A Good Listen

Dr. Yvonne Kendall is Associate Professor of Music at UHD.  She has a doctorate from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in Flute Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music.  An active performer, Dr. Kendall has written for Cues, the Houston Grand Opera Magazine; Mercury Baroque, the Houston Bach Society, and has a travel series for the UHD DATELINE.  Her poetry has been published in the Bayou Review. She teaches music of both Western and non-Western cultures at UHD.

Various Artists.  Buena Vista Social Club.  World Circuit/Nonesuch 79478-2
Also released as a film

This wonderful recording is a perfect summer listen.  Conceived by eclectic guitarist/producer Ry Cooder, this CD features Cuban musicians playing traditional popular music of this island nation.  Many of these musicians are masters of these arts that flourished prior to 1950.  Featuring rhythms that are, at times, quick and lively, while at other times, slow and sensuous, the ensemble of singers, guitars, piano, trumpet and percussion weaves a seductive spell.

There are four  songs on this recording, which is lucky for me because it’s my favorite Cuban style.  Perhaps I like it because it contains elements of many styles I’ve loved for a long time. It originates in the sixteenth century, the era I research; comes from the Spanish cancion, some of which I have performed; has rhythms from Africa, my ethnic heritage; uses instruments from the Americas, my home; and it uses humor accompanied by a compelling rhythm. A fantastic son on this recording is “El cuarto del Tula.” It is full of fun, with double entendres about a woman who is so “hot” that her room catches on fire.  The group calls on its members to go up and put out her fire.

Originating in the nineteenth century, the danzón is Cuban ballroom dance music.  It is considered music (and dance) of brilliant virtuosity and features a theme that recurs.  The two danzóns on this recording, “Pueblo nuevo” and “Buena Vista Social Club,” feature the amazing 70-something (at the time of the recording) pianist Rubén González.  My favorite is “Pueblo” because it breaks into a mambo in the middle.  In this section you can hear quotes of pop songs (e.g. “Stormy Weather”) complex Jazz-influenced chords, and a bit of Liszt.  The solos for trumpet (Manuel Mirabal) and bass (Orlando López) add a touch of whimsy to the mix.  Then, just as expected, it comes to a close with one of the standard danzón endings.  You will never be able to believe that González had given up playing for years because of arthritis.  I’d like to have that kind of arthritis.

While the bolero was made famous by French composer Maurice Ravel, he only began to approach the real deal.  The true bolero is a romantic love song, with a bit of melancholy attached.  Of the three boleros on this CD, I find “Veinte años” most interesting.  Written by Maria Teresa Vera, it is performed by Omara Portuondo, who was once part of an all-woman group called Orquesta Anacaona.  Ms. Portuondo is not only featured but directed the performance of this track.

A guajira is sometimes known as the Cuban “blues” but, as the liner notes say, it has clear Spanish influences.  As is typical for this style, “El carretero” is accompanied by guitars and their relatives - the oud (from the Middle East) and the tres (a guitar variant with additional strings), plus the güiro, drums and other percussion. This guajira, which belongs to the punto fijo (fixed point) category is composed by the Guillermo Portabales, highly respected for his style that became know as “salon” guajira. Punto fijo style features ostinato (repetitive) rhythms whose phrases don’t necessarily match the text phrases.

There are other delights on this recording, including a criolla, which reminds me of “In the good old summertime,” its nineteenth-century counterpart in the U.S. Interestingly, the criolla is of Peruvian descent.  There are also pieces reminiscent of ragtime and other older U.S. styles of music.

Overall, this CD has charm, grace, and a bit of hoochie coochie.  My kind of music. As Cooder says, “In Cuba the music flows like a river.”  Go with the flow.

For further listening: Try any of the “Buena Vista Social Club Presents:…” recordings from Elektra/Asylum or Rhythms del mundo, Universal/Hip-O 000789102.  The profits from this last go to a nonprofit organization (Artists’ Project Earth) for disaster relief.

For further reading on Cuban music:
Manuel, Peter. “The Guajira between Cuba and Spain: A Study in Continuity and Change.” Latin American Music Review XXV/2, 2004, 137-62.

Manuel, Peter, with Kenneth Bilby and Michael Largey. Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59213-463-7.

Morales, Ed (2003). The Latin Beat. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81018-2.

Orovio, Helio. Diccionario de la Música Cubana. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1981.  ISBN 959-10-0048-0.