Just yesterday I finished "roping" my set of bata drums from Isla Percussions , I think my Isla bata came out very well, so I have been inspired to write this post on bata rumba (and to show off my endeavors a little).
The main reason why modern aberikula bata are tied or wrapped as I have done to my Isla bata drums is for appearance. The original bata drums and specifically fundamento bata, were tightened and tuned with ropes and straps. The wrapping of modern metal tuned drums helps the drums resemble the original bata.
The wrappings also help keep the drum from sliding around on your lap, as they tend to do sometimes. The ropes can also keep your drums from becoming scratched through use. I had these three reasons in mind, but I also just enjoy tinkering with my drums.
Bata drums were once solely used for the liturgy of the Yoruba, and their history in Cuba and the Lucumi was steeped in secrecy and taboos. In modern times the bata drums, and specifically aberikula bata have evolved to encompass other styles of music in their repertoire. Specifically bata rumba as originally developed by Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas and even more recently by the gurapachangeo of the late Pancho Quinto and Yoruba Andabo.
Pancho Quinto and his highly stylized, individualized and unorthodox playing of the gauarapachangeo is something that resists any sort of classification, and is really just beyond my skill to even analyze in any kind of meaningful way. Bata rumba, however, is more easily analyzed, and I have compiled a small article on the subject, mostly gathered from correspondences with percussionists and musicians more learned and experienced than myself. I offer what information I have, incomplete as it is, to those interested in the subject:Bata rumba combinations
Chachalokuafun + Guaguanco
TuiTui + Columbia
Inle + Guaguanco
Chenchekururu + Guarapachangueo
Odua por derecho + Palo Rumba
Obatala + Guaguanco
Ñyongo + Columbia
Rumba Iyesá with Guaguancó
Pello's Mozambique with the batá adaptation known as Rumba Iyesá
Usually in a batarumba, you'll have an iya player basically playing the iya part to chachalokuafon, and the rumberos playing guaguanco. Or there will be the battery of bata drums (i.e. iya, itotele, okonkolo) playing chachalokuafon with guaguanco. AfroCuba de Matanzas is known for batarumba, but they play it differently, or maybe i haven't heard enough recordings, but i can't really tell what exactly they are doing. Yoruba Andabo played batarumba on the "El Callejon..." album mixing bata w/ a columbia, and i've heard recording where they will just use the okonkolo against a guaguanco such as the okonkolo part to "tui tui" and use it as the main theme in a columbia like in the album by Roman Diaz y el Ven Tu rumbero "Wemilere" ....correct me if i'm wrong anyone....
you have to listen to the song "OYA" on "Wemilere" - Roman Diaz y Ventu Rumbero
it starts off an abakua and goes into the okonkolo part for tui tui, and keeps that through a columbia song...its great!
Clave Y Guaguanco is doing a different style batarumba on "La Voz del Congo" from the Dejala en la puntica album...The title "La voz del Congo" is accompanied in the beginning by the first section of the toque batá for Inle "Tani tani cho bí". Then they change over to Tui-Tui
Then you have Pancho Quinto's "En El Solar" where they play tui tui to an old standard "La Media Vuelta"...i hope i am on track here...they are playing "tui tui" are they not?..Tui-Tui on "La Media Vuelta".
I can't say I really know how to play any bata rumba combinations yet. I'm still just learning the traditional bata toques and playing rumba the usual way. I do really like the density and complexity of bata rumba, which I prefer over the highly improvised guarapachangeo. However I am very very lucky to be studying bata and rumba with Sandy Perez of Grupo Afro - Cuba de Matanzas (pictured above between the yellow and blue bata), so perhaps one day bata-rumba will be in my repertoire.
Chachalokuafun + Guaguanco
TuiTui + Columbia
Inle + Guaguanco
Chenchekururu + Guarapachangueo
Odua por derecho + Palo Rumba
Obatala + Guaguanco
Ñyongo + Columbia
Rumba Iyesá with Guaguancó
Pello's Mozambique with the batá adaptation known as Rumba Iyesá
Usually in a batarumba, you'll have an iya player basically playing the iya part to chachalokuafon, and the rumberos playing guaguanco. Or there will be the battery of bata drums (i.e. iya, itotele, okonkolo) playing chachalokuafon with guaguanco. AfroCuba de Matanzas is known for batarumba, but they play it differently, or maybe i haven't heard enough recordings, but i can't really tell what exactly they are doing. Yoruba Andabo played batarumba on the "El Callejon..." album mixing bata w/ a columbia, and i've heard recording where they will just use the okonkolo against a guaguanco such as the okonkolo part to "tui tui" and use it as the main theme in a columbia like in the album by Roman Diaz y el Ven Tu rumbero "Wemilere" ....correct me if i'm wrong anyone....
you have to listen to the song "OYA" on "Wemilere" - Roman Diaz y Ventu Rumbero
it starts off an abakua and goes into the okonkolo part for tui tui, and keeps that through a columbia song...its great!
Clave Y Guaguanco is doing a different style batarumba on "La Voz del Congo" from the Dejala en la puntica album...The title "La voz del Congo" is accompanied in the beginning by the first section of the toque batá for Inle "Tani tani cho bí". Then they change over to Tui-Tui
Then you have Pancho Quinto's "En El Solar" where they play tui tui to an old standard "La Media Vuelta"...i hope i am on track here...they are playing "tui tui" are they not?..Tui-Tui on "La Media Vuelta".
I can't say I really know how to play any bata rumba combinations yet. I'm still just learning the traditional bata toques and playing rumba the usual way. I do really like the density and complexity of bata rumba, which I prefer over the highly improvised guarapachangeo. However I am very very lucky to be studying bata and rumba with Sandy Perez of Grupo Afro - Cuba de Matanzas (pictured above between the yellow and blue bata), so perhaps one day bata-rumba will be in my repertoire.
