Cubanocast

A familiar sight

To follow up on the coffee songs from this post, I will now search my vast Cuban music collection: Round and round...voila!

Our Boricua neighbors' most famous band is the wonderful El Gran Combo. Since Puerto Rico's founding in 1493, they've been putting out world-class Caribbean music. Their Salsa is exceptionally level-headed, with neither the vulgarity that mars today's Reggaeton nor the exaggerated sentimentality of most modern Salsa.

The message in "Azuquita Pa'l Cafe" is one I endorse: God created women to lighten men's coffee. God's gift, indeed. And, such a variety! All bring something to the table (figure of speech, ladies).

It's the podcast.

Rocking that hair clip, one of the girls El Gran Combo might have come across on the beaches of Puerto Rico.

30 Aniversario Bailando Con El Mundo

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I was listening to "Quimbombo" by Machito, remembering that a few other songs had "quim" in it, and realizing that I had no idea what it meant. I looked it up. According to the Reverso dictionary, "quim" means "coño," which, if you hear it and it's directed at you, means that you've pissed off some Cuban or Spanish dude (or a very unladylike Spanish or Cuban woman).

"Quimba" is "sandal," in parts of the Caribbean and "debt" in the Andes.

The definition that makes most sense in an Afro-Latin musical context, however, is as part of the name of an Afro-Brazilian religion called "Quimbanda".

OK. On to the music. The podcast is "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz. It's one of her best sixties, post-Sonora Matancera songs. It takes a while to get going, but really sizzles once the chorus pushes her into an improvisational, son style.

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Round and round it goes (figuratively), what mp3 it plays, nobody knows. OK. Good one! A "piojosa" is a girl or lady with fleas. No doubt somebody so afflicted wants nothing more than to dance. And how popular she'd be, too.

Sonora Cianaguera approach Spike Jones levels of instrumental creativity in this explosion of rhythm. The album is the best Colombian music I've found on one disc.

Colombia!: The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes

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Frutero Moderno

Award shows cause me psychic pain so I missed the Grammys; however, I thought it would be fun to listen to the nominees for the Tropical Latin category and did so thanks to the miracle of Rhapsody. I now present my findings. First up is Frutero Moderno by Gonzalo Grau y La Clave Secreta.

The reference in the album's title is to Cuban style pregones, or songs based on the calls of street vendors (this soon-to-be-updated post).

Clave Secreta knows how to play and Gonzalo Grau is a fine singer. Except for a dirging, wince-inducing "Amanecer en Clinthea," the music is mostly free of pretension, as are the traditional mulata and dance lyrics. "Alarma," the one in the podcast, is an anti-Castro, reporter-style vignette of police-state Cuba.

What Frutero Moderno lacks are memorable melodies: You get chant-montuno-rap over a solid Salsa beat, but nothing you'd put on a playlist. Particularly offensive in this regard is "Mujer Divina:" Love songs should be melodic to facilitate swaying or other, non-dancing activities. "Mujer Divina" is percussive piffle.

The lack of original melodies is most apparent when the songs echo classic Cuban songs like "Frutas del Caney," below, and "Buche y Pluma."

La China en la Rumba

"Amanecer en Calithea" actually caused me to wince.

Christmas in Medellin, Colombia

What a find! I was looking for Cuban Christmas music (slim pickin's) when I stumbled upon this fantastic collection of Christmas music from Colombia. The disc is divided into traditional Spanish Christmas music geared towards children and and the funky, devout, original songs I present to you today.

Navidad Colombiana - Para Cantar Y Bailar La Novena De Aguinaldos

First, the truly Super Banda:

Ven Ven by Super Banda:

Paranda de Navidad by Super Banda:

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Hoping to boost sales in South Florida, former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan has translated his best-selling memoir of his White House years, What Happened, into Cuban-American, renaming it Wha' Happen'. In addition to the now-famous passages, McClellan adds that Rove and Cheney would often hold cock fights in the Rose Garden and that Donald Rumsfeld "was one heck of a Salsa Dancer...echaba candela!" McClellan reports further on George Bush's rush to war in Iraq with this overheard conversation:

Bush: Wha' we do abou' el H-P, man?

Halliburton executive: We shoo' go there, an' kill 'em. Asi, pla pla pla.

Bush: I'll sen' a cohete por su cu**. Wha' you call that?

Halliburton executive: "Choc-en-o."

Bush: Eso, an' later, voy yo y me ca...[inaudible] en su madre. Alli mi'mito en frente de to' mundo.

Halliburton executive: You better be quie' man. The Mcmierda e'ta por alla, alli por el over there.

Bush: Aaaa, ese. You mean el comemie*** ese? Le's sen' Condi pa' asu'tarlo.

What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception by Scott McClellan

In a new twist, Scott McClellan has released a soundtrack to Wha' Happen'. We have some selections below:

Wha' Happen' by Pupi Campo:

Rhumbas and Mambos 1948-1951

Que le pasa a esa mujer by Sierra Maestra:

Cuba - Fully Charged

Que es lo que pasa by Rolando Laserie:

EL GUAPACHOSO by ROLANDO LASERIE

Celia Cruz with No se lo que me pasa:

La Guarachera de Cuba

Bienvenido Grande with Despues que pasa:

40 Anos De La Sonora Matancera by sonora matancera

Orquesta Casino de la Playa (featuring Miguelito Valdez) with Mulata, que pasa?

Cuban Big Bands (1940-1942) by Rudy Mangual

Ismael Rivera and Que te pasa a ti:

Volare

For some modern stuff, here's Isaac Delgado and Que te pasa loco?

La Salsa de Cuba

The incomparable Beny More' with Que pasara?

Mata Siguaraya

The Sonora Matancera with another No se lo que me pasa.

En Mexico

Having thanked part of my audience with some music selections, I thought I'd thank the Salseros with Gracias from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. I think you'll find the Combo in particularly gracious mood. They sound pretty darn sincere too.

Listen to Gracias from El Gran Combo.

35th Anniversary