TUMBADORA ICONS from Havana to New York

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 1998 by Luis Tamargo

Like Santos, Cuban-American tumbadores Michito Sánchez and Luis Conte rose to prominence in the 1980s. One of the most sought-after percussionists on the West Coast, Michito has worked with a wide range of musical legends, such as Clare Fischer, Willie Bobo, and Arturo Sandoval. His older paisano, Luis Conte, recorded his first albums as a leader in the late 1980s, applying jazz-derived arrangements to a modern Cuban sound.

Since 1982s, upon becoming affiliated with the label Concord Picante, a tejano tumbador named Poncho Sánchez has become the most commercially successful Latin jazz bandleader on the West coast. It has gotten to the point where certain East Coast bandleaders are imitating Poncho's sound. Whether playing in a traditional or funky vein, the Mongo-influenced, hard-driving groove of Poncho's tumbadoras is unmistakable.

In another ironic twist of music history, Poncho partly paved the way for Barretto, who joined Concord Picante in 1991, when he decided to concentrate in the field of Latin jazz, as the leader of a group of younger musicians collectively known as New World Spirit.

A TALE OF TWO MUSICAL MONSTERS: ANGA AND MAÑENGUITO

In 1988, a young Cuban tumbador named Miguel "Angá" Díaz joined Irakere, replacing the late El Niño, whose influence is reflected in Angá's powerful style. A native of Pinar del Río (Cuba's westernmost province), Angá is known to dazzle any audience with his free-wheeling exuberance and split-second precision. During his tenure with Opus 13 and Irakere, Angá helped to define a new melodic style of tumbadora playing, typically using five tuned drums. This is why he is regarded by this writer as a potential successor to Tata's throne.

Another fabulous tumbador, Puerto Rico's Giovanni 'Mañenguito" Hidalgo, has made numerous percussive waves since his days with Batacumbele, Borinquen's reaction to Los Van Van. Led by the innovative tumbador Angel "Cachete" Maldonado, Batacumbele also nurtured the careers of other young and gifted Puerto Rican percussionists, such as Anthony Carrillo and David Rosado. It is truly embarrassing that Cachete's valuable function as the mentor of an entire generation of Puerto Rican percussionists is usually ignored by certain self-proclaimed musical authorities. But let's get back to the prodigious Puerto Rican gnome. Classified as the best non-Cuban tumbador of all times, Hidalgo was obviously influenced by the "secret hand" techniques pioneered by his compadre Changuito. Since his 1992 recording debut as leader of San juan's young lions (Villa Hidalgo, Messidor), Hidalgo has astounded fellow musicians with his superb technical prowess and overall musicianship, demonstrating his ability to approach the material with phenomenal vigor and passion.

This tumbadora business, however, is quite unpredictable. Therefore, Angá and Hidalgo shouldn't be comfortably resting on their laurels. There is plenty of competition nowadays, as personified by Cuban tumbadores Roberto Vizcaíno and Yaroldy Abreu.