Salsa with steel drums?

[borikensalsero]

Have any of you guys heard salsa with steel drums? how do you feel about it?

I've been trying to figure out how I feel about it, it's weired at times, yet feels very tropical, sometimes really good, but I'm standing in the same place as hearing salsa in english. Hmmm

[volleybgrl]

Curious...I've never encountered such a thing :o . Do you know of any audio clips we can listen to?

[Danish Guy]

but I'm standing in the same place as hearing salsa in english.

Then salsa in Danish will shake you :lol: :uplaugh:

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/VoVmedium.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/kaninmambo.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/cuba.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/llamadaAnonima.wma



A friend of mine heard kanin mambo (Rabbit Mambo) played on Cuba 8)
I have seen Latin Dance Band 4 times so far.
It’s a great live band, with a lot of energy and good vibes.
Most songs are in Spanish, but they have tried with the Danish on some of there new numbers. 8)

[brujo]

Aren't timbales steel drums? I hate it. That tito puente dude or whatever his name is just needs to stick to the timbales pattern! :D

I like it, the metal drumset is used extensively in timba, and the mexican bands like Mana and Jaguares play many songs that could be considered salsa music or with a caribbean variant if it wasn't for the instruments. The one band to check out for the whole salsa mutation, in my opinion, is El Gran Silencio, which has a cumbia sound with modern instruments.

I don't think the instruments matter that much, is how the music conveys culture. And that is completely isolated from musical patterns and instruments used.

[borikensalsero]

Aren't timbales steel drums? I hate it. That tito puente dude or whatever his name is just needs to stick to the timbales pattern! :D


Nope, I mean the top of the drums being metal as well, which can only mean the calypso drums. The timbales are't metal on top, they are some kind of plastic I believe.

It's just a sound that I can't get used to...

[borikensalsero]

but I'm standing in the same place as hearing salsa in english.

Then salsa in Danish will shake you :lol: :uplaugh:

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/VoVmedium.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/kaninmambo.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/cuba.wma

http://www.latindanceband.dk/sound/llamadaAnonima.wma

A friend of mine heard kanin mambo (Rabbit Mambo) played on Cuba 8)
I have seen Latin Dance Band 4 times so far.
It’s a great live band, with a lot of energy and good vibes.
Most songs are in Spanish, but they have tried with the Danish on some of there new numbers. 8)

Hey, I like it, I like it a lot, however, I don't hear any steel drums on there. But I do like it, whatever they are saying, sounds good to me.

[mexi_gabacho]

Timbales are basically 2 regular, one-sided drums (no drum head on the bottom)... the sides are hit to give you that 'metallic' sound and usually in latin bands, the timbale muscician plays the clave on the woodblock along with the cowbell (marking the 1, 3, 5, 7 through portions of the music).

Steel drums come from the carribean and unlike regular drums, they actually produce regular musical tones. Each size drum has a specific note range (the larger the drum, the less notes available ON THAT DRUM, but the LOWER the pitch).

In other words, you can actually play melodies on steel drums, whereas something like timbales, congos, bongos, etc. are regular percussive background for the music (or in the case of most latin music the percussion rythyms DETERMINE the type of music... in salsa the congos rythym is called the tumbao and tells you 'this is salsa' along with the clave).

Sorry, that's a long description but coming from a Music (specifically, percussion) major. :)

[Sagitta]

Not at all mexi_gabacho!! It is from people like you I pick up my musical knowledge, since I didn't get that much at school. :oops: :)

[MacMoto]

Hi, and welcome to DF, mexi_gabacho!
Do you play salsa music as a percussionist?

[mexi_gabacho]

Hi, and welcome to DF, mexi_gabacho!
Do you play salsa music as a percussionist?

Well, I have been playing percussion since I was about 8 years old, so I play pretty much everything, although yes I have played mambo (salsa... to us muscicians, it is the same :D) here and there. I studied percussion in college and spent 3 months in Venezuela at a latin percussion school there as well. Being half-mexican, we played alot of the same groupings and rythyms growing up, so salsa, merengue, cha cha, etc. were just new percussion rythyms to me at first... eventually, I told a friend of mine "you know... I should actually learn how to DANCE this" :D

So, here I am.

[salsachinita]

So, here I am.

:bouncy: Yay! Another salsaholic to join the active posters! :bouncy:

We need musician's input here........there is so much we (non-musician dancers) can learn :notworth: !

[borikensalsero]

Welcome to DF mexi_gabacho, and thank you for the description!!

You'll be dancing in no time and loving both sides of salsa... :D :D


BTW, here is a link to (IMHO) salsa's most popular steel drum tune.

It is by Los Flamboyan, and it is called La Coquetona Part 2.

http://www.borinkensalsero.web1000.com/lacoquetona2.mp3

[mexi_gabacho]

Welcome to DF mexi_gabacho, and thank you for the description!!

You'll be dancing in no time and loving both sides of salsa... :D :D


BTW, here is a link to (IMHO) salsa's most popular steel drum tune.

It is by Los Flamboyan, and it is called La Coquetona Part 2.

http://www.borinkensalsero.web1000.com/lacoquetona2.mp3

Technically, this is a cha-cha, not salsa, but it is actually sharing pieces of both (which is why is 'feels' ok dancing it as salsa), but the basic rythym is cha-cha. :) But, I've seen lots of cha-cha danced as salsa and vice-versa.

But, just as there are big salsa-debates on On1 vs. On2, the same exists for Cha Cha as to WHEN to actually 'cha cha cha' :).

[borikensalsero]

Welcome to DF mexi_gabacho, and thank you for the description!!

You'll be dancing in no time and loving both sides of salsa... :D :D


BTW, here is a link to (IMHO) salsa's most popular steel drum tune.

It is by Los Flamboyan, and it is called La Coquetona Part 2.

http://www.borinkensalsero.web1000.com/lacoquetona2.mp3

Technically, this is a cha-cha, not salsa, but it is actually sharing pieces of both (which is why is 'feels' ok dancing it as salsa), but the basic rythym is cha-cha. :) But, I've seen lots of cha-cha danced as salsa and vice-versa.

But, just as there are big salsa-debates on On1 vs. On2, the same exists for Cha Cha as to WHEN to actually 'cha cha cha' :).

I'm sorry I just really meant the umbrella term salsa, the song being the period's "most" famous song. Not to mention that I was confused because to me it felt like it wanted to be a salsa, at times getting there and others not. Thanks for the clarification. I thought I was going nuts. I wouldn't do the cha cha cha... Too fast, in my opinion. It feels best danced as a mambo. More time to groove. :banana:

Did you like it?

[mexi_gabacho]

Actually, yes I really did like it.... I have it saved to my playlist at work now :D

Didn't feel TOO fast for cha-cha, but since i don't know how to dance cha-cha (other than the absolute basics and a couple of turns), I wouldn't be any authority of that. :) I can definitely see how it would give you lots of time dancing it as salsa, though.

[borikensalsero]

Actually, yes I really did like it.... I have it saved to my playlist at work now :D

Didn't feel TOO fast for cha-cha, but since i don't know how to dance cha-cha (other than the absolute basics and a couple of turns), I wouldn't be any authority of that. :) I can definitely see how it would give you lots of time dancing it as salsa, though.

I like sloooooooooow cha cha's, well sloooow dancing overall.... slow music like the son montuno Ausencia by Lavoe. I just like grooving to music. When I don't feel like there is enough time for me to stress the difference between the 4 and the 1 then I turn the cha cha dance to mambo. I really like to hit the 1 and the 5 coming of the cha cha of the 4 and the 8.

[Pacion]

Welcome mexi_gabacho!

I will have to wait until I get home to hear the sound clips. From my knowledge of steel drums/steel pan, I have to admit though that my initial reaction is :shock: :oops: Not sure if it would be one of my instruments of choice in a salsa song.

Ultimately, it would depend on the drum though. Thinking just about pop songs that have used the steelpan in them, the most famous one that comes to mind is Simply Red's The Fairground. That one uses a deep/tenor pan and yes, I can feel that one all night long :bouncy: . But, if it is one of the more high pitched ones :oops: I will be as cold as ice unfortunately :oops:

[peachexploration]

Nope, don't like it. :nope: Uh oh :shock: , I think I need a "Salsa/Cha Cha Snob" T-shirt. :lol: Not a bad song, just don't like the steel drums. :cry:

Edited just for Pacion. :P :together:

[Pacion]

Umm, they are not drums as in a drum kit/congo drums, as such. They are steel drums/pans :mrgreen:

[peachexploration]

Um thanks for the clarification Missy Pacion. :lol: Since we are already talking steel drums, I didn't think I had to clarify which drums we were talking about but since you're so picky, I will edit just for you. :wink:

[pygmalion]

Yup, Pacion. They're not drums made from steel. They're steel drums, like barrels, with one end pounded out til it's tuned to the proper key. I remember the first time I heard steel drums played. In a huge outdoor concert in New York City when I was about nine. It fascinated me that somebody could make music with those huge, ugly barrel-looking things.

Since then, of course, I've been on Caribbean cruises more than a few times, so I'm used to them.

Salsa with steel drums? I haven't heard much. Salsa is from Puerto Rico and Cuba (and NY and LA, etc.) , and I don't think steel drums are big either place. Isn't that right? (raised eyebrow smiley here LOL) So maybe there are steel drum-filled covers of salsa. But they are covers. Just like there are steel drum-filled covers of C&W music, and American top 40. Just go on a cruise, and you'll see. :wink: :lol: No offense to cruise lines, btw. Cruise directors just happen to have a well-developed approach to tuorists and know how to satisfy the expectations of their customers. And when people go to the Caribbean, they expect to hear steel drums, even if it's a total mismatch with the local culture. *shrug*

[peachexploration]

Umm, they are not drums as in a drum kit/congo drums, as such. They are steel drums/pans :mrgreen:

Hahahhaha. Sorry Pacion. Just went back and read your post. Thought you were messing with me. Hahahaha. See what happens when you don't pay attention. :lol:

[pygmalion]

Oh yeah, and some of the guys cut the top off the barrels, so the steel drum looks kind of like a wok. Only it makes good music, rather than good stir-fry. :lol: :lol:

[Pacion]

Yes Peach! I was messing with you :P

Pygmalion, historically, the steel drums/pans were made using discard drums that originally held oil. They were first made in <round of applause> Trinidad! :lol: The musically notes are made by beating out the grooves/notes using a combination of sheer elbow power and really hot oil. I don't think hot water is used as this distorts the notes. But I could be wrong. Will have to google it :wink:

No, I don't think they are big in PR or NY as they are mainly associated with the West Indian carnival/calypso but, some musicians have used them in their music (including Jean Michel Jarre, Paul Simon (I think) and what's his name in Simply Red - as well as a few others I can't think of just now.)

[Pacion]

Only it makes good music, rather than good stir-fry. :lol: :lol:

How do YOU know :wink: :lol:

[pygmalion]

LOL! I'll try the stir fry thing, and let you know.

My big brother brought me a steel drum from Haiti, a long, long time ago, when I was a tiny girl and Haiti was still stable enough for American tourists to visit. :? So I have an actual steel drum. Hmm. I have a wok, too. Maybe I'll just make music on the steel drum, and dinner in the wok. :idea: What a concept! :wink: :lol:

[Pacion]

Hmm. I have a wok, too. Maybe I'll just make music on the steel drum, and dinner in the wok. :idea: What a concept! :wink: :lol:

:roll: I would have been more impressed if you had said that you would make dinner in the steel drum and music with the wok :roll: :twisted:



:lol:

[pygmalion]

eh! I yam what I yam, so I'm way over trying to impress anyone. I just tell it like it is. (I used to watch Popeye the Sailor as a youngun. He yam what he yam, too. :wink: :lol: )


But maybe I will try the music in the wok thing. You never know. I may discover a new art form. LOL.

[don_svendo]

Well, here's a Cuban timba song with some steel drums in the beggining... Not sure if that counts though... :?
Btw Danish guy, the same CD ("Chan... Chan... Charanga!" by La Charanga Habanera) also contains a version of the "Kaninmambo" (without rabbits)... :)

{non working link to mp3 removed}

[Pacion]

But maybe I will try the music in the wok thing. You never know. I may discover a new art form. LOL.

Or cooking form :wink:

Talking about new art form, what about people who "compose"/make music using bottles filled at varying levels with water/some liquid? :lol: I think I saw a demonstation as part of a programme on television and it was amazing. But, I don't think I would have had that original thought (fill the bottles with varying levels of liquid) :lol:

[salsachinita]

Didn't Sandra Bullock do something like that in 'Miss Congeniality'....?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[SDsalsaguy]

Yup, that was her "talent" for the paegant...

[pygmalion]

See? Just goes to show we ALL have talents. Useless ones, perhaps, but talents, nonetheless. :lol:

[Pacion]

:lol:

[salsachinita]

:idea: You guys have just given me an idea to start another fun thread!

See you all there 8) !

[Pacion]

Yikes! I just tried to listen to these music links and non of them worked! :?

Does anyone have any other links for the songs (or know of any other songs) where the steelpan was used please, by any chance?

Thanks! :banana: