Bobby Matos in pursuit of the most rhythmically fascinating music

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2003 by Luis Tamargo

LT: Shortly after moving to L.A., you participated in the recording of Bobby Hutcherson's Montara (Blue Note, 1975). Didn't you recruit most of the percussionists involved in that session?

BM: Yes. I'm the one who called Rudy Calzado, Johnny Palomo, Rudy Pantoja, etc. That album included an instrumental version of La Malanga, a Rudy Calzado original previously popularized in New York by Eddie Palmieri.

During my early years in L.A., I worked with the local groups led by Rudy Calzado, Johnny Nelson, Moacir Santos, and Miguel Cruz. I also functioned as Ralfy Pagan's musical director, before he was murdered in Colombia ... Meanwhile, I organized a drumming/dancing troupe that evolved into an Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble about 21 years ago. At that time, it was called the Heritage Ensemble, until I found out that there was a reggae group called Heritage, as well as another band known as the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. This is why my Heritage Ensemble eventually became the Afro-Cuban (or Afro-Latin) Jazz Ensemble, depending on whether or not I had any Cubans playing with me on that particular gig. (LAUGHTER)

We had some great musicians coming through the band, including saxophonist Louis Taylor and flutist Danilo Lozano. My first L.A. recording as a leader, Bobby Matos & Heritage Ensemble (Enclave, 1982), was blessed with the contributions of such special guests as Miguel Cruz and Jesús "El Niño" Pérez.

I remember, by the way, that I shanghaied you out of a Cuban coffee shop on Sunset Blvd. to sing in our guaguancó chorus. (LAUGHTER)

I even mentioned in the liner notes--of the Cubop reissue titled Sessions--how I managed to literally hijack a well-known correspondent with evident bohemian tendencies by the name of Luis Tamargo, out of the café and into the studio! (LAUGHTER)

LT: From 1994 to the present, you have recorded four discs for Cubop, an associated label of Ubiquity.

BM: The greatest thing about Ubiquity is that this company believes in my music and gives me artistic freedom. Ubiquity even trusts my musical taste enough to let me produce Dave Pike, Ray Armando, Pucho Brown, Jack Costanzo, and John Santos.

LT: Your CD Footprints (Cubop, 1996) featured a brilliant guest artist named Jerry González.

BM: Albert Torres, the famous L.A. impresario, was the one responsible for the whole thing. He's the one who suggested, "You know, Bobby, Jerry González is in San Francisco right now. You should call him and get him to do some stuff with you." Albert has made a lot of contributions, behind the scenes, that most people don't even know about. Jerry González's Ft. Apache Band has influenced so many different people, from David Sánchez to the Banda Brothers.

Unfortunately, there is the tendency in the Latin music scene to give the props to the dance bands. Never mind that most of the Latín dance bands that I hear nowadays have eliminated their improvisational potential and cannot offer the same kind of excitement generated by the dance bands that we grew up listening to. There are, of course, a few recorded exceptions of that rule, including Maraca's most recent offering, Descarga Total.