Three drum sets, two Paila Criolla and drums were, last Wednesday, on the stage of the Mella Theater in Havana. From there great players delivered a magical evening, which was a tribute to one of the most important drummers of the Island: José Luis Quintana, better known as Changuito .
It happened two nights ago, during the Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam Drum Festival, event that repeated one of its most striking moments when it proposed the Percussion All Star show.
It was interesting that the protagonists achieved a dramaturgical coherence in their actions, something that differed from previous editions where only some instrumentalists took this element into account. At the Mella they showed the importance of percussion in musical genres like flamenco, jazz, electronic music and popular dance.
It was Changuito who broke the ice. The musician, former member of the legendary Los Van Van orchestra, made a mixture between the sound of timbales and bata drums.
Then a star of American percussion, drummer Jojo Mayer made us travel the roads of techno and house music, while the Canadian Aldo Mazza delved into the rhythms coming out of tambourines, drums and African drums. The foreign representation ended with the Japanese Takafumi Nikaido, who won the applause for the way he play Cuban drums.
A contagious and enjoyed route was suggested to us by Dayron and Mauricio. They, together with other members of the musical group of the Liszt Alfonso Ballet brought us flamenco and bulerías, a striking review of the Spanish traditions, with elements of Cuban sound.
I leave for the final four exquisite moments. The first was the union of Juan Carlos Rojas (drums) and Dayron Rodriguez (congas), accompanied by a small format of musicians, who offered their vision of Latin jazz.
Interesting and experimental became the combination of the drummer Ruly Herrera and bassist Rey Guerra Jr, while Rodney Barreto joined Gastón Joya ( bass) , Tommy Rodriguez (piano ) and Carlos Miyares ( saxophone) , to return us to the jazzy sounds with a strong Cuban accent .
And the night’s closing could not be better: Eduardo Ramos, JJ . Moreira and Kesisel Jimenez. These three young percussionists play with the JG orchestra, but as in the last edition of the Drum Festival, they performed a number that is titled Suena como se ve where they gathered virtuosity with good melodic motifs.
With an expected Saturday’s gala, dedicated to the 50 years of the Egrem record label at the Karl Marx theater, a tribute concert to maestro Leo Brouwer in his 75th birthday at the Mella Theater , and a great performance by popular orchestras in Salon Rosa of the Tropical Grounds- the latter two performances on Sunday -this festival that transcends not only for its evening gatherings , but also to show the value of percussion in different musical styles and its crucial role in the Cuban sonority, will close its doors.
Photos: Roberto Ruiz
