Sandy Perez and the Cuban masters in the bay area

Good day!

…woke up this AM thinking about the history of Bata in the bay area. We are so lucky to have grand masters living and playing among us.

Carlos Aldama and Sandy Perez are Cuban music royalty, and I am very lucky to know them. They are gracious and incredibly talented, both.

Sandy asked me to manage his career last year, and we are making things happen. We put together shows and workshops last month that simply rocked. Sandy will be the most important Cuban Folklorists the Bay Area will ever see in this era.

Just wait to see what his son, Melik will do in his career. He is a born player and I am so beaming happy to produce his first performance.

... a short story about Melik. He was about 4, Julian Gerstin and I were taking a lesson on Bembe from Sandy and we needed another player to cover the 12/8 bell for us. Sandy called Melik over and gave him the bell. The little brother nailed the part, solid as stone, while looking around the room like the distracted 4 year old he was. He will do great things in his life, Chango willing.

Im still working on figuring out what Sandy was teaching that day. His Matanzas tradition is phenomenal.

more to come...

Tony