PHOTOGRAPHY
London’s Afro Cuban Music Night is something I look forward to. Currently taking place the first Monday of each month. I find myself multi-tasking; singing, dancing and taking photographs. Here are a few of my favourite images from the last couple of months. In the first few images hands are a central theme; whether clapping … Read more
In May of this year I spent a few days in New York. Although I was disappointed that I missed seeing my all-time favourite salsa dura musician Eddie Palmieri by one day, I was pleased to discover that a great Venezuelan timbales player, Luisito Quintero, was performing at the same venue, Subrosa, on the evening of my … Read more
The first Tuesday of every month sees London’s Afro Cuban Music Night, run by musicians Vicky Jassey and David Pattman of Bombo Arts. I’ve written several posts about this night, but not since last summer so I thought I’d update with some pictures I’ve taken in the last few months. The evening consists of two … Read more
Amongst the first words I ever uttered was the Farsi phrase “das das”. It literally means “hand hand” and was accompanied by repeated simultaneous clapping movements – das das, das das – an endless source of entertainment and distraction when Bibi, my paternal grandmother who I lived with, played with me in this way. Later on … Read more
The first Tuesday of every month is firmly placed in my diary. This is because it means it’s time for London’s Afro Cuban Music Night. The organisers describe the event as a night of drum, song and dance from bata and Orisha music to rumba and as an informal gathering where musicians who know the traditions … Read more
Back in January I wrote a piece on London’s monthly Afro Cuban Music Night and I thought I would provide an update with some images focussing on a few of the veteran percussionists on this scene. I first met David Pattman, Hamish Orr and Patrick Cameron back in the 80s when the African and Latin music … Read more
Bombo Productions runs a monthly Afro Cuban Music Night in Dalston, usually on the first Monday or Tuesday of the month. Last week’s session was graced by the presence of the incredible Cuban-born singer Martha Gallaraga, known to many simply as Martica. I don’t normally take photos at these sessions as I tend to sing … Read more
When I was in Miami in September I attended a workshop given by one of my favourite Cuban bands, Sintesis. Sintesis fuse rock and other contemporary genres with traditional Afro Cuban music. They use bata drums as part of their percussive sound. Bata drums, when used in Afro Cuban religious ceremonies are only played by … Read more
On Saturday The London Lucumi Choir sang at the V&A Museum of Childhood as part of the New Voices Festival for Refugee week. The first image is of one the dancers we work with,Yolanda Perez, getting ready to perform as “Elegua”, the afro cuban orisha or deity. We start all our concerts singing one of … Read more
Here’s a picture I took of Jen during a break at an afro-cuban dance class on Saturday; I love the majestic shape of her hair in profile. And here’s a picture of Dave, one of the percussionists at choir rehearsal today.