Music Is The Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Breaking and Breaching The Musical Sound Barrier

Music My Way

Music and its soundtracks are part of our lives and it has been naturally been wired into our DNA. There's many types of Music the world over, and the music helps breaks the sound barriers. Different types of music exist in all cultures all over the world. But, at the same time, there was music from other cultures in the international world which has added to the dimensions and effects on music no matter what culture one is in. Growing up one started hearing church music sung inn different homes and those around us; cultural music, sacred music, drums, hand clapping, wailing and humming; outright full throats songs for the ancestors and that music of the healers, initiates and big-band church marches and singers from different churches throughout the ghetto; Then there was music sung by street a Capella troupes; music by local groups singing and practicing music and dance steps. Music was everywhere in the churches; one would hear hymns from local known and secret societies.

Roman, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventists, African Methodists; The African Church of Shembe; Zion Christian Churches; ZCC Male Groups thumping and stumping the ground in rhythmic unison and percussive rumblings; there was music that was performed by the local drum majorettes along with their drummer and bugle blowers in semi-military-civilian garb in bright colors; and, in the local trains there were singing trio, duets, quintets of church music and local "type" of Doo-Wop music as the carriages rattled into the sprawling smoke filled ghettoes. There was music of gumboot dancing from the local miners(which is akin to Step Dance amongst the African American); One has been exposed to street by street musical competitions amongst the children, youth and adults singing, dancing by taking out their best performances and singing their hears out in different harmonious duets, quartets, quintets and small group choirs, and so on.

There was also cultural music performed by the different ethnic groups who were only too eager to show-off their new styles and singing their newly composed songs; whether it be praises of their clans, kings, important personalities; these would be clad in all their cultural garb and decorations denoting the importance of the musicians, performing the Indlamu male dance, or women dance, Mokgibo by the Basothos, or the smooth and stylish Batswanas, to the energetic Shangaan drummers and dancers; one would see the Amaswazi with long reed-like sticks adorning their cultural cloth, along with the Xhosas and their very melodious, boisterous and very cocky and confident short-stepped-shuffling-like dance holding a stick. Music was to be seen and head or appreciated in various events on weekends, holidays and special days.

Over 80% of south Africans visits a Sangoma/healer many times a month or year. They receive counseling and herbs to heal their ailments. Since Mandela became President, he had has encouraged a formation of An Association of the the Healers, who are now working in tandem with local and Provincial hospital. There are times when Sangomas become engaged in celebrating their ancestors, and then they would beat drums and dance to specific and particular ancestral dances. This is a wonderful occasions for this is when they will display their various dances, songs and moves as danced by their elder Ancestors.

The Zionist Churches proliferated throughout Southern Africa, and became African Independent Churches; research in 1996 suggested that 40% of all African south Africans belonged to a zionist Church. Its followers say that the reason they like being in these churches was because they were African. They say everything they did in these churches - the songs they sings, they way they jump and do things - one does not feel like a foreigner, but one feels like an Africa. Some of its adherents say that the whole secret led in obeying what the ancestors require of one. The men dance in formation and have different routine. The Lekganyane's ZCC dancers and singers wear Khaki uniforms and white shoes made of car-tires for the rhythmic jumps, dances and styles backed up by their coral-a Capella-choir-like singing in unison and harmony.

One got exposed and acculturated to all these forms of music from gang-workers singing and swinging their working implements in unison whilst working, to those in the vegetable and sugarcane fields workers steadily tending to the fields and crops. There was also music which was born in the prisons and there was music that could heard coming from the earlier times from the Missionaries and choirs, Minstrels, Marabi, Kwela, Mbaqanga and Mbaqanga Jazz, The New African Jazz, Jazz in Exile, Jazz at home in south Africa, Pop, rock and crossover and so forth. South African Music is entwined with dance, and runs through the blood of its people, and is an inseparable part of their hearts, minds, souls, spirits. What can be witnessed is that its diversity of music ranges from raucous and lively festivals(Opikopi) to fashionable classical concerts, from the unique Maskanda and Township Kwaito Style(South African hip-hop version), to world renowned African Jazz, rock and cultural music in the mix.

The Group AMAMPONDO

Amampondo was originally founded by Dizu "Zungulu" Plaatjies. Mzwandile Qotoyi and Simpiwe Matole in Langa township, in 1978 and is South Africa's most recognized and world-renowned Master Marimba, drum, percussion and dance troop: still active today after 30 years in the business. Amampondo are proud and recognized ambassadors of South African Culture and music. Originally with influences from the Xhosa Culture they hail from, fused with influences from other south African 9 nationalities.They soon grew to exponents of wide-ranging Pan-African, Brazilian and Cuban Sounds thorugh their work and touring with Airto Moreira and Changuito. Amampondo collaborated with the likes of Juno Reactor Alan Skidmore, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with whom they worked on "Give Praise Where Praise is Deserved". One of Nelson Mandela's favorite bands, Amampondo have played and taught the world over from Japan, to the USA and everywhere-in-between, bringing and sharing their intoxicating rhythms and sound to millions... Instruments include: drums(isghubhu), marimbas (wooden xylophones); Kudu Horns(African Antelope horn), amadinda, umrhumbhe, uhadi and isitolotolo - unique ancient African instruments, but also modern age instruments like trumpet, sax, flute, piccolo, accordion and of course the voices of various Pondo choirs(You can read my hub on the Pondo people).

Imitation is Limitation

Some time ago, ICASA travelled to various centers, where experienced music industry professionals gave he a simple and clear message: Give South African the Oxygen of airplay. Half a decade later, they preside over a system which, on most commercial stations, is nothing more than a cultural tragedy. Airplay is confined mainly to international acts that faithfully reproduce their "American Brand", or local acts whose music message also closely resembles the US Template. The sales success of the few exceptions to the rule prove the connection between play and demand, and also beg the question: Why are so few South African Artists given the kind of heavy rotation afforded overseas artists and acts? The surrender of SA radio to this kind of formatting means that the majority of SA artists are excluded from local radio, and no airplay means no demand. Many internationally acclaimed Musicians like Louis Moholo, Busi Mhlongo and Vusi Mahlasela never get any type of airplay on South African commercial radio station. Many like them, are finding it easier to make progress in their careers by leaving South Africa. They are forced, by the recording industry and their old apartheid rules, to choose between giving up their musical calling, or writing off their beloved country as a home base. They are also plagued by the thorny subject of 'payola' which has a choking control on the playlist of the commercial stations. Every time this happens, South African culture looses. Music is as important to a nation's sense of self as is its sport, food, or wide open spaces. It is no exaggeration to say that transformation is urgently needed. South Africans, and their music, deserve to be heard - especially in their own country. Not because it's South African, but because it is brilliant. You can read up on the different types of South African African music in my Hub: "The Music of the People: Africans in South Africa and their musical Sound Systems. This Hub has just highlighted some other forms and genres in the South African Musical ecological systems

The World's Way Of Music

The melding and morphing of African religious, Western Church traditions, African Cultural traditions of the 9 (nine) various African South African groups, makes up for a fusion of music with polyrhythmic syncopations and beats that in the final analysis, as this is encrypted in one soul, consciousness and reality, the listeners becomes a reception aerial for the music the world over. One listens to Caribbean "steel pan" music, Reggae, Calypso, Zouk, Konpa, Rumba, Samba, Music of Candomble, Afro-Brazil, Samba Sounds of Bahia, The Music of Peru Negro from Peru, Salsa, Bon Son, Charanga, Afro-Beat, Music of Morocco Cuban Jazz, Merengue, Afro-Peru, Reggae, Latin American Jazz, African American Jazz, Soul, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Blues, New Orleans Sound, The Sound of Philadelphia, Stax Sounds, Motown, Rap music, African Jazz, Kwela, Marabi, Mbaqanga, Township Music, Scathamiya(a Capella music of the Black Mambazo) and so on.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

There is a lot that has affected ones tastes and listening choices. Take for instance the Afro-pop sounds of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, previously Ransome-Kuti, who was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1938. His family belonged to the Egba branch of the Yoruba clan. His father, like his grandfather, was a minister of the protestant church, and director of the local grammar school. His mother was a teacher, but later became a politician of some considerable influence. As a teenager, Fela would run for miles to attend traditional celebrations in the area, already feeling that authentic African culture of his ancestors ought to be preserved. His parents sent him to London in 1958, but rather than study medicine like his two brothers and sister, Fela chose to register at the Trinity School of Music, where he was to spent the next five years. Whilst till a student, he married a Nigerian girl called Remi and had three children. In his spare time, Fela played in a high-life band called Koola Lobitos with other Nigerian musicians living in London. Among these were J. Bremah, who had previously influenced Fela by introducing him to African Music circles in Lagos at a time when western music predominated there.

Fela returned to the Nigerian capital in 1963, three years after independence. Soon after, he was playing high life and jazz, fronting the band with those of the musicians who had come back from England. Over the next few years, they performed regularly in Lagos and then in 1969, in the midst of the Biafra War. Fela decided to take Koola Lobitos to the United States. In Los Angeles, he changed the name of the group to Fela Ransome-Kuti and Nigeria 70. At the club where they were playing, he met an African American girls. Sandra Isodore, who was a close friend to the Black Panthers. She introduced Fela to the philosophy and writings of Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver and other Black activists and thinkers, through which he was to become aware of the link existing between Africans all over the world. Through this insight, Fela also gained a clearer understanding of his mother's fight for the rights of Africans under white colonial rule in Nigeria, together with her support of the Pan-Africanist doctrine expounded by Kwame Nkrumah, the Ghanaian Head of State, who had negotiated independence for his country with the British.

Whilst in Los Angeles, Fela also found the inspiration he was seeking to create his own unique style of music, which he named "Afro-Beat." Before leaving America, the band recorded some of these new songs. Back at home, Fela once again changed the name of the group to Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70. The LA recordings were released as a series of singles. This new African music was a great success in Lagos and Fela was to open a club in the Empire Hotel, called the Afro-Shine. At that time, he was still playing the trumpet, having not yet changed to the saxophone, and piano. He started singing mostly in "Pidgin" English rather than in Yoruba, so as to be understood all over Nigeria and in the neighboring countries. In his songs, he depicted everyday social situations with which a large part of the African population were able to identify. Young people from all over Nigeria flocked to hear his songs which developed themes relating to "Blackism" and Africanism, encouraging a return to traditional African religions. Later he was to become satirical and sarcastic toward those in power, condemning both military and civilian regimes for their crimes of mismanagement, incompetence, theft, corruption and marginalization of the underprivileged.

In 1974, pursuing his dream of an alternative society, he built a fence around his house and declared it to be an independent state: The Kalakuta Republic. To the chagrin of the bourgeois section of Nigerian society, this act of defiance was soon to spread throughout the entire neighborhood as more and more people were inspired by Fela's stance. The authorities remained vigilant, fearing the potential power of his 'state within a state'. On countless occasions, he was to suffer the consequences of his scathing denunciations with arrests, imprisonment and beatings at the hands of the authorities. With each incarceration and violent confrontation with the powers that be. Fela became more outspoken, changing his family name from "Ransome-Kuti" to "Anikulapo" - ('he who carries death in his pouch'). His notoriety spread and his records began to sell in their millions. The population of the Kalakuta Republic grew amidst mounting criticism, particularly of the young people, many of whom were still in their teens, who left their families to live there.

During the "festival for Black Arts and Culture" (FESTAC) held in Lagos in 1977, Fela also sang Zombie, a satire against the military, which was to become enormously popular throughout Africa, thus bringing down the fury of the Nigerian Army upon him and his followers. As Fela relates in "Unknown soldier," a thousand soldiers attacked the "Kalakuta Republic," burning down his house and beating all of its occupants. The song tells that, during the course of his attack, his mother was thrown from a first floor window and later died from her injuries. Homeless and without a shrine, which had also been destroyed along with the entire neighborhood, Fela and his group moved to the Crossroads Hotel. A year later, Fela went to Accra to arrange a tour. Upon his return, to mark the 1st Anniversary of the destruction of the Kalakuta Republic. Fela married twenty-seven girls in a collective ceremony, many of whom were his dancers and singers, giving them all the name "Anikulapo-Kuti". After the wedding, the whole group set off for Accra where concerts had been planned. In a packed Accra Stadium, as Fela played Zombie, riots broke out. The entire group was arrested and held in custody for days before being put on a plane bound for Lagos, banned from returning to Ghana

Upon his return to Lagos, still with nowhere to live, Fela and his entire entourage squatted the offices of Decca, where they remained for almost two months. Soon after, Fela was invited with the seventy-strong Africa 70 to play at the Berlin Festival. After the show, almost all of his musicians ran away. Despite this catalogue of set-backs, Fela returned to Lagos determined to continue. The King of Afro-Beat and his queens went to live in Ikeja, in J. K. Bremah's house: a new Kalakuta. There, Fela, more political than ever, went on to form his own party, "Movement of the People." He presented himself as a Presidential candidate in 1979 elections that would return the country to civilian rule. His candidature was refused. Four Years later, at the next elections, Fela once more stood for president, but was prevented from campaigning by the police, who again rampaged through his house, imprisoning and beating Fela and many of his followers. However, any further presidential aspirations were crushed when a coup brought Nigeria back to military rule.

In 1984, with General Buhari in power, Fela served twenty months of a five year prison sentence on trumped-up charges. He was only released when under General Babangida, the judge confessed to having sentenced him with such severity because of pressure from the previous regime. The judge was dismissed from office and Fela was given his liberty. Over the next decade, with an entourage of up to eighty people, now called Egypt 80, Fela made several visits to Europe and the United States. These tours were to receive tremendous public and critical acclaim, and made an important contribution to the worldwide scene and sense of music.

Considering himself to the spiritual son of Kwame Nkrumah, the renowned Pan-Africanist, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was a virulent critic of colonialism and neocolonialism. Over the past twenty or more years, he became famous as a spokesman for the great mass of people, in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa and the African Diaspora, disenchanted with the period of post-independence. His sad death in August 1997 was mourned by the nation. Even those who did not agree with him were among the millions plus who attended his funeral. Even the many governmental letters of condolence sent to his family were eloquent testimonials to a great man. His death was attributed AIDS related causes, though a more popular diganosis was that his system was sufficiently weakened by the countless beatings at the hands of the authorities to allow disease to enter. Throughout his life, Fela was sustained by the unconditional ove and respect offered to him by the millions of people whose life he touched. In death he retains the legendary status by which he was proclaimed by the throngs of pwople who came to pay their their last respects at his laying in state in Tafa Balewa Square 'Aabami Eda' (Chief Priest). "He will live forever.(Rikki Stein)

Fela's other Collectible CDs

Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Roy Ayers- "Music of Many Colors"

Fela Kuti- "Stalemate-Fear Not For Man"

Fela Kuti- "Monkey Banana/ Escuse O"

Fela Kuti- "Ikoyi Blindness/Kalakuta Show"

The Master Musicians of Morocco

These Black musicians of Morocco called "Gnawa" (G' na' ua) were brought there hundreds of years ago from Su-Sahara Africa (Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Niger) Western Sudan, as slaves and also used as soldiers in 1591, at the conquest of Mali by the sultan of Marrakech, Ahmed El Manur. Mulay Ismail (172-1727) in Meknes and Mulay Abdulah (1757-1790) in Essouira did the same later. They were all converted to Islam and formed a brotherhood. They united under the protection of the holy marabout, Sidi Bilal, an African slave freed by the prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Sidi Bilal became the first muezzin (caller to prayer) of Islam.

The Master Gnawa musicians believe that everyone has a color and a note to which he or she vibrates. Each individual responds to his or her chosen color and note as the healer musicians play the hag'houge (guinbre), in particular. The 'kakobars (or graqeb), which resemble 'castanets', are used to heighten the effect of the hag'houge (guinbre) although the latter instrument is often used alone, if necessary. In public, the drum, called the T'bel or T'bola, a large round instrument, is added for effect. The ultimate goal of a Gnawa M'Alem or 'Master' is perfection in playing lest he play a wrong note and destroy the healing power of the music for those who are listening. This music is also used to Extol God and the spirits of the saints. The Gnawa are noted for their healing ceremonies, called the 'Leila'. It was at such a ceremony many years ago, that Randy Weston responded to the color 'blue', which is the color of the saint, Sidi Musa(Blue Moses). Randy has made his adaptation for the Gnawa spiritual, "Blue Moses," a staple composition at all his live performances.

These healer musicians are often hired for purification ceremonies, and they are also known for their ability, and they are also known for their ability to treat scorpion stings and psychic disorders, mostly by the sheer power of the Gnawa rhythms. It is worthwhile to note that these rhythms,however, can be heard in other forms of modern music, most typically in the Blues Jazz, Calypso, Latin and Brazilian music. Randy Weston recognized this connection nearly thirty years ago, when he first heard the Gnawa play while visiting Morocco. He has been captivated by them ever since as evidenced by taking residence in Morocco and by his adaptations and creative compositions influenced by the Gnawa and their culture such as "Tanjah," "Gnawa in Paris," "The Healers," "Blue Moses,""Chablati Blues," and others.

The spiritual energy and sheer force and power of African traditional music has been mostly forgotten, lost to dreams of long ago or simply ignored. The divine elements missing from muchof modernday music, as well as a rediscovery of our true connection with God, because in its true form, untinted, what is musci but the voice of God? What are musicians but God's instruments? The recorded music of the Gnawa people reminds us all that we have to get bak to listening to the voice of God, that we may quiet the noise of man.(R. Elaine McNeil, 1994)

Randy Weston writes about the recording of the Gnawa Music as follows:

"This recording took place on September 17, 1992 in Marrakech, Morocco. It was kind of a dream of Abdella Gourd and myself of getting the masters (M'Alems) together to record, because a lot of the elders were dying. A long time ago we had talked about that and we finally had the possibility to do it So what happened was I spoke to Jean Philippe Allard of Polygram Jazz France the producer. The whole idea, though, came from Abdella of Tangier. He was the first Gnawa that I met to put together the great masters of the "hejhuj" ("hag'houge"), also called a "guenbri," a three-stringed lute made of goat gut, to put together a recording. We were at La Mamounia for 4 days. We were in Marrakech forabout a week. We recorded on September 17, 1992. Anyway, getting back to the gnawa, we contatcted through Abdellah, from Tangier, from Esouira, all from various cities in Morocco. We got together 9 masters and it was really wonderful because we spent 3 full days together. Some of them hadn't each other in 40 years!

To get the sound right took a lot of work because Vincent had his new equipment and had to get the sound of 9 different hag'houges (guinbres) and also to add the piano to the piece called, "Chalabati." So, most of the time was spent getting the proper sound. We lined the 9 Masters according to age. We had the elders and it was a magic evening because, to their knowledge, never in the history of their culture have there ever been 9 hag'houges (Guinbres) together with 2 percussionists. That's how you will hear it on recording. For all of us it was an historic moment. This has never happened before.

One month later, the eldest Master, he died, and 4 months later, the second eldest died. So, we were blessed to have them and recored with them before they left us. Some of the songs are about certain saints, (Sound Playing) are about the Bambara, the ancient civilization that the Gnawa have lost memory of but they continue to sing the history of Bambara. "Chalabati", is a song of their slavery and in the song they sing for God to help them, to help free them and at the same time they're asking for the spirits of the ancestors, the musicians who lived before them. It is a very deep, a very moving piece.

M'Alem Ahmed Boussou drew an even clearer picture when he described Randy's connection to the Gnawa music during an interview which was held in 1987 during a week long Gnawa Festival in Casablanca. He said during the Interview: "Randy Weston's music is related to Gnawa music, by virtue of its African roots; the exodus of African people during the age of slavery transported Gnawa ritual both to America and to North African Maghreb. Such ritual, after its development in America, was lost in concentration on sheer Rhythm, while the influence of the church gave rise to the "Negro Spiritual." The Gnawa is an honorable calling. I trust and hope that 'Gnaouism' will continue to flourish and gain respect of the public, which is often uninformed about it. Then, there is the "guenbri we must get to know. Meeting Randy Weston has done much to promote the instrument and its music, in general," the great master ended.

Mildred Pitts Walters, a renowned African-American author, observed and experienced the connection when she attended a 'Leila', a Gnawa healing ceremony, in Tangier, recently. She and her daughter-in-law, Johari , and friends. Estella and Louise had been invited to attend by Randy Weston. At this time, she had met Abdellah and participated in the ceremony. Later, she worte, "When she said goodbye to Abdellah's family and friends,the sun was shining on the blue Mediterranean Sea. Abdellah's family lives in Old tangier, waking distance from the Hotel Rif, not too far from the sea. We walked back to the hotel through the streets noisy with merchants opening their shops sand people beginning their day. We were silent, savoring the long night. I recalled the ring games, and circle dances of my childhood; the music and dance in the Pentecostal Church; the dancing to drum beats in Haiti, In Nigeria, in the Gambia and Senegal, and I knew that the mysteries of that music were connected to what I had just heard and seen there, in Morocco."

Colors of the Gnaoui Music

WHITE:

It is the color of the opening of the ceremony; it signifies peace, love and goodness

Brown:

It'sthe color of the spirit called "Hammadi."

Sea Blue:

This color has many pieces of music in which they sing the greatness and depth of the oceans as well as their danger; for the sea gives a lot to mankind: fish. beautiful beaches, etc.

RED:

It the color of a slave called "Bacha Hammou", a butcher who was courageous, slaughtered sheep, etc... and saw blood. This spirit shows strength just as the color red.

GREEN:

It's the color of the great Marrakchi saint "Moulay Brahim" who loved Gnaouis and used to treat them and used to treat them well. Gnaoui loved him too, and this color is a recognition of, and in honor of, the saint.

DARK BLUE:

In this color, you find the sky spirit with all tht the sky repreents; that is, greatness, beauty, ambiguity, etc...

WHITE WITH BLACK DOTS:

It's the spirit of the "Hawsas" clan of ancestors.

BLACK:

The color represents the spirits of the woods, enigmatic, magic and powerful. the woods spirits are numerous. The first piece is "Laila Mimouna"; the last is "Marhaba" (Landou) which means "Welcome".

YELLOW:

It's the color of the girls' and ladies' spirits, who are the daughters of "Bacha Hammou" of the color Red.

ORANGE:

The spirit of 'Sidi Samharouche", a great "Fkih" and astrologist who controlled the "D'jins". He is buried in a mountain which bears his name. The mountain is in 'Moulay Brahim'. The spirit of Sidi Samharouch. The spirit of Sidi Samharouch is worshipped by Gnawa.

MULTICOLORS:

"Bouhali" used the colors, thus unifying all the spirits. Multicolors is the end of the ceremony. The last piece means "God is unique and replies when one appeals to Him".

The Music of Afro-Peruvians

The slave trade touched nearly every corner of the Americas. From the United States, throughout the Caribbean coasts, However, this horrific legacy reached the Pacific coast as well, and lasted in Peru until 1845. Today, descendants of these African slaves live in villages and cities along Peru's Pacific coast while their music, rhythms and dances all trace their roots back to West Africa. It was in one of these villages, El Carmen, where the group Peru Negro was formed on the 26th of February, 1969 by Ronaldo Campos de la Colina. El Carmen is a village approximately 2 hours south of Lima. The town looks much as it did nearly a century ago, an old colonial town, a park in the center, a large Spanish facing this square, and about 20 blocks of pastel painted stone houses divided by dusty dirt roads. Today, as always, music in the village of El Carmen is something that you won't find in concert halls. Instead, you'll find people in tis predominantly African village in Peru, singing and dancing in the streets and in corner bars. Campos' mission was to both preserve and develop Afro-Peruvian music and dance.

Three decades later, the group is recognized around the world as one of the leading exponents of Black Peruvian culture. They are no longer based in El Carmen, having moved to the megalopolis of Lima. It is a city almost bursting at the seams, full of traffic, shopping malls, slums, old Spanish architecture, picturesque balconies and spectacular ocean vistas. It is the new center for Afro-Peruvian music. In this city of contrasts, amidst the trendy neighborhood of Barranco is the upscale night-club Manos Morenos. On most weekends, it is where you can find the legendary PerU Negro. While Peruvians have known for decades about Peru Negro's music,manu in North America and Europe only first heard some years ago when David Byrne and Yale Evelev of Luaka Bop released the landmark compilation, "The Soul Of Black Peru". The Album featured many of Peru's legends, including Susana Baca, Lucila Campos, and of course Peru Negro.

Those who are not used to the sound of Peru Negro would mistaken it for its cousins in Venezuela, Cuba and Puerto Rico, a mix of Spanish and West African: percussion, scrapers, acoustic guitars, bass and vocals. Without the visuals, one would regrettably miss the spectacular Afro-Peruvian dances and its unusual set of musical instruments. During colonial times, the Spanish actually banned drums throughout Peru. Percussionist, and documentarian Manongo Mujica explains hat there is evidence in old drawings by French and British travelers, as well as some Spanish muralists that African drums and marimbas once existed in Peru. Fearing its use in communication on one hand, and its overpowering effect on its audience, transforming participants into trance-like states, something not very popular with the Catholic Church, the authorities were paralyzed. They were no longer able to preach their christian dogmas. They thought, "Maybe the music, the rhythm and the religion are connected. Maybe it is a signal from the devil." So they decided to ban these instruments. The prohibition was for drums with skins, marimbas and other traditional instruments. While the Spanish were able to ban these specific instruments, they couldn't eliminate human creativity. The slaves began playing chairs, tables, and the wooden boxes used to cary agricultural products. These wooden boxes were soon developed into the "cajon", large wooden boxes that today are the national instrument of Peru. Flameco fans have also seen legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia with a cajon player in his ensemble. When Paco de Lucia visited Peru nearly more than twenty years ago, the Spanish Ambassador threw a party. Among those present was Caitro Soto, One of Peru's top percussionists. Soto gave Paco de Lucia a cajon as a present. He then started sowing Paco de Lucia basic tips on the instrument, an instrument that is now an essential part of Paco de Lucia's flamenco ensemble. Ironically. today , many people think that the instrument is Spanish.It is 100% Peruvian. Another one of Peru's famous musical instrument boxes is the "cajita". Imagine a trapezoidal shaped box about the size of a child's jack-in-the-box. The lid is opened and closed with one hand and while the other hit the box with a wooden stick. The cajita also had Catholic origins. It was adapted from the wood in boxes used every sunday in church that the priests would use to pass around for its weekly collection. The result wasn't exactly what those priests had in mind. In much of Africa and the Americas, Scrapers and shakers are frequently made by cutting ridges into gourds, or by attaching shells to them. Black Peruvians, of course, have a different tradition. They use the "quijada de burro". (The Jaw bone of a Donkey). They take an old jawbone from a dead donkey, let it dry out and loosen the teeth, Then, it struck with the palm, it produces a wonderful sound "shhhhh-tshhhhhh" sound. Running a stick along the teeth allows it to double as a scraper. While Peru isn't the only place that uses quijada, it is the place most associated with one of the most unusul scrapers and shakers (unusual for non-Peruvians, that is). It is something not to be missed during a live' Peru Negro Show.

Bob Marley and the Reggae Sounds

A lot has been written about Bob Marley I will simply add my two-cents here. No one in the Reggae music has received as much attention, as much Press, or as much acclaim as the undisputed King of Reggae, Bob Marley. Born in a small country village of Nine Mile in St. Ann, Bob moved s a teenager to the kiingston ghetto or "Trenchtown", where he was know as "rude bwai" before discovering the message of Ras Tafari. He began singing as a young man at Clement Sir Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, the first college of Reggae Music, and soon joined with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston to form the Wailing Wailers.Until his tragic demise from cancer in 1981, Bob Marley was the voice of Reggae Muisc. Combining a radically peaceful message with the Unifying strength of Rastafari religion, Bob Marley created songs of the disenfranchised peasantry out of the Kingston ghettoes to the uneducated ears of the world. His songs have influenced nearly everyone in rock and Reggae including Eric Clapton, Keith Richard, and Lucky Dube, etc.

Los Van Van - The Best Dance Group

"People love to dance to Los Van Van and I try to always be aware of this when I write. This is my primary function - to make people dance." -Juan Formell. "What does Van Van have that makes them keep on going and going?" These are the opening words in one of Loss van Van's theme song, "Que Tienne Van Van?" With a legacy that transcends several generations, integrating a precession of musical styles, sonorities and innovations, Los Van Van has maintained a consistent place at the forefront of Cuba's popular music scene, both at home and abroad. under the extraordinary leadership of musical director Juan Formell, the group has spawned three decades of immensely popular Cuban dance music which is always in sync with the times and has outlasted many musical fads. Juan Formell and Loss van Van have always represented the epitome of Cuban popular musical innovation, taking the inspiration from popular Afro-Cuban music such as that of Beny More, Arsenio Rodriguez and Orquesta Aragon,combining it with a truly eclctic taste in music from the United States, Europe and elsewhere.

The traditions of the Charanga orchestra (rhythm section with flute and strings), the Son (Cuba's prominent ancestor to modern -day "Salsa"), and the trova genre (a direct descendant of simple Spanish balladry or "country" music), combine with influences from North American popular music such as 'Funk', 'R&B', 'Rock and Roll and even European Classical music. In 1965 Juan Formell joined the popular group Orquesta Reve, Immediately transforming the group's sound. He not only revamped the 'Charanga' instrumentation by adding two electric guitars and a trap drumset (an instrument he retained when forming Los Van Van), but also by creating a new pop-influenced style called the 'Changui-shake', as well as a prolific body of new songs which became instant hits.

Restless and eager to continue evolving his new ideas in a group of his own, Formell left Orquesta Reve, taking with him the core members of the orchestra, including pianist Cesar "Pupi" Pedroso, flautist Orlando Canto, violinists Iva Rocha, Fernando Leyva, Jesus Linares and gerardo Mira, alllong with cellist Luis Marsilli, and singers Jose Luis Martinez and Miguel Angel Rasalps ("Lele"). He retained certain innovations he had brought to Orquesta Reve, such as the two electric guitars and trap drumset, along with some of the early material he had tried out with Reve. The new group was soon named Los Van Van, or "The Go-Gos". The first concert was not an instant hit. Because Van Van was formed of the same musicians as Orguesta Reve, they had to change their sound and although they got a lot of airplay before, Orquesta Reve was more popular by then. The influences of Elvis Presley and the Beatles were evident in songs like Marilu, because Formell was fearless in his innovations in orchestration, timbre, and rhythmic styles were heavily mingled with elements from the North American Pop music. The twangy guitars, loads of reverb, and the "cheesy" organ fills, breaking away from classic Cuban "Son" form of song-writing into a more "American" verse-chorus form. When Jose Luis Quintana, better known as "Changuito" replaced Blas Egues, Juan Formell had already created "Songo", a new musical style which evolved into a complex series of rhythmic patterns. Changuito took the 'Songo' but birthed by Formell and made it his own, creating sophisticated variations with a swing which captured the feet and ears of dancers and music-lovers everywhere, globally.

In three decades 'Songo' went through many variations, often given nicknames such as "Songo Beat", "Bolero Songo", "Songo 86', etc. Changuito explains that each version of Songo, developed as a direct result of the particular song the group was working on at the moment: Sometimes the bassline or the melody line would inspire a specific feel, so Raul Cardenas (the Conga player, also called El Yulo") would create a groove which worked with that feel. The end result was a constantly evolving style. Despite the US-Cuba embargo and Cuba's isolation from the United States, Los Van Van songs have been continuously released in the States by Commercial Latin artists and throughout the world by foreign recording companies.

By 1981 he had eliminated the electric guitars but had begun to introduce other electronic elements into the group such as electronic pick-ups on the flutes and violins. He had also begun to play the fender electric bass, replacing the Arias he had played throughout the '70s. The '80s were a powerful time for the people of Cuba. The atmosphere, despite the embargo and isolation from the United States, was upbeat and idealistic. Musical groups such as Los Van Van were able to thrive, the system supported the musicians and the schools provided a consistent supple of new virtuosos. However, the '80s drew to a close, forces outside Cuba were bringing changes that were greatly to affect the life on the Island. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. culminating with the collapse of the Soviet Union, were to affect Cubans and their lives in ways they had never anticipated.

Already strained by by the US-Cuba trade embargo, Cuba's economic situation became dire. Of course, the musicians were affected along with everyone else. Even musical institutions such as Los Van van had to find new ways to keep going. In 1989 Los Van Van recorded their first first album outside Cuba, in Paris, for a French producer which was released on Island Records under the title Songo. Although this album was criticized for its lack of feeling compared to the Cuban recordings, its wide distribution brought a larger audience to the group and signaled a growing awareness of the group outside Cuba's shores. In 1992 Los Van Van recorded Azucar, the last album for EGREM. Inspired by a three-month stint at the Disco Azucar in Cancun, Mexico, this album marks several endings and new beginnings; it is the last album with Changuito and the last which features Pedro as the primary lead singer. In 1993 Juan Formell began a process of revamping the group's configuration for the first time in many years, giving the group an influx of youthful energy. He brought in his son who replaced Changuito. Samuel gave the rhythm section a more innovative integration than ever. Mario "Mayito" Rivera, also known as "Mayito" was added. He injected a young voice and physical presence, with his dreads and hip-hop gear, electrified and freshened the group. In 1994 Juan Formell made his first three recordings for the Caribe Productions, a new Havana-based company, operated by Federico Garcia. This album "Lo Ultimo En Vivo, was recorded live at Loss Van Van's turf, The Salon Rosada in the Tropicale Nightclub, and it captures the true feeling of Loss Van Van show better than any recording to date.

Again in 1994 the Palacio de la Salsa opened in the lobby of the Riviera Hotel, becoming a venue for all of Cuba's important dance dance and one of the most flamboyant scenes on this side of the Atlantic. In this hothouse environment an exciting new dance to the music, timba, began to flourish. It could be said that timba first appeared in its present form in the music of 'NG LaBanda', the innovative dance band formed in the early '90s by Jose Luis Tosco, in the 1993 mega-hit "Echalle Limon", soon to be followed by new set of exciting groups such as 'Paulito y Su Elite', 'Manolin ('El Medico de la Salsa') 'Charanga Habanera', later followed by 'Isaac Delgado', 'Bamboleo', and 'Klimax'.

Although obviously based on Cuban derived forms such as 'Son', 'Songo', and 'Salsa', it could not have existed without the unparalleled virtuosity of a generation of musicians trained in fusion jazz. Timba is a music of breakdowns: percussion breaks, horns breaks, multiple rhythmic and key signature changes. Popular Cuban groups have truly perfected this, to the extent that the repertoire of the more recent timba groups is based almost entirely on the breakdown, with scarcely any formal structure. Although Los Van Van is not really a timba band, important timba elements such as the breakdown, have always existed in Los Van Van's arrangements, and the dancers despelote to Los Van van as well as to Paulito.

The process of reconfiguring the personnel and instrumentation of the group, begun again in 1993, continued with the recording of Ay Dios 1 Amparame. New young members such as the electronic violinist Pedro Fajardo, and flautist, Jorge "Lele" Leliebre brought in a "jazzier" sound to the flute improvisation. Keyboardist Bris Luna , added texture to the groups sound, and also adding tres-like patterns or string pads to the groove. Juan Formell also changed to an Azola Baby Bass, resulting in an entirely new and more powerful sound. One of the most important additions to the group was Roberto Hernandez as a third lead singer, a place left open by the departure of Angel Bonn. The singers of Los Van Van have always had the dual role of vocalizing and 'audience management,' and Roberto with his warm, deep voice and friendly bear-like demeanor, is particularly effective in his relationship with the audience: outgoing, encouraging and often engaging them directly.

By 1998 Juan Formell was ready for a fresh start, signing for the first time with an international company outside Cuba: Harbor Bridge, a Dutch company with a close relationship with the New York-based Havana Caliente, an affiliate of Atlantic Records. As Los Van Van hits on their 40th anniversary, their popularity is increasing, and starting in April 2010, they will be on a 70 city tour, and this was due to the Obama initiative of easing relations with Cuba, and the two countries cultural exchanges agreement. Juan Formell sees as a positive indication that his music was achieving a universal message. Sadly, this sense has not always reached those closest to home: Los Van van's popularity and identification with Cuba's post-revolutionary society has traditionally been a point of conflict within the Miami-Cuban exile community. In March 1997, after numerous requests, a commercial Miami radio station began to play songs by Los Van Van. Within a week most advertisers had cancelled their spots, the station had received bomb threats and was forced to stop playing Los Van Van. The Miami exiles even picketed the Los Van Van fans when hey entered the Miami Arena where Los Van Van was to perform. Perform, they did!

President Obama has made it possible for Los Van van to be seen in many cities throughout the US, and this is good for Van van's fans and music lovers all over the world. As Los Van Van emerges from is 40 years of misc performance, it is more than likely that more music, dance and social changes will be spawned by the groups' explosive musical performances. It is also clear that the multitudes of musical lovers will be inspired by the music of Loss Van van for decades to come.

The Way I Feel

The world of music is chock-filled with politics, business shenanigans and suppression, but in the end, the music always wins and overcomes hurdles hurled its way. The article above was attempting to show how music is part of our lives and is the universal language because we all hear, understand and pay attention to it very closely. It transcends race, ethnicity and geographical location. Music is truly the ambassador of good tidings and has the power to rock our spirits, souls and bodies. Being exposed to music in whatever part of the world,means one is schooled in the language of music, no matter from what culture that music belongs.

Anyone can hear all the music discussed above on:

Log on to: Live365.com/stations/djtot12

Look for the Station FASTTRACKS which Plays African, Caribbean and Jazz Music