Contents:

Rethinking Latin Big Bands and Machito

Afro-Cuban Jazz: The Journey

Marco Rizo Ayala

Candido Camero

Mario Bauzá

Candido Camero

Candido Camero is living testimony to the history of Cuban music and modern jazz. Born in 1921 in La Habana's colorful El Cerro barrio, he started his career playing bass, guitar and the mandolin sounding Cuban tres. During this period Havana was exploding with the sound of "Son", the music that had arrived from Oriente (eastern Cuba) and is the foundation for what we call "Salsa" today. Of note was his work as a tres player with Conjunto Azul, a group which was led by the legendary percussionist/composer Luciano "Chano" Pozo. On bongo in this group was a boyhood friend who would later become noteworthy in his own right, Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria.

Eventually he would switch to the bongo and congas becoming noted for his progressive style on both instruments. This led to a six year stint with the CMQ Radio Orchestra in Havana and a six year stint as a bassist and featured percussionist at the world renowned Cabaret Tropicana.

1946 would prove to be an eventful year for him for it was in this year that he would first come to the US with the fiery rumba dance team of Carmen and Rolando. It was with this revue where Candido would demonstrate an unheard of technique as far as conga drumming was concerned. He would keep a steady rhythm with one hand while improvising with the other - thus being the father of coordinated independence in Cuban drumming. This was also the first time anyone had ever played two congas simultaneously in any context. Soon thereafter he was performing and recording as a featured soloist with the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Taylor, Machito and his Afro-Cubans.

In 1950 at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem he would demonstrate an even more spectacular innovation with Puerto-Rican pianist Joe Loco's group. He performed on three conga drums tuned to specific pitches so that he could play melodies like a pianist. Loco's recording of "Tea for Two" features Candido playing the entire melody on three congas and bongo!

By 1952, Candido was being hailed by New York jazz critics as the greatest Cuban drummer to come to the US since the spectacular Chano Pozo took New York by storm before being killed in 1948.

In 1954 he was the featured soloist with Stan Kenton's Big Band where he became known nationwide on their coast to coast tour. He was also featured in Duke Ellington's TV spectacular and album The Drum is a Woman. The Steve Allen Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Pat Boone Show, The Patty Page Show, etc. He is on hundreds of other recordings with such famed artists as Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, George Shearing, Errol Garner, Lionel Hampton, Tito Puente, Tony Bennett, etc. Candido has been featured in recent years in a PBS documentary on the life of Machito and a TV special on the life of Dizzy Gillespie. He is also featured on Volume III of the instructional video series Getting Started on Congas on Warner Bros. Video.

Candido's contributions to the world of percussion were recognized in 1960 by the World Book Encyclopedia and again in 1972. Today this living legend and ambassador for Cuban music and jazz continues to be active as a performer and recording artist having over fifty albums to his credit as a leader as well as being a first call studio musician and featured soloist.