SOUNDTRACK: THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP-Tiny Desk Concert #826 (February 20, 2019).
I don’t really know what Afro-Cuban music is, exactly. I can’t tell if it’s a catch-all phrase for a number of different kinds of music or if it’s a very specific kind of music that I haven’t leaned the nuances off. Whatever the case, I really like this set/song from Pedrito Martinez.
Martinez’ band features a bassist (Sebastian Natal) who keeps the groove going, a keyboard player ( Issac Delgado Jr–who I actually thought was a horn section for a second) and two percussionists: SJhair Sala (who plays bongos and cowbell, mostly) and Pedrito Martinez who sings lead and plays, frankly, astonishing congas.
Something happens when you get a chance to see Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez perform. First of all, his smile radiates. It’s hard to imagine someone happier than he is to make music in front of people; and as we saw during his turn behind Bob Boilen’s desk, he mesmerizes with this almost otherworldly talent on congas. His hands can be a blur because they move so quickly. To the untrained eye, it’s hard to see exactly what he is doing to draw out the sounds he does from his drums. I even know a little about playing hand drums and it still doesn’t make it easier to fathom his remarkable talent.
He plays only one song, “Tuvé Una Revelación” which runs fifteen minutes and is full of
twists and turns and unexpected stops that resolve into grooves so ferocious it’s hard to resist moving your entire body in appreciation.
The main riff is a great groove which hits some occasional prog-rock riffs that settle down quickly. After five and a half-minutes, it seems like the song stops–but it’s just a pause while the song ramps up again. The middle of the song has a lengthy keyboard solo (sounding like a piano not horns now). It’s jazzy and works very well in the middle of the song. Midway through the solo, Pedrito gets up and starts dancing behind his kit, which is a little unusual.
In addition to being surrounded by four congas, he has a snare drum and cymbals (everything hit with his hands). He has a hi-hat (which he uses his foot for, but also smacks with his hand) and he is sitting on a box drum, which you can watch him occasionally smack for extra snare.
This particular performance at the Tiny Desk is highlighted by a stunning, unaccompanied conga solo that dazzled both neophytes and long-time fans of Afro-Cuban music.
It starts around nine minutes. At first he is accompanied by some melody, but then he just takes off. And indeed, his hands (and his elbow, which he taps in there) are a blur. When he plays his solo, it’s musical as well as percussive, as his congas are tuned and he even plays a melody. The thing he does near the end where it certainly appears that he’s somehow using his thumbs and fingers alternately while barely moving his hands is amazing.
It’s pretty awesome.
[READ: February 23, 2019] Tiger vs. Nightmare
I love the setting of this story. It’s futuristic–the cars are actually little planes.
But it’s not relevant because pretty much the entire story takes place inside. I think it’s just a need a neat detail.
The illustration style is also fascinating, It’s water-color for the background (and maybe the foregrounds as well). But the outlines and shading and lines seem almost like crayon–they’re so simple and un-detailed. It’s kind of a sloppy fun child-like style
Tiger is at dinner and she asks for extras for the monster under her bed. Her parents concede and then joke with their friends that their little Tiger is always coming up with stories like that. Turns out the monster loves curry and tacos but doesn’t like stew (just like Tiger). (more…)
I Just Read About That... 