Jazz for aficionados

I like this mostly because of that universal "Jamaican back beat"; it reminds me of time spent on the Island of Jamaica.

I like to share my experiences with you; if this is self indulgent, tell me.

This was in the early 70's, and I wanted to get the full Jamaican experience according to what I had read, so I went alone; this wasn't that cruise ship thing, but weeks on the island.

It began just like my lifelong fantasy; beautiful Island lady making eyes at me under palm trees and incredible Caribbean star studded nights. Am I dreaming? If so, may I never wake up. My dream went on for days,it had me in the clouds; that is until I detected a posse that seemed to be following with disapproval.

When ever you go to a foreign country, there are unwritten rules that don't appear in the travel brochures; don't break them; but how can you follow them if you don't know they exist?

Those were the best of times; my lifelong fantasy; palm trees, star studded Caribbean skies, plus that bonus that no fantasy can be without, you got it; and the worst of times; breaking out in a cold sweat from fear was not good; time to go home. After I boarded the plane, I kept looking behind me to see if the posse had boarded to. I could have kissed the ground Miami sits on when we landed.

Nevertheless, I lived my fantasy, and that Jamaican back beat brings it all back.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDLCmMV68lE

This is what I was trying to play.  Oops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3jJ8VU6j2Q

alex
Thanks for the Paco link. I already bought the Paco cd w/coryell& mcLaughlin and i also found a video of another concert with them also.

So many people say "African Music"; there is no such thing. You have so many countries on the continent of "Africa" and they are all unique. Before slavery, there were many villages with their own rhythms. Big powerful countries like Nigeria captured and sold them to the "Americas"; consequently those rhythms no longer exist in Africa but over here.

Slavery in the USA beat the African out of the slaves; consequently, I don't hear anything from that continent. They had to re-invent themselves, ergo jazz and blues.

If you have keen ears, you will hear African rhythms that exist in Brazil, but not in Africa. Brazilian artists have incorporated them into their music.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDPuQWg_A8Q

Hear that beat, that rhythm, it's African, but you won't hear it in African music from that continent; the people who like and display that rhythm were brought to Brazil. It's unique to the slaves who fled to a Brazilian high plateau and named it "Palmare"

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmares_(quilombo)


The Haitian music is primarily from "Dahomey"; since Dahomey was involved in the slave trade, not many slaves from Dahomey; only those sentenced to slavery for crimes; but it was a port of exit, and also the primary exponent of "Voodoo".

There is very little authentic recorded Haitian "Voodoo music"; you have to go there to hear it. The music is so incorporated into Haitian Society, that kids can play it with a rock in each hand, beating out rhythms on a steel shovel that has been abandoned by the side of a roadway in progress. Some beat out the rhythms while others dance as though their bodies have no bones; it's truly hypnotic; nothing can stop children from enjoying life; what a blessing.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTBbC3cMaZg


This is Cuban "Voodoo";


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1mb6CXDDU


I find it amazing that the best African music exists in the Americas.