Having been raised in Ecuador, Colombian Cumbia was (and still is) very popular. I wrote this song in honor of my dear friend and Mango Blue conguero Ernesto Diaz who is from Colombia. The song kicks-off with a heavy Funk groove to give way to a Cumbia. For the next section we go into Songo variation and it goes back to the Cumbia. I don't even know what to call the beat on the C section... It has a drum backbeat on the 1, inspired from a groove I heard from Youssou N'Dour. The interlude is almost a verbatim quote from the theme from an old show from the 70's which I watched when I was a kid, Barney Miller. We then go into a Songo for a conga solo to feature Ernesto's killer playing. One of the things I love most from Ernesto is that while many congueros are trying to "out-chop" each other with flashy, ultra fast licks, Ernesto is always finding his own way and he's always "speaking". Vaya Ernestico!!
lyrics
ERNESTICO (Spanish)
TEN CUIDAO’ CUIDAO’
POR ALLA VIENE ERNESTICO
CON SU TREMENDO TUMBAO’
LA GENTE SE ALEGRA
CUANDO SUENAN LOS CUEROS
PORQUE EL ALMA GOZA
CON LA VOZ DEL TAMBOR
REPARTIENDO DICHA
EL RITMO QUE UNE LOS PUEBLOS
ROMPIENDO FRONTERAS
SE BAILA EN EL MUNDO ENTERO
TOCA TIMBERO!
ERNESTICO (English)
Watch out, watch out!
Here comes Ernestico with his killer groove
People rejoyce whith the sound of the skins
Because the soul gets happy with the sound of the drum
Delivering joy it's the rhythm that brings peoples together
Tearing down frontiers it's being dance all over the world
Play it Timbero!! (drummer)
credits
from MANGO,
track released January 26, 2011
Alex Alvear - Bass, Vocals
Rebecca Cline - Keyboards
Karina Colis - Timbal
Ernesto Diaz - Congas
Eric Doob - Drums
Gonzalo Grau - Minor Percussion, Bckgnd. Vocals & Keyboards
Gilenny Guzman - Bckgnd. Vocals
Manolo Mairena - Misc. Percussion, Bckgnd. Vocals
Felipe Salles - Tenor Sax
Jared Sims, Alto Sax
Produced by: Gonzalo Grau
Mixed by: Fernando Aponte
The music of the Cabo Verde diaspora as played by a band hailing from the Lusophone underground of Luxembourg, recorded in Portugal, reissued by a New York label. This well-travelled sound has been enriched by its journeys. It's an upbeat, synth-infused fast-paced homage to Funaná. Karl Grundmann
Almost impossible to pick a favourite from this bunch, they're all so cool. For now, I'm singling out the Kinks one because it's such an original song choice but ask me tomorrow and it'll be a different one! themichaelmoran