Rumba Sin Fronteras highlights the spirit of improvisation that makes Pancho such a major force in the development of Cuban music and one of the world’s great percussion innovators. On this recording, generations of musicians collaborate in a stunning mix of Afro-Cuban and African-American traditions, creating a ‘rumba without frontiers’.
The basic tracks of Rumba Sin Fronteras were achieved in a one-day session during Pancho Quinto’s historic 1998 US tour.
He was inspired by the booming percussive sounds he heard bouncing from car trunks in San Francisco’s Latin barrio, the Mission district, and craved the boom of hip-hop bass. With Pancho, singers Lazaro Rizo and Guillermo ‘El Negro’ Triana were eager to stretch the boundaries of rumba vocals, incorporating new harmonic ideas and phrasing into traditional songs. For this recording, Pancho bought plywood to build a bass cajon, a massive box that he sat on and played with his hands and sticks. He performed with a set of bata drums behind him, a small cajon between his legs, two conga drums on the side, and a variety of bells, sticks and a tambourine at his feet.
This unique percussion set produced a diverse array of sounds that Pancho divides between high and low frequencies.
Active for more than fifty years in a network of percussionists in Havana who have maintained and developed Cuba’s important African heritage, he began his career playing in traditional religious ceremonies, gaining the rank of omo ana or master drummer. During the 1950s he was a constant presence in neighbourhood carnival groups and rumbas, and played on the classic Sonora Matancera song ‘Nuevo Ritmo Omelenco’ which featured a young Celia Cruz.
Buy Rumba Sin Fronteras.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
