I don’t know who has better salsa music, LA or New York, but at some point the question becomes superfluous. They say it was created in New York by Puerto Ricans, or maybe in Cuba, but it’s a universal genre by now, widespread in all Hispanic countries and beyond, as if language carried culture embedded within, regardless of a theoretical Chomskyan ‘meta-language.’ I won’t go so far as to talk about a ‘Latino’ race as did Yari More’ last Friday at McArthur Park, but the point is valid. There’s so much good salsa music in LA that they have to distinguish themselves, and to be sure there ARE differences, usually referring to the dance that they accompany, but also to the regions they come from. Hispanic culture, not unlike Anglo, has a universal aspect as well as individual differences native to the individual locales. I won’t go into the different types of salsa, of which ‘LA’ is one, but that’s about all I know. Yari More’ is Colombian, and his salsa style may very well reflect that, with its ties to the big band era and popular cumbias, but his own self-subtitle probably says it best, the ‘romantic of salsa.’ And that he is, after many years as a balladeer. The music may not be as ‘spicey’ as some or as funky as others, but show off Yari’s own vocal talents and those of his wife Christina.
I don’t think the Levitt Pavilion at McArthur Park planned a ‘Semana Colombiana’ or anything like that this past week, but they certainly got a dose. Yari More’ was preceded there last Wednesday by a vallenato group called Very Be Careful, weird name but good stuff. Maybe the group’s name has some hidden meaning, so I won’t rag on it. They’ve got a lot of loyal fans, so they’re doing something right. For those who don’t know, vallenato is a Colombian folk style, the exact opposite of salsa, if that makes sense. It’s a very rural story-telling style with roots going way back to the wandering minstrels of Spain, by whom news was carried from town to town in the medieval era. VBC carries on this tradition albeit with the changes brought by circumstances of time and space. Ricky Balboa carries the load on vocals and accordion, and has an amazing talent. He is accompanied on stand-up bass and various percussions in addition to back-up vocals. Unfortunately a disproportionate load falls on Balboa’s shoulder. In addition to the inherent limitations of the genre, he must carry the bulk of the load on both vocals and lead instrument. He could use some more help on one or the other or both. But all told, they’re great. Catch them around LA, when they’re not playing festivals in Japan or Europe.
LA even has some world music that isn’t Latino of any form, but you won’t find the amount of African music here that you would in, say, New York, and what you do find may lack some authenticity. Usually that means reggae, but others make the effort also. ADAAWE did so last Thursday at McArthur Park. They consist of seven females every shade of brown from every corner of Africa, including Israel, which is geologically correct, if not politically. In their faces you can find traces of the horn, the bulge, the desert, and the coast. In reality, they’re probably far removed from the source, but do an admirable job of evoking it. This is percussion only, so the possibilities are a bit limited, but what they lack in Western-style ‘songs,’ they make up with energy and spirit. Make no mistake, though, this is a female group first and a percussion group second. If you’re a hard-core percussionist or drum-circle enthusiast, this might fall short of expectations. Still, they’re good fun and educational at the same time. Check ‘em out sometime around LA.
But the real treat last weekend was not at Levitt Pavilion, either LA or Pasadena. The real treat was at Cal Plaza for Grand Performances. Not only do they have some great performers, but it is a killer venue also. What it lacks in natural acoustics it makes up artificially. The split levels and broken surfaces combine with the waterfalls and surrounding high-rises to not only dramatize the setting and backdrop, but also dampen the sound and not let it boom or reverberate, which could be disastrous downtown. The high-rise neighbors don’t complain; they come out and listen. Son de Madera was there Friday, which I missed, but I’ll catch them out in the McArthur barrio this Wednesday. Saturday night rocked with Rachid Taha, the world-renowned Parisian-based Algerian who sings mostly in Arabic. They say he’s socially conscious, but I can’t really tell. My Arabic’s a little rusty, since we didn’t speak it much around the house. It’s not really ‘Rai’ music though, even with all the traditional instruments.
Taha is a master of synthesis, and does it thoroughly. The Arabic-language songs seemed to have a French pop-rock feel and the effect is splendid, harsh guttural Arab consonants blending with crisp French melodies. On the other hand, the few songs he sang in French seemed to have a more typical Algerian ‘rai’ feel to them musically, sweeping strings leaden with overtone. Either way it works. If any art is the art of combination or juxtaposition, then this is one more example. He’s played rock, punk, ballads, and blues; he’s dined with farmers and factory workers, and met with the ministers of government and masters of ‘rai.’ His new album is called ‘Rock El Casbah.’ That says it all. Unfortunately they don’t let blogger floggers like me get up close to get good pictures, so you’ll have to use your imagination.
Si voce fala a lingua Portuguesa ista e uma boa semana. Grand Performances is again the hot ticket with Tcheka playing at noon on Friday and Waldemar Bastos with Ricardo Lemvo at 8pm Saturday. Tcheka is a Cape Verdean singer singing in the island nation’s brand of Portuguese creole. Bastos and Lemvo come from another ex-Portuguese colony, Angola, blending African rhythms with Latin sensibilities in trying to make sense of the realities of that formerly war-devastated land. Brazil Brasil is at Pershing Park downtown at noon Thursday also. The Dave Pell Octet and Orquesta Charangoa are over at LACMA this Friday and Saturday evening at 6 and 5pm respectively. Then there are Son de Madera at McArthur for some rockin’ Mexican son Jarocho on Wednesday evening 7:30pm, and Filipina jazz artist Charmaine Clamor (‘my funny brown Pinay’) on Thursday if that’s your style, but I’ll probably wait for Pete Escovedo next Tuesday at Hollywood and Highland 7pm to get my jazz rocks off. See you there. It’s all free.
p.s. For those of you just checking in after a long absence, the major changes to this blog may have surprised you. Don’t worry; I’ll get back on the road and write some more travel stuff soon. What you may not have noticed are some of the minor changes- I’m now dealing Latin girls in addition to Thais. I know I know- salseros need love, too, but I’m starting to feel like a pimp. I have no control over Google ads you know. Actually I’m starting to think maybe Google knows something I don’t, about me that is. This is getting spooky.
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