Celina y Reutilio - A Santa Barbara (45rpm Puchito, 1950s)

(Puchito/Talia X013).

A cuban classic from Puchito records label, sung by duo Celina y Reutilio, the track "A Santa Barabara" is more famous under the name "Que viva Chango". 

Celina Gonzales and Reutilio Dominguez begun their duo in Santiago de Cuba, playing originally countryside music as Punto cubano (popular style based on poetic improvised verses, including clave and guiro, and played with several guitars using picking technique). Collaboration with Nico Saquito led them to La Habana and then New York.

Santa Barabara is the catholic saint used to represent Chango, the fire divinity from the Yorubas, probably due to the red color and the sword they have in common. African salves brought their culture and believes in the Caribbean, but Orishas devotion was prohibited by colonists, which led to a syncretic alternative : almost each voodoo divinity has a correspondence with a catholic figure, allowing the believers to practice their religion, fitting with colonial catholic rule. In parallel, secret societies were created, like Abakuá, in order to preserve and perpetuate african religions and traditions.

Therefore, presence of Orishas culture  in cuban recordings was not very common before the 60s. This song praising Santa Barbara (lyrics deal with Orishas but music is not based on traditional voodoo rhythms), it represents an interesting expression of the veiled devotion for afrocuban gods (which remains popular up to now).

Bola de Nieve - Chivo Que Rompe Tambo (Cuba, 1960)

(Sonotone SLP8).

Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernandez (1911-1971), received his surname Bola de Nieve (Snowball) by cuban singer Rita Montaner. He's a really atypical singer and pianist in cuban musical scene, active from the 30s, then famous internationally, to the 60s he spent back in Cuba.

Alberto Beltran, El Negrito del Batey (Dominican singer in Cuba, Panart 1950s)

(Panart LP-2017).

Panart Records was a pre-revolution cuban record label (before 1959), and released a good number of amazing records. Here's Alberto Beltran, a dominican singer, joined by Conjunto Casino. 

Alberto Beltran (+1997) begun his musical career in "Republica de Santo Domingo" in the 40s, and fame allowed him to travel to Curaçao, Puerto Rico, New York, Haiti, and then to push merengue style in Cuba, recording from 1954 with Sonora Matancera and Conjunto Casino.

Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba (1960s)

(Le Chant du Monde, LDX 4250).

Carnavals tour stops for sure in Cuba, through the release of this LP by french label Le Chant du Monde. Liner notes from the cuban writer Alejo Carpentier remind the historical background of original african and Spanish influences blending in Santiago, the second city founded in Cuba.

Let's learn to play the bongos like Mr. Bongo himself (Latin drum lesson, 60s)

(AVILA RECORDS JC-101).

In order to play an instrument, better to take advices from the masters.

Lobo y Melon (Afrocuban jazz in Mexico, 60s)

(RCA CAMDEN 102-23106).

Here's a Mexican band created in the late 50s and composed by the drummer Carlos Daniel Navarro Pulido (Lobo) and the singer Luis Angel Silva Nava (Melon). Their first LP (early 60s) is representative of the various caribbean influences in during the 60s (cuban orchestras, US latin jazz, african drums... ), as many musicians from the region were playing in Acapulco or Mexico.

Sabu Martinez - Jazz Espagnole (Afrocuban jazz, 1961)

(ALLEGRE EAB-145).

One of the best latin(and)jazz LP from the cuban conga player Sabu Martinez (1930-1979). The album is produced by Al Santiago, Allegre label founder.