 |
The Afro-Uruguayan rhythm Candombe has played a significant role in Uruguayan culture for over 200 years. The rhythm is created by the use of three drums (tambores); tambor piano, tambor chico and tambor repique. The piano is the largest in size and the lowest in pitch of the three tambores, the rhythmic base of Candombe, its function similar to that of the upright or electric bass. The chico (small) is the smallest in size and highest in pitch of the three tambores, serving as the rhythmic pendulum. The tambor repique (ricochet) embellishes Candombe's rhythm with improvised phrases. Each of the three tambores is played with an open hand and a stick in the other. At a minimum, one of each of the three tambores must be present.
For many Montevideans candombe is not just a music, it's a way of life. Cuareim, a neighborhood in Montevideo, is bordered by the river, Rio de La Plata, which separates Montevideo, Uruguay from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This area of Montevideo is also referred to as the "Barrio Sur". These talented people of Cuareim, "Grupo del Cuareim", together bring you Candombe in a very special way. Produced in Montevideo, Uruguay, including ten candombe drummers, a vocal chorus of ten, Hugo Fattoruso on acoustic piano, performed are some of the most beautiful candombe compositions ever written. Some of the compositions were recently written, some are many years old and have become classics. In a few cases there are songs that were not originally written as candombes that have been arranged for candombe. This project was recorded at Sala Brunet, a beautiful sounding theater located on "18th de Julio" (Main Street, Montevideo). Recorded live with no audience present, Sala Brunet was transformed into the best sounding recording environment one could hope for. The most important aspect of this project is the friendship that exists between the artists involved, and that which links them all together, candombe.
Musicians
Hugo Fattoruso music director, arranger, acoustic piano, keyboards, accordion,
tambor chico, vocals
Tambor Piano
Fernando "Lobo" Nuñez, Bocha Martinez
Tambor Chico
Jorge "Foque" Gomez, Hector Gandara, Fernandito Nuñez, Piti Tamburini
Tambor Repique
Noe Nuñez, Pablo "Piraña" Silva, Ruben Rada
Vocals
Mariana Garcia Vigil, Silvana Lombardini, Lea Bensasson, Norma Galfetti,
Gabriela Gomez, Ruben Rada, Cesar Martinez, Gustavo Montemurro, Urbano
Moraes, Carlos Quintana
Electric Bass
Popo Romano, Francisco Fattoruso
Tracks (audio)
01. Lonjas del Cuareim 3:32 
02. Biricunyamba 3:08
03. Baile de Los Morenos 3:51
04. Yo También 4:35
05. Candombe Para Figari 3:20
06. Todos 4:05
07. Yo Volveré Por Ti 3:37
08. EEE Lumbe/Pique y Repique 3:29
09. Camino Verde 3:49
10. Ayer Te Vi 3:44
11. Palo y Tamboril 3:49
12. Solo He De Quedar 3:12
13. Mejor Me Voy 7:05
14. Mucho/Rey Tambor 10:28
15. U 7:07
Reviews
Uruguay's capital of Montevideo is home to lush botanical gardens, inviting Atlantic beaches, and the propulsive sounds of the candombe. An Afro-Uruguayan dance genre, the candombe first appeared with Africans who were brought into the region as slaves around the mid-1700s. In its traditional context the dance celebrates the coronation of Congolese kings. Candombe today comes to life, in its most prevalent form, during Montevideo's carnival celebrations. Officially sanctioned carnival ensembles, known as Black Lubolo societies, perform the music of the candombe for two-to-fifteen-hour stretches and to the tune of 12 to 30 drums. On the Big World Music release Candombe, the contemporary Grupo Del Cuareim melds candombe's dynamic rhythms with European-informed musical sensibilities. Arranged by multi-instrumentalist Hugo Fattoruso, the 15 songs on Candombe feature a ten member chorus singing over piano melodies and a polyrhythmic battery unleashed by ten candombe percussionists. The mix is occasionally dotted by the sound of an accordion, electric bass, electric guitar, and synthesizer. All but the final percussion cut on the CD, "U," reflects this hybrid candombe sound. Grupo Del Cuareim's inventive form of candombe should satisfy anyone interested in hearing contemporary sounds from South America. And as the band plays each selection with a genuine sense of energetic dedication, their music should move you as much as it fascinates you. ~John Vallier/All Music Guide
Candombe, we're told in the liner notes to this delightful album, is an Afro-Uruguayan rhythm that extends beyond music to embody a way of life, one that was lovingly portrayed in the paintings of Pedro Figari (1861-1938), to whose memory it is dedicated. The picture here is one of pulsating Latin rhythms underpinning lambent group vocals (with the lyrics to each song inscribed in Spanish in the booklet that accompanies the disc). As I'm hardly an expert on this particular musical style, I can't surmise with any degree of assurance how Grupo del Cuareim may rank on a scale of 1 to 10 among its peers, but it sounds pretty good to me. In a word, I really enjoyed listening to this music, which is as insistently cheerful as it is rhythmically engaging. It is, as the label affirms, a big world, and there's a veritable cornucopia of music in it's many corners that's worth hearing. Jazz it's not, but what's in a name? Candombe swings, that's for sure, and these musicians, drummers, vocalists and everyone else are as hip as one could wish. I'd love to see them on stage in their (presumably) colorful costumes, knocking an audience dead with their buoyant enthusiasm and wonderful artistry. Until then, I can set aside labels and admire Candombe for what it encompasses, bright and lively music that quickens ones heart and soul. ~Jack Bowers/All About Jazz
Website
www.candombe.com
