Changuito
Changuito (born José Luis Quintana on January 18, 1948) is a Cuban percussionist.
Biography
Quintana was born in 1948 in
In 1970 he joined Los Van Van.[1] They created the songo, where a combination of percussion instruments (timbales, cowbells, wood blocks, electronic drums, and cymbals) and hand techniques are characteristic.
He first recorded as a solo artist in 1992 and became recognized as a teacher of percussion.[1] In 1996 Changuito was nominated for a Grammy award for his work with Carlos "Patato" Valdes and Orestes Vilato, produced by Greg Landau.[1][2] This was his first recording in the United States and it highlighted many aspects of his playing overlooked in his Van Van recordings. He also played on a recording with Greg Landau accompanying Puerto Rican poet Piri Thomas along with Patato and Orestes. He has also contributed to recordings by Hilario Durán.[3]
Changuito taught other percussionists including Giovanni Hidalgo, Karl Perazzo (of Santana), and Ginaski Wop (member of Bardamu project).
"Changuito special"
Although it had been done before by NYC based drummer/timbaleros like Jimmy "La Vaca" Santiago with La Playa Sextet and the José Curbelo Orchestra, Changuito popularized the technique in the 1970s of simultaneously playing timbale and bongo bell parts when he held the timbales chair in Los Van Van. This was done because of the elimination of the bongó player who would normally play the bongo bell (cencerro) in the montuno (vamp) sections of songs in Cuban based dance music. The example below shows the combined bell patterns (written in a 2-3 clave sequence).
Selected discography
- [1962] Cal Tjader - Cal Tjader Plays The Contemporary Music Of Mexico And Brasil
- [1994] Flora Purim - Speed of Light
- [1995] Orestes Vilató, Changuito, Patato - Ritmo Y Candela: Rhythm at the Crossroads
- [1997] Juan Formell and Los Van Van - De Cuba
- [1999] Fourth World (Airto Moreira and Flora Purim) - Last Journey
- [2000] Changuito / Cándido Fabré / Tiburon - El Muso Y Su Sonora
- [2000] Maraca - Descarga Total
- [2000] Airto Moreira - Homeless
- [2000] Brice Wassy - Shrine Dance
- [2001] Clave Y Guaguanco with Celeste Mendoza and Changuito - Noche De La Rumba
- [2001] Changuito - Syncopation
- [2002] Kysha25 (from Italy) LP Culebras - in the song Ambatula
- [2002] Maraca - Tremenda Rumba!
- [2002] Giraldo Piloto - Klimax
- [2004] Diego el Cigala and Bebo Valdés - Lagrimas Negras
- [2005] Kysha25 (from Italy) - LP Farandula
- [2007] Changuito - Telegrafias Sin Hilo[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Changuito Archived January 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine", National Geographic, retrieved 2010-08-28
- ISBN 978-0-8420-2836-3, p. 93
- ^ "Enter the Alma Records 3-CD Giveaway! Archived August 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine", allaboutjazz.com, 8 August 2010, retrieved 2010-08-28
- ^ [1] CD Universe
Further reading
- Jose Luis Quintana "Changuito" (1998) Changuito: A Master's Approach to Timbales, Alfred Publishing Co., ISBN 978-0-7692-1435-1
Performances on YouTube
- "Changuito La Mano Secreta" on YouTube
- "Changuito - Ritmo Batanga" on YouTube
- "Changuito & Geovani Duets" on YouTube
- "Congas Changuito & Geovani Hidalgo" on YouTube
- "Songo Patterns on Congas - Changuito" on YouTube
- "Songo Patterns on Drums - Changuito" on YouTube
- "Changuito Timbale Solo Virtuoso" on YouTube
- "Changuito Timbale Solo 1" on YouTube
- "Changuito Timbale Solo 2" on YouTube
- "CHANGUITO AND SAMUEL FORMELL" on YouTube