Dec 13, 2018

RhoDeo 1849 Roots

Hello, .

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 he 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.......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 5 ( flac  343mb)

501 Anabacoa (2:50)
502 Cárdenas (3:11)
503 Ten Valor (3:05)
504 Con Un Amor Se Borra Otro Amor (3:21)
505 Juventud De Cayo Hueso (3:01)
506 Todo Termino (3:20)
507 Ta Benito (2:49)
508 Aquí Como Allá (2:59)
509 Te Mantengo Y No Me Quieres (3:10)
510 Cree Lo Que Tu Quieras (2:59)
511 El Que No Tiene No Vale (2:35)
512 Quizás Con Los Años (2:54)
513 Me Dijo Que Si Y Le Dije Que No (3:13)
514 Falso Desprecio (2:54)
515 Caminante Y Labora (2:56)
516 Jamás Te Perdonare (3:02)
517 Tu Faz Morena (3:09)
518 Jumba (2:33)
519 Murumba (3:11)
520 Negrita (2:37)
521 Amores De Verano (3:09)
522 Te Contare (2:54)
523 Amor En Cenizas (3:18)
524 Mira Cuidadito (3:10)
525 A Graciela (2:56)
526 Mira Que Soy Chambelon (3:17)

 Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 5 (ogg    147mb)

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Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 6    (flac  327mb)

601 Pobre Mi Cuba (3:06)
602 Guaraní (2:41)
603 Ya Se Fue (2:52)
604 Amor A Mi Patria (2:42)
605 Burundanga (3:08)
606 Injusta Duda (3:07)
607 Mi Conuco (3:12)
608 Pogolotti (3:06)
609 Mambo Anacua (2:46)
610 Mi Primer Cariño (2:28)
611 Acerca El Oído (2:38)
612 Mambo En La Cueva (2:18)
613 Me Estoy Comiendo Un Cable (2:52)
614 Cuba Cha Cha Cha (3:13)
615 Sobre El Arco Iris (2:55)
616 Confórmate (2:52)
617 Lo Sabia (2:44)
618 Que Negra Pa' Acelera (2:32)
619 Titi, Tu Kundungo Quiere Papa (2:45)
620 Ayaca De Maíz (2:47)
621 Graciela, Tu Lo Sabes (2:39)
622 Triste Lucha (2:33)
623 Dame Tu Yoyo Ma' Belén (2:31)
624 Contigo No Soy Feliz (2:49)
625 Casera Mire Que Caña (2:54)
626 Adiós Roncona (3:00)
627 Con Flores Del Matadero (2:59)

Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Alma De Cuba 6   (ogg  140mb)

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Arsenio's innovative techniques, arrangements and compositions have had far reaching consequences because not only was the rise of salsa in the late '60s and '70s fueled in part by his Afro-Cuban son conjunto aesthetic, but one could argue that his pioneering influence can still be felt today.



Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - Como Se Goza En El Barrio (flac  197mb)

01 Esclavo Triste 2:41
02 La Gente Del Bronx 2:49
03 Jaguey 2:30
04 Meta Y Guguanco 3:06
05 Mulence 2:43
06 Pa Que Gocen 2:53
07 Esas No 2:49
08 Como Se Goza En El Barrio 3:10
09 Y Soy Chambelon 3:04
10 Arpegio Por Arsenio 2:42
11 Oiga Mi Guguanco 3:09
12 Se Va La Comparsa 2:47
13 Swing Y Son 2:53
14 Maye Santa 3:12
15 Oye Mi Cantar 2:51
16 Ahora Carpetillo 3:04

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This is a great compilation of Arsenio Rodriguez early Cuban recordings and some from his New York City days. These are rare musical jewels like "Yo Ta Enamora", "Oye Como Dice", "El Palo Tiene Curujey", "Apurruñenme Mujeres", "Kila, Quique y Chocolate", "Pueblo Nuevo Se Paso", "Ta Benito,Eh", "Pobre Mi Cuba" and a great trilogy,"Los Guapos en Yateras/La Yuca de Catalina,aka "Como Traigo La Yuca"/"El Reloj de Pastora". ALso included are 1946 recordings featuring sonero Rene Alvarez. On many tracks the chorus features Marcelino Guerra and Miguelito Cuni and also vocals by Rene Scull and Joseito Nunez.



 Arsenio Rodríguez & Su Conjunto - El Rey Del Son Montuno ( flac  171mb)

01 Yo Ta Namora 3:23
02 Corazon De Hielo 3:40
03 Oye Como Dice 3:10
04 El Palo Tiene Curujey 3:10
05 Flor De Canela 3:18
06 Dame Un Cachito Pa'Huele' 2:52
07 El Reloj De Pastora 3:03
08 Cantana Montero 3:25
09 Juventud Amaliana 3:20
10 Me Siento Muy Solo 3:08
11 Tocoloro 3:05
12 Appurrunenme Mujer 2:44
13 La Vida Es Un Sueno 3:34
14 A Belen Le Toca Ahora 3:11
15 No Me Llores Mas 3:22
16 Pueblo Nuevo Se Paso 3:19
17 Kila, Quique Y Chocolate 2:50
18 Vuelvo A La Vida 3:00
19 Ta Benito Eh 2:55
20 Pobre Mi Cuba 3:10
21 La Gente Del Bronx 2:53
22 Los Guapos En Yatera > La Yuca De Catalina > El Reloj De Pastora 5:58

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Recorded in New York City in 1963, this is a different sounding Arsenio Rodriguez with an ensemble featuring a saxophone, possibly a first time for Arsenio, since all his previous ensembles or "conjuntos" consisted of three or four trumpets and no saxophones. In spite of the criticism of "traditionalists" and other Arsenio fans, this album surprisingly proved to be a best seller for its producers as well as for Arsenio. "Canto Abakua", "Bruca Manigua", "Los Teenagers Bailan Changui", "Quindembo Hot" and others in this repertoire sound "jazzy" in this fusion rhythm and unique compilation.

After having been in the US for many years, and seemingly aware chances of returning to his native Cuba were slight. The album has been occasionally hailed as an obscure experimental breakthrough by Cubanists. Thankfully, it's been recently rereleased, and it's an oddity. Arsenio with Cuban studio musicians who are unnamed on the album info, playing all AR compositions that shift between Afro-Cuban and the jazz influences he had been subjected to while playing in New York and LA. There's little of the infectious Cuban poppiness that was his trademark, or the son sound he'd helped pioneer. And while there are loads of percussive workouts, they're sometimes pensive, sometimes experimental, thereby digging a wide gap between here and his prolific composer, tres-player, big-band leader Cuban period a decade earlier. And there's lots of Arsenio singshouting his Cuban/West African dialect over the sax section. Speaking of saxes, they're another rare entry in Arsenio's music.

In ways, the album is a logical continuation in Arsenio's long and restless career, and a welcome respite between his Cuban period and his New York/South Bronx period as the father of salsa.



Arsenio Rodríguez - Quindembo Afro Magic (flac  200mb)

01 Canto Abacoa 2:21
02 Bruca Manigua 2:28
03 Baila Simbale 2:09
04 Hun Hun 2:13
05 Oracion Lucumi 2:22
06 Compay Cimarron 2:43
07 Los Teenagers Bailan Changui 2:21
08 Albanciosa 3:10
09 Torongombe Ya Cayo 2:48
10 Yimbila 2:16
11 Mona 2:53
12 Quindembo Hot 2:10

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