Desde La Bahia - TT: From the bay

Latin Beat Magazine, Dec, 1999 by Jesse Varela

IRAKERE. Youthful fireworks were launched in early October at Yoshi's Nightspot in Oakland, as the 1999 edition of this pivotal Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble rolled into town for a three-night stay. Veterans Enrique Plá (drums) and Carlos Emilio Morales (guitar) lead the band founded in the 1973 by piano jazz giant Jesús "Chu-cho" Valdés (who still remains its musical director). The group features musical ringers like pianist Tony Pérez. Pérez keeps a foot in jazz, classical, and popular music and has worked with some of the island's hottest bands--Issac Delgado, NG La Banda, Klimax, and Leo Vera, as well as cutting his eyeteeth on the classical works of Chopin and Mendelssohn. Two years ago, he recorded a solo piano debut --Soneao-- for the Costa Rican label Tamarindo Records that exhibited his jazz-classical inclinations on six well-thought-out selections. This is also the band (minus Chucho) that was nominated for a Grammy award last year for their album Babalú Aye (Bembe Records). The Saturday night performance was broadcast live over KPFA (94.1 FM) with hosts Luis Medina and Doug Edwards.

CHARANGA, TUMBAO Y CUERDAS. In the '80s, a Cuban charanga music scene swept the Bay Area. A sound honed out of the aristocratic parlor dances of 17th century French Caribbean society and traditional Afro-Cuban music, it sparked at spots like Siboney in North Berkeley with bands like Orquesta Batachanga. It was around then that flautist Burrell Speights formed the pivotal Charanga, Tumbao y Cuerdas, featuring the recently arrived Fito Reinoso as its lead singer. With a raw, descarga-jam session flavor, they swung and helped set a foundation for charanga that now goes strong with groups like Charansón, La Moderna Tradición, Charanga Nueve, and the return of this fine ensemble. Speights is a superb flautist who plays an authentic ebony, open-hole charanga flute and has gleaned from masters Richard Egües, José Fajardo, and Johnny Pacheco, one of his mentors. Having worked and studied with the legendary Bay Area Salsa pioneer Carlos Federico, Burrell is an accomplished musician with a personable style and has been working out a lot of new music since the group first folded in the late '90s. In mid-October they celebrated their comeback at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley.

OAKLAND LATINO! When the Nimitz Freeway was constructed through West Oakland in 1950 it dispersed a Latino community with a rich history dating back to the '20s. With the appearance of the Del Monte Cannery in the Fruitvale District, the largely Mexican barrio relocated. While Latinos have long been part of this Eastbay city, their stories have long been ignored.

This past summer, eleven high school students got together with the Oakland Museum and the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation to begin the Oakland Latino History Project to research raza heritage in this Eastbay city. On October 16, the exhibit "Aquí Estamos y Nos Vamos - Journey of the Community" opened and presented with imaginative displays and quotes from the elders and students, an immigrant past and its American story.

One of the earliest Latino migrations to Oakland other than Mexicanos was that of Puerto Ricans. One of the landmark stores and tortillería is "La Borinqueña," established in 1944 by Vieques natives Rosa and Adriano Velásquez, and while the store is no longer open, they still make tortillas. Aurora García De Calderón, also of Vieques, explains how she came to Oakland:

"I came to California to get married. I carne on steamship from Puerto Rico in 1936. We stopped in Cuba. We came through the Panamá Canal and it took 15 days."

My favorite is the Sweet's Ballroom exhibit and the Sunday afternoon tardeadas (dances) produced by Guadalupe Carlos Ramos in the '30s and '40s. Ticket stubs and posters announcing the appearance of Mexican stars Maria Victoria and Jorge Negrete hang around a small recreated dancehall with a list of artists who performed there, like Xavier Cugat, Maria Antonieta Pons, and Toña La Negra. There were two house bands, one that played American music led by Ben Watkins, and a Latin band led by Merced Gallegos.

"The theme song for all the tardeadas at Sweets was Santa," recalled Rosa Escobar. "So when the orchestra would start to play it around 5:15, we all knew it was time to say: 'adios hasta el próximo domingo.'"

The exhibit is on display in the Oakland Museum until January. Much love to Juan Martínez, Aurora Levins Morales, José Arredondo (Spanish Speaking Unity Council), Barbara Henry (Oakland Museuro), and the students who laid the groundwork into the untold story of Latinos in Oakland.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. Calaveras y diablitos were found scuttling around, dancing at Oakland's 4th annual Día De Los Muertos Fruitvale Festival for a 10 block-long outdoor celebration honoring the ancient Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead. It is believed the spirits return to visit on the night of November 2 and with simple and elaborate altars, items are placed to honor the departed with things they liked while living. There was an Altar Pavilion with artists creating altares "before your very eyes." But to get the bones rattling there were three stages of music that included John Santos & The Machete Ensemble, Vivendo De Pao, Dr. Loco's Rocking Jalapeño Band, Caña Roja, and Caradura.