Tumba palo cucuye

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 1997 by Max Salazar

On Saturday, July 12, 1947, "El Rayo De Luz" (The Ray of Light) dance was held at the Hotel Diplomat located at West 43rd, one block from Times Square. It was a benefit dance to generate money for an operation to restore Arsenio Rodríguez eyesight. "Ocho Bombazos Atomicos" (8 atomic bombs) was the daily newspaper La Prensa's description of its participants: Bobby Capó, Miguelito Valdés, Olga Guilliot, Trio Johnny Rodríguez, Juan Boria, Jack Sague, and the orchestras of Noro Morales and Machito. Also on the same bill was the orchestra of Marcelino Guerra and El Sexteto Puerto Rico de Leocardio Vizcarrando along with the unscheduled performances of Chano Pozo, Daniel Santos, Juan "El Boy" Torres and a blessing by Xavier Cugat which raised $5,000. Along with this amount and $26,000 raised in Cuba, an appointment was scheduled for Arsenio to be examined by the renown eye surgeon, Dr. Ramon Castroviejo.

Minutes after Castroviejo examined Arsenio, he told him there was nothing he could do to restore his eyesight, that his optic nerve was dead. Hours later Arsenio wrote about that day's experience then recorded it as La Vida es un sueño (Life is But a Dream) on February 27, 1948, for RCA in Havana. The following month Arsenio's conjunto which included Lilli Martinez (pianist-arranger), Rene Scull (lead vocalist) Carlos Ramirez (guitar & chorus), Felix Alfonso (conga), Antolin Suarez (bongos), Lazaro Prieto (bass), and the trumpets of Rafael Corbacho, Felix Chappotin and Ruben Calzado, recorded four tunes. The acetate recording of Yo no engaño alas nenas, Tintorera ya llegó, Tocoloro and Tumba palo cucuye, were mailed to Gabriel Oller of the Spanish Music Center recording company in New York.

In a note dictated by Arsenio, he urged Oiler not to use his name in that he was still on contract to RCA. He suggested "El Conjunto Yumuri." Oiler utilized "Estrellas Del Ritmo." The arousing piano solo of Lilli Martínez and the exciting riffs traded by trumpeters Corbacho and Chappotín have enabled Tumba palo cucuye to be remembered as Arsenio's funkiest son montuno.

(A sincere "Thank You" to David Carp who gave me a copy of La Prensa article which inspired this story.)