Last Saturday Gig

[Caballoballo]

Saludos, last Saturday was the Humming Bird Balcony anniversary. Five Salsa bands were schedule to play, the Band where I play was the one choosen to open the show. I as usually got there an hour before play time so I could do my warmup routine consisting in about 4 beers at least to get loose enough to enjoy. Before at home I did my 30 minutes martillo and fillings routine.

About 9:30 pm we started playing, every theme was execute with excellent swing and tempo. I mean we were jamming and the dance floor was pack thus adding more to our flavor.

After a break on a theme ( a fellow bongocero played on that one ) so I could dance with my lady, the leader of the band schedule for the second hour asked me if I could play with them because his Bongocero was not going to make it in time. So me and my friend endup playing with 2 bands but we enjoyed theme after theme. The anniversary is the time when many bands play at that club, you get to meet other musicians or to salute old comrades, we had a really great time.

[pastor_bob]

Congratulations on what sounded like a very special night Caballoballo! I'll bet you were tired, but a very good tired.

[ironfist]

It,s great when it goes right Arre, nice one

[giadan0914]

Saludos, last Saturday was the Humming Bird Balcony anniversary. Five Salsa bands were schedule to play, the Band where I play was the one choosen to open the show. I as usually got there an hour before play time so I could do my warmup routine consisting in about 4 beers at least to get loose enough to enjoy. Before at home I did my 30 minutes martillo and fillings routine.

About 9:30 pm we started playing, every theme was execute with excellent swing and tempo. I mean we were jamming and the dance floor was pack thus adding more to our flavor.

After a break on a theme ( a fellow bongocero played on that one ) so I could dance with my lady, the leader of the band schedule for the second hour asked me if I could play with them because his Bongocero was not going to make it in time. So me and my friend endup playing with 2 bands but we enjoyed theme after theme. The anniversary is the time when many bands play at that club, you get to meet other musicians or to salute old comrades, we had a really great time.

Viejo Arre,
How do you go exactly by doing your martillo and your filling routines when you practice? I just want to know what do you do before your gig just to give myself an idea.

[late8]

Sounded like a great time had by all! It's great to sit in on the fly and just wing it sometimes.

[luv4congas]

LOL....I like the way you warm up, I will have to try the four beer warm up

[bongobro]

Arre, sounds like you had a great gig! Not sure I'm ready for the four-beer prep, but it sounds like you've got major discipline goin' with the martillo and fills practice!

[Caballoballo]

Thanks you all. The four beer warmup is easier specially if it is hot but do not select hard beer like Heineken,Peroni, Stella Stouis or any lager beer,has to be on the lite side. A shot of Tequila or Red Wine is also good .

Giadan, the Martillo warmup routine prepares you to play smooth and also set up the fillings. It is better to have a very clean Martillo over too many fillings or improvisations. In accordance with a book by Ted Reed it is of bad taste to improvise too much thus is better to play in & out of the Martillo. So just play straight Martillo for about 10 minutes then improvise going in and out for the rest of the time.

Next week I have a gig on the 12 with the other band at the Drums Club . Then on the 20 there is another at the Humming Bird in which I won 't be able to play because I have to fly to the U.S for some training.

[funkyruss]

The four beer warm up;Lack of Confidence
A good friend and a great promessing bongo player Ivan Caceres used technics such as this on his way home went down an embankment with his car and killed him self he fell asleep on wheel.

Warm up exercises; Hand Friction rubbing hands together make's blood circulate in hand and prepares you for playing any rhythm. When banging a drum with hand blood rushes to area of hand to harden hand thinking some is wrong and goes to protect. Same with rubbing you generate heat and blood goes to protect hand.The school were I come from banging a drum for ten or any minutes other than tuning is called show boating and should not be done.
practice:should be left or done at .

A true musician should get to gig set his instrument tune it and wait for it's conductor to give a cue.

The march of a bongo the tumbao of a conga drum and the chant of timbales when played in unison sound so tight and rhythm cares the whole band and the swing is impenetrable .And guess who enjoys music you are playing? The people that are dancing or listening to your music.

Maybe he just likes beer!!!

[jdl1881]

Maybe I should try the 4 beer warm up at Church tonight ???

uuhhmm.. well.. maybe not

[Caballoballo]

Lack of confidence ? No way José, been around for too long plus doing my home work on the already know themes have me always ready to go. A couple beers under the hot tropical weather won't hurt because you will be sweating a lot thus evaporating the buzz effect.

[Caballoballo]

Aha! Yeah sometimes the body ask for replenishment and you have no choice. Othertimes if you are no carefull you end up not doing your job,that is why you need to know your limits and keep yourself under control specially if you have a full 4 hours gig. In a gig like last Saturday where you are just giving 1 hour performance then it is time to have fun and share with the other musicians.

[nio]

Wow! I wish I was there to check out the festivities. I haven't seen a live Latin band with all instrumentation in a very long time....there is nothing like it ! After all, its what turned me on to playing the drums !!

[giadan0914]

Aha! Yeah sometimes the body ask for replenishment and you have no choice. Othertimes if you are no carefull you end up not doing your job,that is why you need to know your limits and keep yourself under control specially if you have a full 4 hours gig. In a gig like last Saturday where you are just giving 1 hour performance then it is time to have fun and share with the other musicians.

Caballon, see if you can have someone video tape your gig and share with us.

[bongobro]

...Giadan, the Martillo warmup routine prepares you to play smooth and also set up the fillings. It is better to have a very clean Martillo over too many fillings or improvisations. In accordance with a book by Ted Reed it is of bad taste to improvise too much thus is better to play in & out of the Martillo. So just play straight Martillo for about 10 minutes then improvise going in and out for the rest of the time.

Next week I have a gig on the 12 with the other band at the Drums Club . Then on the 20 there is another at the Humming Bird in which I won 't be able to play because I have to fly to the U.S for some training.

Bet you're talking about Progressive Steps to Bongo and Conga Drum Technique! It's still in print, and it's one of the best basic books you can get. That was the book I first used to learn hand drumming, Arre....

Lack of confidence ? No way José, been around for too long plus doing my home work on the already know themes have me always ready to go. A couple beers under the hot tropical weather won't hurt because you will be sweating a lot thus evaporating the buzz effect.

If you're sensitive to heat, you might want to have some non-alcoholic liquid refreshment on hand...alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you faster than anything under the sun (literally!)...

Wow! I wish I was there to check out the festivities. I haven't seen a live Latin band with all instrumentation in a very long time....there is nothing like it ! After all, its what turned me on to playing the drums !!

You and me both, nio!

Nio; $149.00 and Jet Blue it an every day thing in Puerto Rico there is a party going on every day. hahaha specially at Isla Verde and Condado areas. wow party till you drop 24/7 there is a place.

Now if I can convince my manager at Walmart...

[nio]

Nio
The way of convincing manager do the old kill a relative on week end travel back on tuesday that work's. you go to any funeral in Puerto Rico PAY THEM $10. and they will give you a letter for the boss. There you have your three days of burifement. It works hahaha o and with letter you get a discount on air lines.WOW 3 DAYS OF FUN IN THE SUN HAHAHA

Awesome, I think that will actually work with my manager. But I have another problem, please tell me how I can convince my wife that this solo trip that I'm embarking on will be a good idea :-)