The jazz appears in Cuba at the end of the XIX century, though it is not until the second decade of the last century that, with the creation of the first Jazz bands, it is recognized its real presence. Gradually those bands asserted over their American counterparts, which came to our country to master the language and the national jazz repertory.

According to researcher José Dos Santos, The music, as a result of reciprocal influences and creative talent, has had in jazz a singular expression of roots mixture, and of creation of a sonorous, particular and multiplying phenomenon to which Cuba has not been unaware of. Its own origin relates it with the Cuban music, its reach rhyme and colorful timbres extrapolated from the remote Africa, although the crucible in which it was created added up many other cultures, related with the peculiar conditions of slavery, fights and pseudo-emancipation that took place at the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX in the south of the United States.

In 1929 it was constituted in our country the first big band named Hermanos Castros leaded by saxophonist Manolo Castro, in which it was included sections for metal, sax and rimes.

In 1932, the prestigious Cuban musician Armando Romeu organizes the first jazz band he created that, unlike the others from that period, had musicians and arrangers such as Chico O´Farril, Pucho Escalante, Bebo Valdés, Peruchín Justiz, Kiki Hernández, Isidro Pérez, Gustavo Más, Rafael Tata Palau, Pedro Chao and Armando Romeu himself.

During the forties takes place in New York the fusion between the Jazz and the Afro-Cuban music. Since 1930, some Cuban musicians were settled in that American crowded city, as Miguelito Valdés and trumpeter Mario Bauzá.

When Bellamar orchestra was rescinded, its director Armando Romeu was hired by Tropicana Cabaret where he formed a great band of 4 trumpets, 3 trombones and 5 saxophones.

An important moment for the jazz in Cuba is the appearing of musician Luciano Chano Pozo, author of Blen, Blen and Parampampín rumbas.

It is also valid to highlight that during the forties appeared the Feeling, musical movement that abandoned the traditional Spanish and Italian influences to get closer to jazz, among its composers it can be mentioned José Antonio Méndez and César Portillo de la Luz. Young authors joined later this first group and formed bands that played jazz, such as Frank Emilio Flynn and Bebo Valdés.

During the fifties, international jazz stars as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra performed in Havana. At that time it was also recorded in Cuba the first LP of jazz. Later other recordings came with the participation of Marcelino Valdés and Arístides Soto (Tata Güines) among others.

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On the Piano, Chucho Valdés (I Part)

Despite of what many people could think he is named Jesús only as a name, because his birth date does not coincide at all with the Messiah’s. His parents could have named him Enmanuel, however with that name it could have been impossible to do justice to his majesty.

The legend says that at the age of five and without any musical training he was capable of playing the piano some complicated melodies. He lived at that moment in Alquízar, a town from Havana, near Luís Marquetti, the same professor that between a lesson and another was able to make a bolero of those that touch the souls.

Like father like son, would say some. It was the least you could hope for with such a father, but Jesús Dionisio, as it appears in his baptismal certificate, was predestinate to be a musician and furthermore pianist, as his father.

Being an adolescent he used to visit Radio Progreso studios, alternating with his father in the orchestra of the latter; however his name begins to be known by the great audience since the sixties.

Under the commands of master Federico Smith he developed his skills of stand musician in the Orchestra of the Havana Musical Theater, but his passion for the Jazz overflowed every Saturday afternoon, the meetings at the Cuban Jazz Club which at that time had the headquarters at Ambassador’s Room in Havana Libre Hotel or at Parisien Cabaret of the National Hotel, and finally it was established at the Gardens of 1830 Club, on the outskirt of Vedado.

Article by Emir García Meralla
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Bobby Carcassés: a veteran show man

Bobby Carcassés is the show man of Cuba; he likes to be named like this, now he has just received homage for his 66 birthday, the Association of Music from UNEAC organized a descarga to which attended also his son Robertico who is already more than a promise.

Bobby has been in almost all jazz events celebrated in Havana, a real entertenainer of the music. In 1980 he organized the I Jazz Plaza Festival together with many other colleagues (Armando Rojas, Bárbara Castillo, Ernesto Calderón).

But Bobby goes beyond the time. In 1958 he appeared in New York with Tropicana’s Show, later in 1960 he performed in Paris as conguero of an orchestra, and then he was a pioneer of Havana Musical Theater together with Mexican Alfonso Arau.

He has organized descargas, always with a lot of efforts and interest. We remember his performances at the Maxim, in the theater of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Bobby has been anywhere. Almost all the young men who begin in Jazz have been part of his groups.

He has a CD entitled Jazz Timbero and produced by Tumi Music record label, with guests as Chucho Valdés, Changuito, César López and other stars.

This song belongs to this CD:

Soy el jazz que va por el mundo entero
Y no hay quien llegue primero
Y a nadie guste más.
Soy el jazz, africano, americano,
Pero también soy cubano
Y mi ritmo bailarás.
Bailarás cuando la música suene
Y verás que te conviene
Y un gran placer sentirás.
Sentirás que el swing y el sabor van juntos
Que la timba tiene un punto
Que pronto disfrutarás:
Soy el jazz timbero.

Bobby has several plans for Varadero Jam Session jazz event that will be celebrated from September 5 to 9.

Article by Rafael Lam, taken from Cubarte.

Soycubano.com invites you this time to acquire the best Cuban jazz music with the instruments and voices of a selected group of virtuoso Cuban jazzmen.