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).

Cuba VII Congreso de la Union Internacional de Arquitectos (1963)

In 1963, the 7th Congress of UIA (Union Internacional de Arquitectos) released a special LP for the event, presenting diversity of cuban music. 

Musical testimony of cuban government's activism in many cultural fields, impulsed from the early 60s, this congress organized in parallel a music festival (on cathedral's place, which inspired many designs), and released several LPs, including this compilation. I guess one motivation of the production was that every architect attending the congress could go back in his country with some sample of cuban music. The early 60s were a transition period for cuban musical scene, after decades of tremendous activity. Styles presented go here from cha cha cha, bolero and waltz (classy), to guaracha or rumba (more popular), but no cuban jazz is included.

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.

Toto La Momposina and Baranquilla Carnaval Live in La Habana (2013)

Afrocolombian spirit gliding over La Habana, could be a good summary of this unique night, beginning in the Teatro de America, and ending in the streets as an improvised carnaval...

On their way back from Santiago de Cuba (where Fire Festival 2013 had Colombia as special guest), colombian artists including a Baranquilla folkloric group and Toto la Momposina were booked for a concert to share afrocolombian culture, carnaval music and dance. The venue was one of La Habana numerous theaters, Teatro de America, which was open in 1941 (Avenida de Italia, locally know as Galiano) and still transmits the majestic atmosphere from this golden era.

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.

Benny More - Maracaibo Oriental (Cuban classic, 1954)

(AREITO EP-1021).

Here's a classic track by cuban singer Benny More (1919-1963). Another original record from cuba, who had a second life spinning in Africa...

Danson & Charanga Night, Dakar

Great party flyer, with DJs from the 60s-70s period in Dakar... latin records all night long! Probably the best place to perceive how much music from the other side of the atlantic ocean was (omni)present in urban Senegal.  At this time, big part of DJs selections was cuban music arrived from the 50s through sailors. (It remains easier to dig latin records than african records in Dakar now). Dakar danced deacades to this latin (and caribbean) rhythms, which influenced deeply local musicians and productions. 

Big up to Duo Los Compadres...