Jazz for aficionados

Rok, in order to understand my specific comments in regard to Africa, the berimbau, and capoeria, we have to focus on the history of "Bahia"; but first, I would like to respond to some of Frogman's comments that are related.

There is no doubt that many different kinds of rhythms, and drumming that existed in Africa, no longer exist there, but can be found in other places. How is this possible?

Before slavery, Africans were living all over the continent in villages, if they lived far away from powerful countries and tribes, they lived in peace; but when slavery put a price on African heads, powerful countries, and tribes captured and sold them. Different villages had different drumming and rhythms, they were exported west, first to Cuba, which was "the board of trade" for slaves, and then to wherever their final destination was to be. Things that were unique to many villages, no longer exist on the continent of Africa, but they can be found where those slaves final destination was to be.

For my specific comments, we have to focus on the history of "Bahia". It was a center of sugar cultivation; integral to this was the importation of a vast number of slaves; more than 37% of all slaves taken from Africa were sent to Brazil, and processed in Bahia, and that's another reason for the unique rhythms that can be found in Bahia, but not in Africa. I don't mean for this to be a diversion, our focus is still on Cuban music.

Enjoy the music.

I agree that lifting the embargo would have a minimal effect for the majority of the Cuban population. I was fortunate to have lived with a very lovely Cuban lady for over 6 years, she came over during the Mariel boatlift (a marielita!). During that time her family embraced me and I learned quite a bit from the Cuban perspective. An interesting point is that while it may be called communism, in truth, it's nothing but a dictatorship. While Fidel has remarkably lived longer than most, Raul, his brother and successor also seems to be in for the long haul. The economic landscape has irretrievably changed for Cuba. When Castro took over, the country was on the brink of becoming a major player with major U.S. companies setting up shop there and it's ports being considered as a major gateway to Central & South America. Castro changed all that, and now I doubt the companies would move back there and the import/export business has found a new outlet in S. Fla. Add to this the fact that there's at least one, maybe two generations of Cubans who have been born under Castro's rule, they know of no other system! If the average Cuban wasn't willing to fight for change before, they're even less prone to do so now. The war crimes committed under Castro's rule, from the pillaging of the nations wealth to the human rights atrocities, the likes of which remain largely unknown to most Americans, warrant nothing less than the hangman's noose for the Castro brothers! Whew! Bet you guys'll be glad to get back to some Jazz talk!;)

You guys had me so confused I had to reach for my man Hugh Masekela. Then one thing led to another. I don't know who influenced who, just good stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Caj_4DPnTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87S_wbCsNbQ

I recommend: "The Best of Hugh Masekela". Every track a winner!! I also learned that Vasco Da Gama was not a friend on mine. I think.

Cheers

BTW, On Cuba, Africa, Slavery and Indians in the Movies, I have declared victory. So we can all move on.

Cheersd

****An interesting point is that while it may be called communism, in truth, it's nothing but a dictatorship****

Interesting indeed; a very important distinction and absolutely correct. The term "Communism" sometimes conjures up, in the minds of those without first hand experience or deep knowledge of it, very romanticized notions of what it is really like. The injustice and brutality of it hides behind the theoretical idea of what it can be or is supposed to be; something that it never turns out to be, if history is any indication.

How both ironic and fitting, in the context of this thread, to be discussing Cuban music and politics when jazz was (and is still to a degree) outlawed in Cuba. One of the greatest Cuban bands in recent times, "Iraquere", came to be as a facade supported by the Cuban government to show the world that it did not, in fact, suppress artistic expression. The government "allowed" jazz to be played; but, only a little. Some of its members (Paquito D'Rivera, Chucho Valdez, Arturo Sandoval) left the group or defected to the US because they wanted to play more jazz, but were not allowed. Here are a young Paquito, Arturo and Chucho while still in the band:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X1TvtB0GoQ0