La Pena 5.08 Sandy, Michael, Carlito

Fat time at La Pena on sunday! Most of the crew showed after a slow start. Flaco, Pili, Javier, Michael, Yaya, Orlando, Sandy, Carlito, Enrique, among others.

We had a really nice Rumba. At one point, the whole house was dancing!

Its very nice to see the Rumba thrive, sometimes it seems like we are the only people in the world who know how cool this all is...

After the Rumba at La Pena, some of the cats went to Tony D's to play. He is redoing his huge studio and turning it into a night club (dont know how he's going to get the permits)

Pili, Hector, Javier and Yaya were headed over there.

I knew Anna Ponce had a little party going on, and Sandy and Michael were heading over for some food.

Anna is the most incredible cook! She completely rocks.

So, Rick, Daniel, Michael, Sandy and I hit Anna's.

For a bit, i was thinking we made the wrong choice, as everyone was slow to get to playing, but when it got going.... my oh my...

I decided then and their, in the future, im always going where Sandy goes. Getting to play with him for any amount of time is worth missing any other hit, without a doubt. Even if it doesnt happen from time to time, i just have to stay on his coat tails. What an incredible cat.

At one point in the night, just Sandy and I played the tubs, while Michael sang. It was incredible. Simply unbelievable that , at this point in my life, i find myself right in the thick of the best situation i could ask for!! so fortunate...

I didnt film anything at Anna's, as the video camera is bugging some of the Cuban cats... they just want to play, not be 'on stage'. So once in a while the sessions will go unfilmed, but i will try to get as much footage as possible, for us all.




Man Michael La Brada has one of the best sounding voices ive heard.

The best Rumba singer in this area is a cat named Alexis Zayas Rosabal, but Michael is a close second, for me. Fito Reinoso, Yaya, Orlando, Jose Luis... we have some serious singers here in the bay... I'm planning on studying with Yaya.

Pic is of Yaya, Jose Luis, and Fito at La Pena a few years back - pic by Flaco.

I've arranged for Irish Rick to pick up Michael on the way to the rumbas, so he'll be back in the scene! We are so so lucky to have him around.

From Flaco's site Flaco.net about Alexis, the top singer of rumba in the bay area.

'Alexis Zayas Rosabal is the son of famed Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba singer Cándido Zayas Díaz, and has himself a distinguished career as a singer, with groups such as Raíces Profundas, Danza Nacional De Cuba,la Escuela Nacional De Arte (La ENA/El LISA),and El Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba. For many years he has also been the akpwón for Regino Jiménez, with el tambor de Jesús Pérez.'

Pic of Alexis by Flaco.



Tony

Sabado de Rumba - Sweetie Pie kick off rumba!

Now that was fun.

Being Mothers day weekend, it was fun to actually get a rumba going on the first of many hits at Sweetie Pies and Popies in Oakland.

We are going to be playing there every other Saturday, the second and fourth Sat of the month.

The 24th is not hitting, as there is a birthday party there booked long ago.

It was very nice to see the cats there, Yagbe, Yaya, Rick, Bruce, Enrique, Alaine, Maria and I were the first crew of this new project. many hits to come!

I know, its not the best, but hey... gotta start somewhere.

Build it, and the heavies will come...

Tony

Conga skins - discussion

If you are looking for high end skins that are selected by a professional player, email me at congadr@gmail.com



I have some of the nicest skins Ive seen, finished very clean. The tone and slaps I can get out of these skins, is really top notch. If you have played skins from Texas, for example, you will like these much better.

I supply skins to the top players in the business, like Sandy Perez, Perdrito Martinez, Roman Diaz and to professional percussionists across the country.

Getting the right skin depends of a few key factors:

1 - The material, make, and quality of the drum being skinned - often dictates what type of animal hide we will use.

2 - The style of music being played and the region where you are gigging - Timba with a big band, rumba, Latin jazz, rock and roll, drum circle hits.. region also matters.. East coast likes a bit more lively sound, for instance, dry southwest and humid south... Getting the thickness right for each situation is the key.

 

3 - The performance situation - outdoors/indoors, humidity issues, with or without amplification, playing acousticly with amplified musicians, etc... the need for projection, ease of playing for heavy gigging, long gigs or religious work, etc..

4 - The experience of the player - how solid the chops are of the player also factors into the thickness and type of skin, as comfort and ability to easily make the primary tones and slaps, and the need for projection must be considered in the selection. 



Email me at congadr@gmail.com and we can talk about the right skin for you. 

In response to a question about conga skins...

As far as Natural thickness from thin to thick,

--Calf (very young cow)
--Kip (young cow)
--Asian water buffalo
--Cow
--Steer/Bull
--Mule (offspring of male donkey and female horse)

That being said, there is a wide range in thickness of Mule, for example. and the supply of Mule is not plentiful. it is very difficult to get the right Mule skins and I have heard many a player complain about getting the wrong thickness, or having heavy flaws. If you get the right piece, Mule rocks for some specific uses.

Cow is much more available and the quality of product is much better. just much easier to find and thus easier to get a high quality piece.

Steer is not as varied in thickness as Cow. Kip and Calf are fairly uniform in thickness. Some Steer/Bull and some Mule is way too thick to use on a drum played with the hands. But some Steer is plained to a reasonable thickness for congas and sounds fine.

I think this discussion might be boiled down to this:

What skin is good for what drum?

What the pro's play in the bay area, in general

for salsa:

Oak quinto: medium to thick Mule, Steer or Cow
Oak conga: medium Cow
Oak Tumba: medium Cow

Mahogany quinto: medium Cow
Mahogany conga: medium Cow
Mahogany Tumba: medium Cow

Oak bongo: thin Mule or Horse, or kip on the Macho, med-thin Cow or medium Water Buff on the Hembra

Mahogany Bongo: thin Mule on the Macho, med-thin Cow, or medium water Buff on the Hembra

for Folkloric material - thicker in general:

Oak quinto: med-thick Mule Steer or Cow
Oak Conga: med-thick Mule or Cow
Oak Tumba: med-thick Cow

Mahogany quinto: medium Mule or Cow
Mahogany conga: medium Cow
Mahogany Tumba: medium Cow

Bata Cha's: med-thin Mule, or kip
Bata Iya's: medium Mule or Cow

Here is a post of a reskinning of a set of JCR Oak congas.. how to manage a ringy situation with the right skin - JCR Oak Conga Reskinning

I sell Cow, Calf and Kip. But i use Mule for my rumba quinto ax and for my Macho on my Mahogany bongo. - depends on the drum and the player, however.

Again, that being said. People with chops that need work, and are not regular or long time players need thinner skins than most to the working percussionist. If you have the chops, a thicker skin sounds much better as it kills any over ring. But too thick of a skin can be hard on the hands, even with good technique, and can kill the tone of a conga.

Hope that helps,

Tony

New Rumba in the east bay!!! - Sweetie Pies

How cool is this...

Yaya and I met with Olivia of Sweetie Pie's soul food restaurant in Oakland about setting up a regular rumba.

She was so receptive to the idea, to the extent that they are building a small stage and buying a house PA!

They even have Anchor steam on tap, and some of the best soul food around! Yea!!!

This is such a cool thing, to bring the rumba to this area.

After meeting Gary King Sr. i realized i must get involved in the solution to the problems Oakland is facing. I so enjoy the area, and the culture it has so generously shares with me. This is a small way we can give back to the community.

So, Every Second and Fourth Saturday of the month, 3-7pm - Sweetie Pies soul food

53rd and MLK - SPREAD THE WORD!!!

It will be a cast of heavies, as usual...

First rumba is May 10th. See you there!

Tony

La Pena rumba - April o8

Wow, sometimes I have to stop and remember how far Ive come..

Over the last three years ive been working at being a Rumbero. I guess this last weekend was a milestone for me in my journey.

I played at La Pena with no less than Sandy Perez, John Santos, Javier Navarette and Yaya Maldonado with a full house singing Coro led by Orlando... and it rocked... dancers gone wild.. etc.

I was on the Cata.. a basic part, but we all know, it drives the rumba.. and if it aint happening, the heavies just dont play...

It was incredible to say the least.

Video is of Sandy on quinto cajon... you cant see him, but who else plays like that!

I cant believe I was able to hang with these cats, frankly... It's been a long road, and I'm making progress.

In a state of Bliss...

Tony

Ashe! Productions is joining forces with Bay World Presents

The legendary Yaya Maldonado and I will be working together to promote and book local latin talent.

Yaya knows everyone in the latin scene and is well respected from coast to coast. He is John Santos' folkloric singer and is one of the very few 'national heavies' as i call them - the cats who get called when the fattest cats roll through. Like Armando Peraza, for example... Here is Fito Reinoso and Yaya (on clave) at the Peraza tribute in SF.

Yaya has a promotional company called Bay World Presents and has been booking acts in the area for many years now.

We are hooking up to do what we do best... promote latin music in the bay area.

Yaya manages the bands, I get the gigs... easy as that.

many details to come -

Tony

Back to the Rumbas at La Pena i didnt report on, as of yet

In January there was this really heavy rumba at La Pena, i think i talked about the after party in previous posts... playing with Sandy Perez and friends till late...

anyway, this la Pena rumba was packed with heavies, Flaco, Yagbe, Sandy, Santos.. to name a few. It was ripping... see below...



sorry about the quality... its kind on purpose.... Everyone is worried, these days, that their art will be picked up on the web and used without their permission to make money, or to remix into something it shouldn't be.

This camera, just a little digital camera, for pictures, mostly, will work just fine for this use. Just to see what when on.

I hope to pick up a high end camera soon to do some really nice footage, one of these days.

Tony