TUMBADORA ICONS from Havana to New York

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 1998 by Luis Tamargo

Known for his work with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Maraca, Chu-cho Valdés, and Jesús Alemañy's ¡Cubanismo!, Vizcaíno was not born anywhere near the Bay of Biscay (despite his last name), but he can utilize his tumbadora for orchestral colors as if they were gypsy violins.

His younger compatriot, 19 year old Yaroldy Abren, is a changüí-fed guantanamero with some incredible chops. A current member of Maraca & Otra Visión, Abreu (no relation to Los Papines, despite his last name) was one of the main sensations of Havana's 1977 Jazz Plaza Festival.

AN ENDLESS CONGALINE

Due to the usual time and space restrictions, one cannot describe in detail the accomplishments of other distinguished Cuban tumbadores of yesterday and today, such as Filiberto Peña, Marcelino Valdés, Mario 'Aspirina" Jaúregui, Frank Bejerano, Oscar Valdés, Juan Nogueras Jordán, (El Wikly), Guido Sarria, Iván Hernández, Jesús López, Pedro Soroa, Rolando Alfonso, Mario Luis Pino, Israel Rodríguez, Modesto Durán, Dafnis Prieto Rodríguez, Reinaldo "Pichi" Valera, Rotando Valdés, Miguel Valdés, Miguel Miranda López, Octavio Rodríguez, Guillermo García Valdés, Tomas Ramos Ortiz (El Panga), Pablo Cortés (El Bombi), Andrés Negrín Miranda, Rigoberto Saavedra, Miguel "El Piche" Santacruz, Jesús González, Ernesto Rodríguez, Contado "Coqui" García, Chino Pozo, Antonio "Chocolate" Díaz Mena, Luis Miranda, Carlos Vidal, Miguel Cruz, Perico Hernández, Nengue Hernández, Jesús Díaz, Tany Gil, Alberto Valdés, etc., etc., etc... Further, we would like to acknowledge the presence of a variety of other valuable, non-Cuban tumbadores in the U.S., including but not limited to Richie Flores, Milton Cardona, Manuel "Egüi" Castillo, Ray Armando, Eddie Montalvo, Víctor Pantoja, Frank Malabé, Sabú Martínez, Bobby Sanabria, Alex Acuña, Pete and Sheila Escovedo, Ector Hal Noble (alias Tambú), Pernell Saturnino, Paoli Mejías, José Madera, Roberto Quintero, René López II, Juan "Papo" Pepín, Wilson "Chembo" Corniel, Rafael Solano, and many, many more...