Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba-Música Yoruba

Música Yoruba is an outstanding recording of traditional  Afro-Cuban  music.
It holds the double distinction of being one of the best produced records of it's genre,  as well as featuring performances by one of the largest assemblage of Cuban folkloric masters ever.
 It is both as an incredible aesthetic experience and   documentation of a time that has passed into history. the recordings consists entirely of Lucumí songs for the orishas, accompanied by batá drums.Recorded in the early 1970s, this recording has captured a period when many of the Conjunto's founding elders were still in residence.

Akpons (lead singers)

Lázaro Ros 

Cuba's most famous akpón is Lázaro Ros, founding member of the Conjunto. From early childhood, his talent set him on the path to becoming one of the great interpreters of the Lucumí language as used in Afro-Cuban rituals. Studying with Eugenio de la Rosa and other masters, he perfected his singing technique and has become a nationally recognized virtuoso. His long career has included work in theater and films and many recordings. Always an innovator, Lázaro's ground-breaking fusion efforts with Síntesis and Mezcla combine orisha songs with modern rhythms and orchestrations. These days the master lives simply in Guanabacoa where he devotes his time to singing in ceremonies and to developing his current group,Olorún, which includes many younger performers, thus fulfilling his desire to pass his knowledge on to the next generation.

Felipe Alfonso Pérez 

Felipe Alfonso, a founding member of the Conjunto, had a legendary style of singing. Felipe's technique included a playful approach to timing that was unparalleled. Playfulness characterized many aspects of his life. This recordingis probably the best documented example of this master's outstanding skills.Tragically, Felipe Alfonso died in November 1991 at the age of 43.

Zenaida Armenteros 

A founding member of the Conjunto, Zenaida Armenteros is still with the group.Until recently she was the primary dancer of the orisha Oyá in theConjunto. Zenaida's singing career spans more than 40 years. She started out by taking part in a singing competition on radio station Cadena Azul. One ofher early teachers was Obdulio Morales, an innovator who introduced the horn section to the popular music known as Son (or Salsa outside of Cuba).Zenaida has sung in the most prestigious clubs in Havana, such as the Tropicana,and appeared as a singer in two films,Yambao and Mulata.Música Yoruba captures the marvelous quality of this incredible singer's voice.

the drummers

Carlos Aldama (Iya Bata) 

Carlos Aldama, a founding member of the Conjunto Folklórico, left the group in 1991. He studied batá under Jesus Pérez when that master was in residence at the Conjunto. Carlos has also worked with Alex Valdez,director of the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana. Other credits include recording with Adalberto Alvarez y su Son and more recently, a project involving both Lázaro Ros and the piano virtuoso Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He is currently lead drummer for Lázaro Ros' Olorún, and plays with Sergio Vittier.

Mario Jáuregui (Itotele Bata) 

Another founding member, Mario Jáuregui studied batá with themaster Pablo Roche at the age of nine. He also played at the Tropicana nightclub with Jesús Pérez. Mario played on the very first record of folkloric guaguanco, Guaguanco Afro-cubano(Grupo Folklórico deAlberto Zayas). Mario also played with Sergio Vittier. In addition to his drumming skills, Mario is an extraordinary rumba dancer, a talent he demonstrated in many Conjunto performances.

Ramiro Hernández (Okonkolo Bata)

Originally from Matanzas, Ramiro lives in Jata near Guanabacoa. He is still in the Conjunto today and is among the new group of elders who have had the "baton"passed to them. Ramiro played with batá masters Jesus Pérez and"Trinidad" Torregrosa."

source/thanks

the orishas  must have been very happy that day

Música Yoruba