandez completed the last requirement for his doctoral degree from the University of Miami – Frost School of Music. It was a privilege to be there, at one of the best presentations of Cuban Music I have seen in recent times. I have followed the development of this young man since his arrival in our community from Cuba (after several years in the Dominican Republic). His talent is natural and he has cultivated it by immersing himself in the music and the tradition.

His concert/recital was dedicated to the “Charanga Sound”; where the flute is the main protagonist. It was filled with the tradition of the Danzon, Danzonete, Cha-cha-cha and other Cuban genres where the flute might not be typically expected, but where he very tastefully added it. If you like Cuban music, the flute and the Charanga; this is a young man to watch. There is a great tradition established by those who have played the “Cuban Flute”, Richard Egues, Jose Fajardo, Eddy Zervigon and the list is long! With Ernesto Fernandez the future of the Cuban Flute and the Charanga sound, is in very good hands.

“Que flauta y que sabor”!

​PS: I managed to record the last two songs of his presentation with a smartphone (video quality is nominal); but the music can be appreciated. Listen and enjoy.
  
As Ernesto would say, #Palante

Felo Bacallao and “The Moon Walk”

During Cuban Music’s Golden Age there were many bands that made their mark and claimed their fame. One of the most significant of the time is the “Orquesta Aragon” founded in 1939. This Band would become the premier Charanga band in all of Cuba. They were distinguishing themselves for several characteristics, a solid music crew; combination of voices yet to be duplicated and their embracing of the Cha-cha-cha. There are many components to be written about regarding the success of this band, then and now (the band still goes on with a new generation), but I will focus on one.

The band had three front men who sang in harmony, creating their trademark sound. Of the three men one had the additional talent of dancing and I mean really dancing. His name was Felo Bacallao and I have heard about this man for years (thanks Dad), but I had never seen him other than on album covers and pictures.

A while back I was watching Cuban music videos on YouTube and it occurred to me he might be out there. I was pleased to find him and surprised by what I saw. This fellow would break away from the microphone while the band embellished the song. His body goes in all directions, always perfectly timed with the music and his feet do things few others could do. At one point he does something that really caught my attention.

He does Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk, or should I say, years later Michael did “Felos Moonwalk”. You see, Felo was doing the Moonwalk, before Michael was born.

Watch the Video. Enjoy! (the side stepping moon walk starts at mm:ss 1:45)

“Eso es un Trombon !!”

One of the most recognized songs of Beny More’s repertoire is “Que Bueno Baila Usted”. This song is instantaneously recognized by dancers and drives them to the dance floor immediately; no one sits while this song plays. The song has its origins in the tradition of Soneros and Trovadores in the eastern part of Cuba in the province of Oriente. I was privileged to listen to a very early recording of the song’s refrain dating back to a time way before Beny recorded it. (possibly 1920's)

In the world of Beny More and his “Banda Gigante” the song took a whole different identity and has become emblematic of his music (He made it his). The song was also used by Beny to pay homage to his highly regarded musical director and arranger “Genero Jimenez”. Beny does two things in the song which clearly demonstrate this. One of them is to immortalize the name of “Generoso”, by calling out the refrain “Generoso que Bueno Toca Usted”. The other is to give Generoso an opportunity to turn loose on the trombone, and that he does. At the end of the solo Benny calls out “Eso es un Trombon !!” (That’s a trombone). This was not meant as an identification of the instrument, but rather as recognition that what we are listening to is a trombone being played really well. Generoso “El Tojo” Jimenez is recognized as one of the premier musicians of his generation and a master of his instrument.

Those of you who know me have known that I am a hardcore Beny More fan, but few of you would know that my musical hero has always been Generoso Jimenez. He gave form to Beny’s creativity and both of them together gave us an amazing musical legacy.

PS: As a side note, Generoso also gave me a friend. You see for years I shared musical commentary with an instructor at the academy where my daughter studied piano. One day she came home very excited and said “Dad I met Generoso today, he’s Tutty’s dad”. Turns out that my friend Tutty is Genroso’s son (Ruben 'Tutty' Jimenez) . Tutty inherited two things from his dad, musical talent and humility, he had never boasted about being the son of one of the most important figures of Cuban music.

I invite you to listen to the song and this time focus on the trombone; it does not get any better than that. “Eso es un Trombon !!”

The Epicenter of Salsa and the “Son Montuno”

For years there has been a widespread use of the word “Salsa” to refer to just about any kind of Caribbean music, particularly Cuban Music. One of the best know and successful musicians of the “Salsa Age” Tito Puente; was quick to point out to a reporter that salsa was really (a commercial repackaging of Cuban Music), not Puente’s exact words, but close. I personally have always enjoyed his music and have been grateful that a musician of his stature was willing to call it right, “Cuban Music”. Within Cuban music there are several genres (Son, Son-Montuno, Danzon, Rumba, Guaracha, Bolero, Guajira, Cha-cha-cha) and the list goes on. The country was and still is a very creative source of lively danceable music.

Something mystical happened when the Africans and Europeans combined their respective traditions and musical heritage. Of the various rhythms created one of my favorites is the Son-Montuno. It has a very specific musical structure, which includes an up-tempo section and plenty of percussion; attributed to the creativity of Arsenio Rodriguez, a direct descendant of those Africans. He was a native of the town of Guira de Macuriges in my native Matanzas, Cuba. Proudly for me, he was also a friend of my grand-father; something I learned about just a few short years ago.

I have come to accept that people will keep calling it Salsa; but now you know what the ingredients are, who created it, what the name of the man and his town is. If Salsa music had exploded like an earthquake, then Guira de Macuriges is the Epicenter and Arsenio pushed the button.