#lecuonacubanboys

[jorgeclardiary]

«RHYTHMIC WARRIORS» (A Spotify Playlist)

Celebrating Juneteenth and the Summer Solstice 2020: many conversations go into unfathomable depths of the soul.

Often I’ve understood being in New York City during many lifetimes, this current one being most fruitful.

Here is a collection of songs that resonate personally across time and space, departing from the Puerto Rican danza «Violeta» by Orquesta de Rafael Hernández, led by its namesake composer, multi-instrumentalist, and actor from Aguadilla, PR, who moved to New York in the 1920s and rose to fame with his Trío Borincano and Cuarteto Victoria.

From this home base we depart on an extravaganza of musical virtuosity from Harlem to the Caribbean to West Africa and back again, with Lionel Hampton; Slim & Slam; the Chick Webb orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald singing her mega-hit «A-Tisket A-Tasket»; Lecuona Cuban Boys; Cab Calloway & His Orchestra; Celina y Reutilio; Julio Gutiérrez in a rhythmic dance suite; Babatunde Olatunji’s joyful glow; the Benny Goodman Sextet feat. guitarist Charlie Christian; Teddy Wilson; Jimmie Lunceford singing «Tain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It)», famously covered by Fun Boy Three and Bananarama; LaVern Baker covering Bessie Smith; Sidney Bechet singing «Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho» and Paul Robeson singing «Get on Board Little Children», both reminding me of Ocean Grove, where Paul sang in the Auditorium.

Inklings of akashic memories come though, like evocations of Max Fleischer cartoons…my dad Raymond’s stories of wearing zoot suits and singing with Myrta Silva at the Audubon Ballroom...

On the cover is «Jorge, Valentine, and Victor on the roof in Little India» (2017) by Dietmar Busse.

In the photo, I am wearing a Van Heusen shirt (a gift from Mom and Dad), and Jimi’s necklace.

[jorgeclardiary]

«Walks-Between» (A Spotify Playlist)

Once, while parked in front of the post office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I heard “Angelitos Negros” on the radio, sung by Eartha Kitt.

The music transported me to another place—justified by the sublime vibration of Eartha’s voice and also the dream-like music. Right now, I also think of the movie Beetlejuice, how “Jump In the Line” by Harry Belafonte plays over the end credits, stopping time with its sound somewhere between dimensions…the music with its subtle supernatural drive and masterful balance of layers, sound textures, and reverberation…Harry’s voice leading the way with verve, masterful command and punctuation.

In that spirit goes this playlist, comprised of 8 songs totaling 23 minutes, including Harry Belafonte, Yma Sumac, Rosemary Clooney with Pérez Prado, La Lupe, Josephine Baker with Lecuona Cuban Boys, Eartha, Mina, and Iris Chacón.

A playlist as ethereal microfiche…a record of mystical moments.

The photo was taken by the barn at the Sowinskis’ during last summer’s visit. I am holding Karen’s dear Miss Houdini, and wearing a renaissance-style shirt…a gift from Dominic.

Photo by Dominic Vine.