Francisco Aguabella

Changó, the African orisha (saint) most germane to Afro-Cuban music, is the owner of the batá drum as well as the owner of lightning, and when he dances, it thunders. His day is December 4^th and on this day, Professor Aguabella will perform with an all-star ensemble including jazz virtuosos Justo Almario on sax and flute, Chuchito Valdes at the piano, master keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee), batá masters Jesus Diaz and Sandy Perez (accompanying Francisco Aguabella), guitarist/lead singer of P-Funk Garry Shider as soloist (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee), Linda Shider, Fanny Franklin as soloist, the Arará Chorus (eight background singers), and Ruben “Mr. Cuban Pete” Rodriguez. These performers will be enveloped by the sound of Dakah, a 60-piece symphonic hip hop orchestra, conducted by Geoff Gallegos (Double G). 

“Aguabella is the John Coltrane of the conga drums” - Dizzy Gillespie

LA/Francisco Aguabella © Orestes Matacena

Francisco is a widely recognized master conguero and bata artist, a caring and knowledgeable instructor, and one of the most inspiring artists of all time. He leads his own Latin Jazz Ensemble and when the opportunity arises he performs as a guest with the Conga Kings and wherever he is invited to perform. Francisco teaches Afro Cuban drumming at UCLA

In 1980, Professor Aguabella joined with Cuban composer Inocente Luis, and together they began to work on Changó En Paris, to demonstrate, musically, the role of the African drum as the foundation for many forms of the world’s popular musics.

The repertoire of the batá drum is one of the great classical musics of Africa, originating from the Yoruba people of West Africa. It was transported to the Americas with the Lucumi, who were brought in large numbers, as enslaved Africans, to Cuba. Lucumi is the name that was used by slavers for the Yoruba people through the nineteenth century, which derived apparently from the Yoruba greeting “Oluku mi” (my friend). Lucumi brought their sacred traditions with them, including the batá drum.

There are three drums in a set of Cuban batá. The small one is the okónkolo, the medium–sized one the itótetele, and the large one the iyá. The okónkolo plays repetitive rhythms and is generally played by the least experienced drummer. The itótetele plays interlocking rhythmic patterns with the okónkolo but also comments. The iyá is for the drum master to play, and besides contributing to the general rhythmic pattern, makes numerous interjections or calls, in which the drum talks. The high batá masters have the rank known as olú batá, a status that many excellent percussionists do not attain.

“Changó En Paris”- Thursday, December 4, 2008, 7:30pm in UCLA's Royce Hall, 340 Royce Drive (enter from Sunset Blvd) Los Angeles, CA. Tickets for “Changó En Paris” are $30, $40, $60, and $15 w/student ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (866) 448-7849. For more information: www.changoenparis.com (310) 862-4400.

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