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Cuban phraseology
"It is the way that we talk. The way that we walk in our country. The way that we live. It is our own identity," explains Jesús Alemañy, trumpeter and director of the Cuban dance orchestra Cubanismo. "Referring to the band, we go into the history of the most legendary rhythms, the danzón and traditional son, the chachacha and mambo. That is the essence of Cubanismo." And Cubanismo is the essence of Cuba. Alemañy is a living, breathing, modern Cuban success story. When he was born in 1962 in the Havana suburb of Guanabacoa, Alemañy was born into rhythm. At the age of 13, he began studying music at the Guillermo Tomás Conservatory, and by the age of 15, he was already blowing trumpet professionally for Sierra Maestra, one of the most important groups to emerge during Cuba's sweeping cultural changes of the late 1970s. During this time, the youth began exploring the forbidden music of North America, merging the new influence with traditional Cuban sounds. "We weren't allowed to listen to the music," says Alemañy, "but we were very close to Florida, so sometimes when the weather wasn't bad, we had the opportunity to listen to some of the south Florida stations. Especially pop music, Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees, the Commodores, Stevie Wonder. I didn't speak English at that time, but the language of communication was the music." When Sierra Maestra was formed in 1977, Cuba was going through a period of poverty and discontent similar to today's Special Period. It was a time of redefinition, as many people began looking for answers in the music and culture that defined Cuba before Castro. Dance, of course, has always been the vehicle for the rhythmic Cuban life, and son has always been the Afro-Cuban engine that powers it. To lose touch with son for so many years was to lose touch with the rhythm. And its rediscovery marked a turning-point in the people's cultural rebirth, a newfound pride that bridged the gap between older and younger generations. "Before Sierra Maestra," says Alemañy, "son had virtually died out in Cuba. It was hardly ever featured on TV or radio. Sierra Maestra was part of the movement to revive son and it became very popular in the early '80s. Traditional son was an almost new music to the youth of Cuba, who had heard little or none of it before." Son is the base rhythm for almost every style of Cuban music. It came to popularity in the late 1800s in eastern Cuba, eventually migrating to Havana, where it became the urban rage around 1920, soon migrating again to the United States, as the black jazz influence and big brass swing of New York and Chicago trickled south. One of the most influential and important son bands of the 1920s was Cuba's Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, founded in 1927 by Lázaro Herrera, who popularized the trumpet as a new instrument of the son style. When Sierra Maestra was born in 1977, the group learned the son rhythm under the tutelage of Septeto Nacional, today known as the oldest Cuban band still playing. As a son trumpeter, Lázaro Herrera had a major impact on Alemañy's own jazz-influenced son style. "Lázaro Herrera is my icon," says Alemañy. "He taught me how to play the style, and helped bring me into this wonderful world of traditional Cuban music. Unfortunately, he died last year at almost 100 years old. He couldn't play the trumpet with the energy that he used to, but he could blow. He gave me my first steps into the music." In 1992, after a 14-year career with Sierra Maestra, Alemañy moved to England, and connected with other Cuban expatriate musicians. Soon afterward, he and pianist Alfredo Rodríguez played their first concert at a festival in Holland and began touring Europe with a handful of European musicians. London-based Hannibal Records producer Joe Boyd caught one of their performances in Paris and was so impressed that he quickly signed Alemañy to a record deal. Cubanismo was born, soon afterwards releasing their debut disc that helped to ignite the Cuban music revival in 1997. In this year, Cubanismo became one of the initial Cuban touring bands to play the United States in almost 40 years. One of the first U.S. shows was in New Orleans. Because of the French presence in the Caribbean, and with the sugar and slave trade between the international seaports of Havana and French New Orleans in previous centuries, both Cuba and Louisiana share many of the same musical influences. Cuban son evolved directly from the French-influenced Afro-Cuban music style called Changüi. And to the sharp ear, Cuban son and New Orleans Dixie jazz rhythms are nearly identical. Out of this musical sisterhood came Mardi Gras Mambo, Cubanismo's fourth album released in August of 2000. "We wanted to make a musical bridge between Havana and New Orleans," says Alemañy. "That was the place that really opened the door for us in America. Cuba and New Orleans are two places with a lot of history and a lot of different rhythms. Mardi Gras Mambo is a traditional sound from New Orleans that has been played in many ways, but it was never done in the Cuban style. So we decided to put together instruments that could be used in the music of both places but staying true to the roots. It was one of my best experiences as a musician." Cubanismo's most recent release, ¡Mucho Gusto! The Very Best of Cubanismo (Hannibal/Ryko) includes two of the band's most popular dance numbers from Mardi Gras Mambo, "Paso en Tampa," and "Marie Laveaux," on top of the hit "Mambo UK," as heard on the soundtrack for Analyze This. As one of the top five Cuban satellite groups now touring the globe, and with 30 different countries stamped in their visas, Cubanismo has been fundamental in drawing mainstream attention to the delicious Cuban culture while liberating its once-isolated music traditions. Since the advent of the Buena Vista Social Club and its commercial success, the Grammy awards have seen a proliferation of Cuban musicians. This year, three out of five nominations in the Best Tropical Album category went to Cuba. Next year it will likely be the same. Eventually the hype will wear off and world music's attention will shift. But for now salsa is red hot and the root of salsa is Cuban son, which is the business of trompetero Jesús Alemañy. And when he blows in the key of Cuba, you will dance. "In music as in everything, trends and fashions come and go," says Alemañy. "But good music will never be outdated and will always be popular. We must, as Cuban musicians, carry on learning, expanding and moving forward. After the initial phase of popularity, it will be a question of what's good, and this good music will stand the test of time." Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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In Cuba, the typical greeting-¿Como estas?-is always pronounced Como-tah. Instead of calling money "moneda," young people often slap the pocket of their blue jeans and say Tengo guano, "I got some palm leaf." Upon meeting a friend, rather than using the traditional ¿Que pasa? or "What's happening?" they say ¿Que bola? the Cuban equivalent of "Wassup?" These are the most obvious examples of Cubanismo, or Cubanisms, those collective characteristics that define and express Cuba's rich culture.
