La Musica Reflections Santiago and mo.. 3/24/09 - 5 days left

Well all I can say is that Cuba must be the music center for the western hemisphere because last night at Teatro Mella, Orlando Valle (aka Maraca) y su orquestra played some of the best music I have ever heard anywhere. And the variety was increible! He is a flute virtuoso and had other virtuosos with him as they presented the final concert of a national tour...so they were tight and exciting. Add to this his bringing in a group of young musicians, Los Originalitis de Manzanillos - 10 - 14 years old - who are mastering the tradition and also played outstanding. Then there were the guests artists, including Guillerme Rubalcaba, Gonzalo's padre - a master pianist himself, and then there was Yorumi, Maracas' hermano and a master vocalist in his own right. The finale being a performance by Yoruba Andabo, a professional rumba group who guaguanco'd right off the planet. Maracas' band was 3 trumpets, tenor sax, baritone sax, trombone, congas, traps, elec bass. elec kybds, guitar, 2 singers/dancers, and himself on flute (c and alto). When the rumba group came out they had traditional percussion including the cajon and tumberdoras. The whole teatro was up and dancing, and yes azucar, me too!!!! Aiiyyeeee...

Now let me back up a little as this was the fouth day in row of la musica increible...It began with our weekend trip to Santiago. This had some reflections for me as this was the initial stop on my Cuban experience fifteen years ago. Santiago is one of the oldest towns, est. in 1515. It also has some unique Africanisms, including tumba francesa..but I will get to that.

Alan and I arranged this trip for estudiantes as part of their learning about Cuban culture. We had identified Oscar Menzies via Arianna Hall of CubaNola. Linking with Oscar ended up being very important as he is so knowledgeable of cultural traditions of Santiago and is also highly regarded in the community. He was referred to as the "babalao of tumba francesa." We also found out there was a fiesta de trova happening all weekend...and I had just covered trova in class with the students,including a presentation by Alberto Faya. We arranged for a special performance of tumba francesa for them.

So we fly in on Thursday night, arriving around 10pm to drizzle. we get to hotel which is centrally located in Santiago, right across from plaza de marte. Notice touristas from Germany and other European countries. Rooms nice, even had a bed big enough for me to turn over without falling off.

Friday begins with desayuno, which is included in the package so I plan on eating hearty, hoping it will last until la cena. Afterwards, we - estudiantes, Oscar, Ismar(guide) y Mario (driver) of Havana tours, Alan and myself, head out to El Cobre to see important church as well as visit site commemorating legacy of freedom fights of the enslaved..cimarrons with sculpture by Lescay. But on the way, we stop at plaza de la revolution where we see a huge - and I mean huge - sculpture by Alberto Lescay, Cuban master artist of African ancestry, of Antonio Maceo, Cubano of African ancestry who was a great warrior in the fight for independence in late 1800s and is a national hero. The size of the work is staggering, over 80 feet in height and probably 25 to 30 feet in length and width. It shows Maceo on rearing horse, gesturing for those behind to follow him. Next to it is a large sculpture depicting machetes, which were used by enslaved Blacks in the freedom fights. This is a powerful representation of the history of the fight for freedom in Cuba that stretches back to the mid 1800's on into the late 50's with success in 1959.

We then continue on out to the country side and El Cobre, which was a site for copper mining established in the 1500's. It has a church that is revered as the home of the virgin of charity and miracles. Below is info I copied from this website (www.sacred-destinations.com/cuba/el-cobre.htm).

"The Virgin of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad) is a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary in the mining town of El Cobre, outside Santiago in southwest Cuba. Her shrine is the most important religious site on the entire island. A focus of intese popular devotion—not just for Catholics but also for followers of Santería and even those who aren't otherwise religious—the beloved Virgin of Charity was declared the patron saint of Cuba by the pope in 1916. "

The location of the church is spectacular, as it sits on a hill surrounded by hills that have been the sites of copper mines for over 400 years. Upon entering, there were a number of pilgrims asking for blessings and praying. There is a legacy of the virgin being a symbol of freedom from enslavement that dates back to the 1500's. See website for more details. The image of the virgin in the church was Ochun/Oshun. Powerful things here that relate to freedom, regla de ocha, Catholicism, mysticism and blessings.

After asking for blessings for the family and forgiveness for the horrors of the mines and enslavement, we move on the Cimarron monument, which is located on a hill opposite the cchurch and offers a spectacular view of the area. Challenging climb up, even with steps carved into the hill. Reminded me of younger times growing up in Frankfort, KY when we would climb Fort Hill for adventures too numerous and exciting to mention.

For more on the monument in Cobre, please go to this website for more info (humweb.ucsc.edu/elcobre/images_commemoration.html). This is a site that features Alberto Lescay's sculptured monument (over 40 feet with an nganga -regla de palo- at the base) commemorating the Runaway slave. It is part of a transnational commemorative project sponsored jointly by UNESCO and local entities entitled the "Route of the Slave." Linked with the Virgin of charity in the church across the valley, the spiritual connection here was very strong, not to mention the recognition of the enslaved and the strength of those who fought for their freedom and were labeled cimarrons (runaways) by the Spanish. Reminds me of the old spiritual in the USA, Oh Freedom whose lyrics are, "before I'll be a slave I'll be buried in my grave and go home to my lord and be free."

We spent some time up here and it was well worth it. Thinking on the common experiences that colonialism brought to this part of the world and have been perpetuated. How we, the people of the Americas in general and Black folks in specific, are continuing to struggle at this time but striving to rid ourselves of the long and deep legacy of imperialism, oppression, racism and assumptions of power that continued to burden us today.

After this, Oscar takes us by the home of a spiritualist who lives in Cobre. This brother has combined Ocha, Palo, Vodun and other African religious traditions with the legacy of the runaway. It was a very interesting visit, full of neo-African mysticism and wisdom. He gave me a snail shell that he blessed and told me to keep it in my right pocket. I have been doing it ever since.

And all this happens before almuerzo, so we head back to Santiago for a meal. Later we go to Fort Morro which has spectacular views of Santiago harbor and Caribbean sea. Historical significance in that the harbor was the sight of the final naval battle where USA and Cuban defeated Spain in late 1800's. After this, we head back to hotel for quiet time, but first, Alan, Oscar and I stop at Casa de la trova, which is the site the trova festival. We just miss a performace and after drinking a bottle of mineral water, I head back to hotel on foot. About a 20 minute walk through Santiago which allows me to get a better feel and to orientate myself.

Later that evening, Oscar arranges for Alan and I to attend a live performance of Eliades Ochoa, William Vivanco, and Los Jubilanos in the Salon de Son. This is a newly opened facililty where performances are taped with live audiences. In attendance are important government officials as well as significant members of Santiago community including master musicians.

The music was..ok you should know by now - off the planet. Los Jubilanos is a son group composed of older Afro Cubans (most 70 and above) under the direction of Pedro Gomez. Absolute killers..and I got their recording at the torova festival on Sunday. Opps - getting ahead of myself. They were followed by Eliades Ochoa, whom some of you may know from Beuna Vista, but he wasn't doing nothing like what I heard this night. His group featured elec keys, two tmrpts, congas, bongos, acoustic bass, rhythm guitar, and vocalist. Gorgeous music, with tight arrangements. Of course folks had begun dancing with Jubilanos and it got even busier when Ochoa hit. He is a marvelous musician and revered in Cuba, and especially in Santiago. Damn, I cannot believe how good this music is. And then out comes William Vivanco, who I heard early in my stay at Teatro Mella in Havana with a full band. He does a couple of traditional tunes with Ochoa - acknowledging the traditions of son - and the hits with a very sparse accompaniments of cajon and elec bass. what a change from what he had in Havana. He is regarded as one of the leading younger musicians of today. He sings and plays guitar...another killer.

So that is the end of the 1st full day in Santiago.

Saturday sees me going to Guantanamo with the students. Nothing outstanding ther...I think they thought they would be able to see the US camp, but no chance of that. The scenery and land during the drive was spectacular - the sierra maestra mountains, with vistas that stretched forever. The farm lands and towns like Songo, a predominantly Black town that was founded by former slaves in the late 1800s's. Also a treatment facility for those with mental health issues.

we got back around 4 and as soon as we emptied out the bus, the skies opened up with torrents of rain. Electricity in hotel went out almost immediately and stayed off for about 90 minutes.
Later, after rain stopped and sun came out, we went to special performance of tumba francesa.

Please go to this website for more information (www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=EN&cp=CU)

Tumba francesa is very unique and special - that is the reason UNESCO has recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of world humanity. I have known about it for a while and even experienced it 15 years ago. So to have the opportunity to provide it for the students and the rest of us was exciting.

The location was right in the hood, and it was an enriching experience. We were up close and personal, with musicians and dancers. Got some great video as both Alan and I used cameras. May be some glitches but I think we will have worthy documentation. A great experience for all - be interesting to see what the students say as all but one of them left right after the performance. No communication with the performers at all. But Rebecca, the only AfrAm student in the group, stayed and really engaged with many of the performers. She, Alan, Oscar and I stayed for another couple of hours, engaged in discussion and rum. Age ranged from early 20's ( Rebecca and some of the dancers) to perro viejo aka me. At one point, the drums came back out and Rebecca was given spontaneous lessons in rumba, which she has been pursuing during her time here. Enriching experience for her.

Around 11, I had to go, dolor de espalda (backache). As Rebecca and I walked back together, who did we see in a free concert but William Vivanco, so she left for that and I trudged on in solo for the nod.

Sunday saw us up and at em for desayuno then to trova festival at 11am. I stayed till 2:30 pm and video'd a lot. Again, some very moving and exciting musical performances. Cuban trova is rooted in the vocal tradition of European traditions of troubadors and the African traditions of griots. Groups we saw ranged from duos featuring female cantantes to full blown son groups of 8-9 pieces. Folks danced and it was a fiesta a grand proportions. At 2:30 we headed to the Antonia Maceo airport for our flight back to Havana scheduled for 4:30. Well, given the amazing weekend, something had to come up to keep us in magical Santiago. The plane was coming from Haiti and ended up being 4 hours late, so we got into Havana around 10:30 and here at the residence around 11:30 after dropping the students.

What a great three days...A mi cuba.

Down to the last week and hoping to hear and see Maraca manyana. Alan has been talking about this gato since we got here so we'll see. Chaio...