Dec 6, 2018

RhoDeo 1848 Roots

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Today's artists is a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader. He played the tres, as well as the tumbadora, and he specialized in son, rumba and other Afro-Cuban music styles. In the 1940s and 1950s Rodríguez established the conjunto format and contributed to the development the son montuno, the basic template of modern-day salsa. He claimed to be the true creator of the mambo and was an important as well as a prolific composer who wrote nearly two hundred songs.

Despite being blind since the age of seven, Rodríguez quickly managed to become one of Cuba's foremost treseros. Nonetheless his first hit, "Bruca maniguá" by Orquesta Casino de la Playa, came as a songwriter in 1937. For the following two years, Rodríguez worked as composer and guest guitarist for the Casino de la Playa, before forming his conjunto in 1940, one of the first of its kind. After recording over a hundred songs for RCA Victor over the course of twelve years, Rodríguez moved to New York in 1952, where he remained active, releasing several albums...   ......N'Joy

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 Arsenio Rodríguez, one of the most important figures in the history of Cuban music, was a prolific composer (he penned close to 200 songs), tresero, percussionist, and bandleader whose innovations changed the face of Latin dance music and paved the way for what would eventually become known as salsa. He is considered the father of the conjunto, an instrumental format that was revolutionary for its time because it introduced the conga drum, which had previously been considered taboo because of its African origin. His compositions, many of which became standards of the Cuban and New York salsa repertoires, frequently emphasized Afro-Cuban, particularly Congolese, elements in their subject matter.

A descendent of Congolese slaves, Rodríguez was born on August 31, 1911, in Guira de Macurije in Cuba's western province, Mantanzas. At age seven Rodríguez was blinded by a horse's kick; he would later become know as "El Ciego Maravilloso" (The Marvelous Blind One). As a child, he began playing a variety of instruments, including Afro-Cuban drums and percussion, bass, and tres, a Cuban six-string guitar that would become his primary instrument. Some important early influences on tres included Nene Malfugas, Isaac Oviedo, and Eliseo Silviera. He began composing in his teens and in the early '30s formed El Sexteto Boston. In 1937 he joined trumpeter José Interain's Septeto Bellamar. 1937 also saw the first recordings of Rodríguez's compositions; Miguelito Valdés sang "Bruca Manigua," "Ven Acá Tomas," and "Fuñfuñando" with Orquesta Casino de la Playa.

During this period, the standard format for playing son was the septeto, consisting of trumpet, guitar, tres, bongos, bass, maracas, and claves, with two or more bandmembers singing. The general trend in the 1930s had been for the son to stray somewhat from its African roots, adopting a more subdued sound. This would all change around 1940 when Rodríguez added conga drum, piano, and a second (and later third) trumpet to the typical son ensemble, giving birth to the conjunto. The conjunto format revolutionized the son with the added drive provided by the conga's deep tone and the trumpet section's power. Around this time, Rodríguez introduced the son montuno, a son with a montuno section featuring improvised vocals (soneos) by the lead singer (sonero) over a repeated chorus; trumpet, tres, and piano solos also occurred frequently. Rodríguez is also credited, along with bandleaders Antonio Arcaño and Pérez Prado, with developing the mambo rhythm during this period. Another key innovation was the band's adaptation of the guaguancó to the dance band/conjunto format. The guaguancó is an Afro-Cuban style traditionally performed by voices and percussion; Rodríguez mixed some of its melodic and formal elements with those of the son. These further "Afro-Cubanizations" of the son are among Rodríguez's most important and lasting contributions. The conjunto format, son montuno, and mambo are three essential elements of what would later be called salsa.

The 1940s were a classic period in Rodríguez's career and the history of the son. Many of his most famous compositions were recorded, including "A Belen Le Toca Ahora," "La Yuca de Catalina," "Juventud Amaliana," and perhaps his most famous work, the bolero "La Vida es un Sueño," which was written after an unsuccessful attempt to restore his sight in 1947. Among his bandmembers during the '40s were several key figures in the development of the son, namely vocalists Miguelito Cuní, Marcelino Guerra, and René Scull, trumpeters Felix Chappotin and Chocolate Armenteros, and pianist Lilí Martínez. This period is represented on several reissue CDs: Montuneando con Arsenio Rodríguez y Su Conjunto (Tumbao), Legendary Sessions: Chano Pozo and Arsenio Rodríguez (Tumbao), Dundunbanza (Tumbao), A Todos los Barrios (RCA), and Oye Como Dice (Cubanacan).

In 1953, Rodríguez moved to New York, leaving his conjunto in Cuba under the leadership of trumpeter Chappotin, who would become a legend in his own right. Compositions such as "La Gente del Bronx" and "Como se Goza en el Barrio" (both available on the Tumbao CD named after the latter) continued to reflect his gift for writing about his everyday surroundings. His popularity in New York, while strong, would never match what it had been in Cuba. The mid-'50s saw the release of a strong album, Sabroso y Caliente (reissued on CD on Antilla), which added flute and timbales to the conjunto setup. "El Ciego Maravilloso" would continue to experiment with different instrumentations for the rest of his career, at times adding one or more saxophones to his band.

Primitivo
In the late '50s, Rodríguez recorded Primitivo and appeared, under the leadership of conguero Sabu Martinez, on the Blue Note release Palo Congo, which featured his brothers and conjunto sidemen Quique and Caesar Rodríguez. This album includes chants from Palo Congo, an Afro-Cuban religion of Congolese origin. In the early '60s, Rodríguez recorded Quindembo/AfroMagic (Epic), an innovative experimental album on which he wrote and sang on all the tracks. Rodríguez called this style, which blends jazz influences with son and more earthy Afro-Cuban religious elements, "Quindembo," a Congolese word meaning a mixture of many things. Around this time he also recorded two very strong albums in the conjunto style, Arsenio Rodríguez y Su Conjunto, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. In his final years he continued to experiment, developing a style he called "swing son." The last album Rodríguez recorded was Arsenio Dice, a 1968 Tico release. On December 30, 1970, "El Ciego Maravilloso" died of pneumonia in Los Angeles. As a composer, performer, and musical experimenter, Rodríguez was one of the undoubted giants of Cuban music. In the United States, he was a decisive influence in the '60s and '70s tipico movement, and his experimentation pointed to way to some of the developments made by the more adventurous architects of salsa, such as Willie Colón. His legacy is recognized on several tribute albums, including Larry Harlow's Tribute to Arsenio Rodríguez and Tico's all-star Recordando a Arsenio.

Arsenio Rodríguez's recorded material can be divided into two eras. The first era comprises all songs recorded in Havana between 1940 and 1956, which were released as 78 rpm (and also 45 rpm) singles by Victor/RCA Victor. All these tracks except one ("Me quedé sin ti", 23-7000 B) were re-released as a 6-CD boxset in 2008 by the Spanish record label Tumbao Cuban Classics, which had also issued several compilations of this material in the 1990s. The second era comprises all recordings made by Rodríguez in New York between 1950 and 1970, the year of his death.

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This new six-disc boxed set by the Cuban bandleader and guitarist Arsenio Rodríguez, is a G.T.O.: a Great Thing, Objectively. First, it gets the stuff out there, collecting in one place nearly every scrap of music Rodríguez made for RCA Victor between 1940 to 1956, before he left Cuba for good (for New York and Los Angeles). His music has not previously been so well documented, in a large-canvas, year-by-year sense, and RCA has been a poor custodian of it.

The appearance of Arsenio Rodríguez's ensemble in 1940 created a style that, because of its instrumental set-up and Arsenio's conception of harmony and rhythm, would change forever the path of popular Afro-Cuban music. Arsenio's deep knowledge of African culture and folklore, and the addition of a second trumpet, a piano and a tumbadora to the classic septet, converged in a new style of son, which became known as the son montuno. Later, Arsenio would adapt the traditional guaguancó to his son montuno, creating a new style of guaguancós, uniquely and characteristically his, that the dancers in the most humble quarters of La Habana soon made their own. This 6-CD collection (3 double digipacks) gathers, for the first time ever, all his recordings for RCA Victor (1940-1956). It also includes two booklets with photos, history, discography and anecdotes. The first one, written by the musicologist David Garcia, is a fine review of the life and works of "El Mago del Tres." The second one was written by Jordi Pujol, producer of this project. It includes a comprehensive discography of Arsenio's ensemble, and recounts some interesting anecdotes about the musicians and singers that were part of the group until 1956. We hope this project will help immortalize and spread the musical works of Arsenio Rodríguez, "El Alma de Cuba." -- "Featuring: Miguelito Cuní, "Lilí" Martínez, Felix Chappotín, "Chocolate" Alfonso, René Scull, Rubén González, "Papa Kila."



  Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 1 ( flac  278mb)

101 El Pirulero No Vuelve Mas (3:17)
102 Yo 'Ta Namorá (3:19)
103 Corazón De Hielo (3:37)
104 Yo Tuve La Culpa (3:34)
105 No Hace Na' La Mujer (3:21)
106 Todos Seguimos La Conga (3:29)
107 Sediento De Amor (3:42)
108 Como Traigo La Yuca (3:40)
109 Con Un Solo Pie (3:08)
110 Intranquilidad (3:18)
111 Sin Tu Querer (3:14)
112 Sandunguera (3:01)
113 ¡So Caballo! (3:21)
114 Triste Lucha (3:10)
115 Ñaña Seré (3:05)
116 A Buscar Camarón (3:09)
117 Pilla Con Pilla (3:10)
118 Oye Como Dice (3:07)
119.Camina A Trabaja, Haragán (3:12)
120 ¿Quien Sera Mi Amor? (3:17)
121 Quien Ama No Traiciona (2:47)
122 Mi Chinita Me Boto (3:09)
123 Oye Mi Consejo (3:13)
124 Estas Equivocada (3:25)

 Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 1 (ogg    120mb)

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Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 2    (flac  327mb)

201 Mujeres, Enamórenme (Guaracha) (2:45)
202 Yo No Como Corazón De Chivo (Guaracha Son) (2:55)
203 Tu No Eres Culpable (Bolero) (3:16)
204 Mi Guane (Guajira) (3:20)
205 Nadie Mas Que Tu (Bolero Son) (3:04)
206 Timbilla (Rumba De Cajón) (3:02)
207 Agonía (Bolero) (3:17)
208 Yeyey (Pregón) (2:59)
209 Deuda (Bolero) (3:16)
210 No Hay Yaya Sin Guayacán (Son Montuno) (2:59)
211 Ya Lo Veras (Bolero) (3:19)
212 Canta, Montero (Guajira Son) (3:22)
213 Inspiración (Bolero) (3:06)
214 El Ultimo Amor (Bolero) (2:54)
215 Chicharronero (Son) (3:04)
216 Una Experiencia Mas (Bolero) (3:12)
217 Dame Un Cachito Pa Huele (Son Montuno) (2:49)
2218 El Reloj De Pastora (Son) (3:01)
219 Cero Guapos En Yateras (Son) (3:11)
220 Cangrejo Fue A Estudiar (Son) (3:00)
221 Tengo Que Olvidarte (Bolero Son) (3:14)
222 Celos De Mujer (Guaracha) (3:05)
223 Juventud Amaliana (Guaguancó) (3:16)
224 Semilla De Caña Brava (Guaracha) (3:11)
225 ¿Por Que La Trajiste? (Bolero Son) (3:21)

Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 2   (ogg  137mb)

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Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 3 (flac  297mb)

301 Mi Convicción (Bolero Son) (3:22)
302 Adivínalo (Guaracha) (3:11)
303 Soy El Terror (Son) (3:22)
304 Lo Dicen Todas (Guaracha) (3:13)
305 La Vida Es Un Sueno (Bolero) (3:31)
306 El Tabernero (Bolero) (3:14)
307 El Cerro Tiene La Llave (Guaracha) (3:17)
308 Te Esperaré (Bolero Son) (3:21)
309 No Vuelvo A Morón (Son Montuno) (3:16)
310 Esa China Tiene Coimbre (Son Montuno) (2:36)
311 Soy Tu Destino (Bolero) (2:54)
312 Sacando Candela (Guaracha) (3:14)
313 A Puerto Rico (Bolero) (3:08)
314 No Toque El Guao (Son Montuno) (3:04)
315 Me Siento Muy Solo (Bolero) (3:05)
316 A Belén Le Toca Ahora (Guaguancó) (3:07)
317 Los Tres Juanito (Bolero) (3:20)
318 Luna Al Amanecer (Bolero) (2:48)
319 Dame Un Besito (Son Montuno) (2:51)
320 Orgullo Inútil (Bolero) (3:04)
321 Lo Que Dice Usted (Son Montuno) (2:23)
322 No Me Llores Mas (Son Montuno) (3:18)
323 En Su Partir (Bolero) (2:56)
324 Pueblo Nuevo Se Paso (Guaguancó) (3:15)
325 Feliz Viaje (Bolero) (2:44)

 Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 3  (ogg  138mb)

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 Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 4 ( flac  283mb)

401 Llévatelo Todo (Son Montuno) (3:22)
402 Mírame Mas (Bolero) (3:02)
403 Flor Del Fango (Bolero) (3:14)
404 Que Cosas Tendrán Las Mujeres (Son Montuno) (3:11)
405 Me Bote De Guano (Montuno) (3:18)
406 Es Mejor Olvidarte (Bolero) (3:32)
407 El Palo Tiene Curujey (Son Montuno) (3:06)
408 Finaliza Un Amor (Bolero) (3:01)
409 Los Sitios Aceré (Guaguancó) (3:17)
410 Sagrado Amor (Bolero) (3:00)
411 Flor De Canela (Bolero) (3:17)
412 Dundunbanza (Son Montuno) (2:38)
413 Pero Yo No Sé (Bolero) (3:21)
414 Juventud De Colon (Guaguancó) (2:59)
415 Por Tu Bien (Bolero) (3:09)
416 No Puedo Comer Vistagacha (Guaracha) (2:55)
417 Kila, Quiqui Y Chocolate (Son Montuno) (2:46)
418 Vuelvo A La Vida (Bolero) (2:56)
419 El Rumbón De Luyano (Guaguancó) (3:20)
420 Recuerda Aquella Noche (Bolero) (3:19)
421 El Rincón Caliente (Son Montuno) (3:24)
422 ¡Que Susto! (Bolero) (3:15)
423 La Sandunga Del Son (Son) (3:15)
424 Con Reciprocidad (Bolero) (2:44)

  Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 4 (ogg   115mb)

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