Les Moncada Remembering Francisco Aguabella

 

Francisco Aguabella, born in Matanzas (Cuba) told me that Esteban “Cha Cha” Vega Bacallo was the first individual to place the small okonkolo batá drum on his lap. He told me that it would take a lot in those days for a serious drummer to consider you to play batá. Francisco Aguabella grew to become a conga and batá drum Master of Masters, playing for days at a time.

He told me that, at times, they would take shifts during religious ceremonies in Cuba, sleeping and playing for about 3 days at a time. Francisco Aguabella also played quinto (lead conga drum) for comparsas in Cuban Carnival. Francisco Aguabella was a member of Pablo “Okilakpa” Roche’s batá ensemble in Havana, Cuba with the legendary female vocalist, Merceditas Valdes. Other bataleros in the group were the renowned Trinidad Terregoza, Raul Diaz, Giraldo Rodriguez. Francisco also had other drumming friends in Cuba, such as batalero Jesús Pérez and Julito Collazo (Cuba/New York City).

Julito Collazo later joined Francisco on a cruise ship while Francisco was homesick and wanted to return to Cuba. Katherine Dunham, director of the worldwide dance troupe, would ask Francisco to stay with the dance troupe for just a little more time. Julito Collazo was hiding behind the door of his cabin on the cruise ship and surprised Francisco, and Francisco said that on that day he was the happiest man and stayed on the tour for a time more, after seeing and touring with one of his best friends from Cuba.

Francisco Aguabella, like the late Chano Pozo, was a conga drummer; and like Chano Pozo, Francisco was a composer. Francisco Aguabella wrote many tunes, including some that Tito Puente performed that made the mambo halls of the USA go crazy during the Mambo and Cha Cha craze of the 50’s.

Francisco went on to record many Afro-Cuban Folkloric recordings with Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente, contributing his Afro-Cuban Folkloric knowledge, even though others took the credit on the albums.

I was one of Francisco’s nine personal batá student/apprentices.Other were the legendary John Santos, 5 time Gramy nominee, percussionist & philosopher Michael Spiro; percussionist, Latin music professor, Grammy winner, and conguero, Tony Rosas; and batalero Virgilio Figueroa. Some of Francisco Aguabella’s apprentices have turned into legendary educators and percussionists themselves.

I urged Francisco to make more Afro Cuban folkloric recordings, telling him that he had too much knowledge, that he needed to share it for other future students interested in Afro Cuban drumming in the future. I told him, if you pass, you will take all that information with you Francisco, you need to leave us some of your drumming knowledge. Six months later he handed me a folkloric recording I requested. He handed it to me as he was leaving my home, and I was startled that he really took into consideration what I was asking him. Francisco went on to record a few more folkloric recordings.

 

 

Francisco was also a long time Latin Jazz and Cuban-style salsa orchestra leader. Francisco knew what he was looking for in a musician and made you take it to the max with your ability.

One weekend, long ago, Francisco Aguabella was sitting on the floor in my front room relaxing and playing batá and he was showing me the batá rhythm Alluya. Alluya is for Chango, diety of Fire and the drums and more. Francisco was also talking about the Alluya he had just recorded for Tito Puente. This was a track that was extra and not heard unless you purchased the album. Well I found the track and Francisco is playing all batá drums. Per David Peñalosa, he mentioned that Francisco added another itotele (middle sized batá) for the recording. Tito had a deep interest in batá and all that pertained to it, to keep it short! So this is Francisco Aguabella with Tito Puente Orchestra! Vaya Chango! A great recording by the Master Tito and Francisco Aguabella!

 

 

Just like timbalero Jose Madera (who played with Tito Puente for 3 decades), says that there will never ever be another Tito Puente in our lifetime, I say the same. There will never be another conguero, batalero like Francisco Aguabella in our lifetime.

 

 

Emilio Barreto (New York City) – vocalist, educator, akpwon (vocalist for Orisha music): “I was extremely honored to have worked with him on Tambor de Santo and Drum Feast on one occasion in California where he resided. As a drummer back in the day I always considered him to be one of the forefathers along with Mongo Santamaria and Julito Collazo to mention a few. The Top Percussion album comes to mind when mentioning this ensemble – as it was one of the records I clinged to back then. Bottom line for me was the blessing I received by meeting & working with Francisco before his passing. RIP.”

Max Garduño (Paso Robles, California) – conguero: “Francisco Aguabella was like a dream come true to me. When I (Mexican-American) first became part of the Cuban Conjunto of Rene Touzet in 1960, he was the bongosero. We did not have a very good relationship for more than a year of the 5 years we would eventually play together because I knew nothing about clave. That first year playing next to him I didn’t realize he would become a mentor to me, but in a very unusual way. Each and every time I was “cruzao” [Spanish for out of rhythm], he would give me a dirty look and say, “Coño, cruzao, cambia”! I knew he was the main instigator trying to get Rene to hire another Cuban for the conga chair. But, Rene had told him “he sings like a Cuban, and plays like one too, so he’s staying”. I was a young man just turned 23 years of age and playing next to one of the maestros of the drum and playing the music I had come to love. My dream was coming true and because of him after a year of study, listening to Mongo,Tata, Barretto, Patato and other congueros, to the bass and timbal patterns which I memorized, I began a life long study which to this day still intrigues me, and all because of those 3 words which were etched in my brain forever.

After a year or so, he finally had stopped saying those 3 words to me. I thought he had given up on me, but as it turned out when I approached him, he said to me in Spanish, “it’s taken a while, but you seem to know which clave to play for each tune”(tardó un rato, pero parece que sabes qué clave tocar para cada melodia). We last spoke about 10 years ago and then I heard he had passed away in 2010.

We remained very good friends throughout my career in Los Angeles for over 20 years. While his manner of teaching was quite radical at least to me in 1960, I think he knew that I had what it takes to take his 3 words seriously and he would never have to repeat those words to me. I loved the man, his playing, his inspiration and the way he attacked the drum full force. Without him in my life back then I surely would not have had the wonderful career that would take place over the next 20 or so years. Que Dios te bendiga Francisco Aquabella.”

 

 

David Juárez – Latin Musicologist: “I loved hearing Francisco play; he had this pleasant aura about him and great, spiritually lifting music sounds. I did connect with him musically and became absorbed enjoying his batá drumming. I believe he touched the heart and soul of many people and he was a truly, spiritual and humble honest drummer and gentleman. He was a kind soul, worthy of the deepest respect and was patient in teaching and I am very pleased to have known him.”

 

 

Nerio De Gracia (San Francisco, California) – vibe player, bongosero and leader of Nerio de Gracia & CuBop Express: “I performed with Francisco and composed tunes that Francisco actually recorded. I highly admire Francisco’s vast knowledge, as an outstanding drummer of drummers, plus he was also a great Latin Jazz orchestra leader. Francisco was very strict and he had an eye for talent by the musicians he selected to play with him. Francisco drove me to the great musician and band leader that I am today. Not just any musician can say these words!”
Image of a Star: Composer Nerio De Gracia

 

 

Janine Santana (Denver, Colorado), conga drummer, Latin Jazz band leader, radio DJ: “Francisco Aguabella has influenced my deep respect for traditional drumming as well as the way I hear and play Afro-Cuban rhythms. His self discipline in the music and with himself as a musician inspire me whenever I sit down at the congas or listen to or present this rich and powerful sound of the drum. The sharing of his deep understanding and incredible skills have been a blessing to myself and many others who are passionate about this powerful music.”

David Peñalosa – percussionist, educator: “Recordings of Francisco’s bembe caja playing are archetypal examples of the artform. I am just one of countless drummers who have studied those songs. Check out his playing of multiple congas on Mongo’s ‘Yambu.’ These are just a few of his great contributions to recorded music. He had a reputation as someone with harsh personality. However, in his last years, when I was privileged to play batá with him, I found Francisco to be super mellow.”

Marco Moncada – Co-Administrator of Facebook groups: Timbales and Congas, Bongo, batá & Bells; Congueros, Professional Congueros & their Instrument; Bongoseros, Professional Bongoseros & their Instrument: “Waking up as a kid hearing the drums being played in my front room, knowing that it was Aguabella, it was just another day for me, but now at the age of 40 I think back wow! The questions I should have asked ! I gave Aguabella one of the guiros I had made, and in his scratchy deep voice he told me thank you in English but again in Spanish. I saw him as  friend, someone that came over for the weekends to sleep over, in between gigs, but never looked at him as this famous guy. Little did I know there was this master drummer playing in my childhood home for fun!

I tell you, that if you did not like that style of music, after hearing Francisco Aguabella play those drums you would definitely like it and take a interest it, for he would put this feeling in you that grew. The rhythms Francisco played, so strong, the room would just fill up with sound, so different. I remember my father Les Moncada receiving his first Jay Bereck Skin on Skin conga and Francisco Aguabella coming over the following weekend and walking in the house and always liked hitting the congas, because they were always by the front door. Francisco had banged on the new Jay Bereck conga in awe. He turned to my father and said “I want this drum how much?” My father replied, “No I can’t. I waited a year for that drum.” and at that time it was a $450.00 drum. It  was a lot to come up with having 3 kids. Francisco said, “Les, I will give any of my drums for this drum ..”. My father replied “Sorry Francisco, I can’t.” My father said “I will give you Jay Bereck’s phone number though”, and my father did. Francisco ordered 4 of Jay Bereck’s conga drums, which he played till forever, so when I see videos of him playing those drums I think back to the day in my front room were he first experience that brand of drum.”

 

 

Faustino Cruz – percussionist and Latin musicologist, educator & philosopher: “Francisco Aguabella… What can I say, I am not big into Cuban conga players like many today are. Francisco, as many know, is one of the many conga player that came to the US in a time that the Latin ambiance was starting to grow. Yet all these conga player that arrived landed jobs with many Jazz and American groups, looking to do what Chano Pozo did in prior years. It was an era of growth. The 1940-1950’s Latin music was flourishing and any conga, bongo player that came along and had ideas became a big success. Yet to me even though many of the ones that came in that era were very good, Francisco was one that stood in a corner for sometime. It is not till the seventies that he stood out, when becoming the conga player for Santana. Even though he had been playing for years this was were they recognized his talent. It has also been said that Mongo consulted with Francisco about certain rhythms on how to play them. In 1977 the company Epsilon recorded an album named Hitting Hard, but it did not sell as expected and everything was put on a shelf for almost 20 years that Francisco was persuaded to recorded a religious album containing Santeria religion music with Francisco playing batá drum, an instrument that he had mastered. This album sold quit a bit attracting the attention of Cubop records. In which he recorded 4 or 5 albums containing Latin Jazz which sold not as expected, but did well. Francisco was a very mild mannered man that took things very easy and, in my opinion, this is what kept him down in the music business and not a big name such as Mongo Santamaria, Carlos Valdez, and Armando Peraza. If he would have been more visible, like these other musicians, I think he would have been a larger image in the conga playing business.”

 

 

Virgilio Figueroa (from from San Francisco to Los Angeles, California), maestro de tambores batá/batá drum master, student/apprentice with Francisco Aguabella and director of my Fundamental Consecrated drums: “I had the happiness to meet Francisco Urrutia Aguabella in New York on behalf of my teacher and friend Julito Collazo. What I call attention to the most was his sincerity and passion to maintain his Matanzas (Cuba) traditions, in the genres of the batá, yesa, abakua and rumba. I had the luck to relocate to Los Angeles and he invited me to be a part of his Grupo Folklorico Arara (Folkloric Group) in 1978. In 1982 he initiated me to my priesthood as son of chango performed by the santero Alfredo Calvo Cano in Matanzas in which he was also the Godfather of his blood sister Librada Aguabella, son of Ogun. That same year he also initiated me into Ana, (to play the consecrated batá), and I brought to the United States the first set of fundamental consecrated batá, consecrated in Matanzas, to the City of Los Angeles. Francisco Aguabella moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and he made me the Director of his Fundamental Consecrated Drums, until his death on May 7th, 2010. I had the luck to share many years with Aguabella as friends, student and brother of religion. He was the major inspiration for me as a musician, batalero (batá drummer) and gentleman. I owe all that I am today as a gentleman and musician to him. I have millions of stories about him that are too numerous to comment on today. Solely, I have to state the world lost one of the biggest timberos (drummers) that the world has known. In general, it is a musical space that will never be filled again by anyone ever.”

I would like to thank all of the individuals that took time out of their busy schedules to assist me this remembrance of Francisco Aguabella, truly thank you and to our great editor Angel! Thank you!