Saturday 17th July - Lecture + film Free Event Voices of Latin Rock (Jim McCarthy) - Book presentation followed by
rare film of Santana on tour in 1971 in Europe Conway Hall 7.30pm / Free Admission
25 Red Lion Square, Holborn WC1R 4RL
Carlos Santanna
The author of ‘Voices of Latin Rock’ chronicles the development of Latin Rock in San Francisco, a style combining a fusion of Latin music, Salsa and Rock developed mainly by young Latino musicians in the late 60′s and 70′s and epitomised by Carlos Santana.
Directly from the Mission District in San Francisco, the explosive fusion of Latin, salsa and rock is chronicled from a writer who has followed the music and the musicians for over 30 years. The book covers the stories of prominent Latin rock bands including Santana and Malo, examining in detail the pioneering records and the ways in which both reflect a wide spectrum of Latin influences.
The book highlights the cast of characters and emerging period in the US during the late ’60s, with all the cultural background events including the Summer of Love, Woodstock, political activism, and the record label expansion. Legendary figures such as Bill Graham, Clive Davis and the Escovedos family play crucial roles in the development of this sound.
The lecture will be accompanied by records and a Latin percussionist.
The lecture will be followed by the rare and completely unseen film ‘Santana On Tour – Europe 1971’ (45 minutes)
Victor Pantoja; conguero par excellence has passed on the morning of March 12, 2010 at 6:00 am. I had the pleasure of interviewing Victor Pantoja thru a visit to Mike Carabello, who was then living in Fairfax, California, this was in the year 1991. I interviewed Victor over the phone for a magazine feature I was doing. I didn’t in fact use some of that till writing the Voices of Latin Rock book.
Victor Pantoja
I remember Carabello telling me, how he had brought Victor in, to hang around the Santana camp, as he had loved his playing with Willie Bobo and Gabor Szabo and Chico Hamilton. Santana had included Hamilton’s song Conquistadores in their early sets. Pantoja also came onto the Santana tour of 1971, playing alongside at various gigs, Rico Reyes, Coke & Pete Escovedo.
Pantoja ended up being recorded at Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live set from the Diamond Crater in Hawaii. He also played on the outtake Banbeye, which can be heard on the Santana 3 two CD Legacy Edition, released in 2005. (This edition has new and detailed sleeve notes by myself).
Victor Pantoja Crater Gig 1972
Pantoja had an earthy style, sparse in places, with each slap and beat echoing his Cubano background. Standout cuts from Victor for Latin rock freaks will be the two Azteca recordings, Malo’s debut album, the Luis Gasca solo recording, Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live plus
the aforementioned Santana 3rd album outtake Banbeye.
But his exhilarating playing on the Gabor Szabo cuts and with Willie Bobo and Chico Hamilton bear renewed investigation and show his earthy, soulful brilliance.
Please find a filmed interview from Voices Of Latin Rock Year 5 show, this was filmed backstage on Saturday January 24th 2009 at The Warfield; San Francisco. God Bless you Victor. RIP.
Here is an unedited excerpt of Victor talking that mostly did not make the Voices book.
“Victor Pantoja; “ I was born in Puerto Rico, raised in New York. I started playing when I was eight years old, then I went on to play with Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, Machito, loads of others. My first band was with my sister. I played drums too, on top. I was with The Harry James Orchestra, when I was about fifteen. ‘
Mike Carabello had brought Victor Pantoja into the Santana scene during recording of the 3rd album. Chepito had suffered a brain haemorrage just as Santana were due to tour Europe in 1971. Coke Escovedo guested and toured on Santana 3, (during the time of Chepito Areas’ illness) just before the band were due to go on the road, starting in Ghana, Africa. Ghana was then just entering the first flush of it’s independence from Britain and the concert was a planned celebration, featuring the cream of US soul and jazz, such as Roberta Flack, Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Wilson Pickett and Ike & Tina Turner.
John Santos; “ Pete Escovedo sang with Mongo on Mongo’s Charanga. Victor Pantoja is Puerto Rican, not Cuban, he played with the Orchestre Cacho in Puerto Rico, he played bongoes and congas, then he was with Herbie Mann and then they both hit the Latin Rock scene with Azteca, after they’d touched Santana on the Third album. Victor was very influenced by Carlos Patato Valdes.”
Victor Pantoja; “ I played with Herbie Mann, we went to Europe, when I got back, I played with Jimmy Smith. I knew Luis Gasca from the Stan Kenton days. I came out to California, playing with Wes Montogomery . I had also met Willie Bobo, we were from the same neighbourhood, that was the barrio. We used to play at a place called Count Basie’s.“
pantoja bobo album cover
Herbie Herbert; “ When the band was splitting up, we tried to change the spiral by dosing them with liquid Owsley. It was Gregg’s first trip, we took the drops too, to stay on the same page. It was the most electrifying show at Cobo Hall at Detroit and
Carlos was wondering what was going on, Gregg said we’re all tripping. This was about two days after Carlos and the percussion had their Mexican standoff. After at the Howard Johnson, things were really crazy with Booker T. They had the whole floor of the Howard Johnson and they never lost the attitude, y’know fighting, Victor Pantoja had a knife pulled on him by Booker T. He wanted to kill Victor. Victor was screaming his head off, he wants to kill someone else, it was crazy.”
Victor Pantoja; “ We used to do Evil Ways with Willie Bobo, Santana did it but we didn’t make a dime. I met Mike Carabello in San Francisco, I love him to death. I played a couple of times with Santana, it was cool, I also played on the Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles Live album.”
Discography
Nat Adderley- Autobiography (1965)
El Chico- Chico Hamilton (1965)
Spanish Grease – Willie Bobo (1965)
Uno Dos Tres – Willie Bobo (1965)
Spellbinder- Gabor Szabo (1966)
Soul Sauce-Cal Tjader (1966)
Further Adventures of Chico-Chico Hamilton (1967)
Do What You Want To Do-Willie Bobo (1968)
Much Les- Les McCann (1969)
Memphis Two-Step-Herbie Mann (1971)
For Those Who Chant – Luis Gasca (1972)
Azteca (1972)
Bluesmith-Jimmy Smith (1972)
Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live (1972)
Iapetus- Hadley Caliman (1972)
Malo- (1972)
Pyramid Of The Moon-Azteca (1973)
Betty Davis (1973)
Standard School Broadcast (1973)
Born To Love You. Luis Gasca (1974)
They Say I’m Different-Betty Davis (1974)
Canyon Lady-Joe Henderson (1975)
Montara-Bobby Hutcherson (1975)
Fantasy. Luis Gasca (1976)
Giants (1978)
Hell Of An Act to Follow (1978)
Huracan-Cal Tjader (1978)
Bobo (1979)
Mwandishi Complete Recordings-Herbie Hancock (1994)
Senorita-Malo (1995)
Roots Of Acid Jazz – Cal Tjader (1996)
Blue Movies –Various (1997)
No Dancing Please-Mento Buro (1998)
Blue Bossa-Various (1998)
Ay Califas- Raza Rock of 70’s & 80’s –Various (1978)
Celebracion- Malo 4 CD box (2001)
Crossings-Herbie Hancock Re-issue (2001)
A New Dimension-Willie Bobo (2002)
Santana 3 – 2 x CD (Legacy Edition)
Peter and Benjamin Bratt invite you to join them at this year’s SF Carnaval! The brothers, who directed and stared in the recently released film, La Mission, will be the grand marshals for the 2010 Carnaval parade!
We were there in 2009 with cameras rolling. McCarthy had his interview face on. We sat in Jerry Garcia’s favorite dressing room downstairs at the Warfield. And some other places too. And then the bands started playing. But we were hearing the music all day.
Directly from the Mission District in San Francisco, the explosive fusion of Latin, salsa and rock is chronicled from a writer who has followed the music and the musicians for over 30 years. The book covers the stories of prominent Latin rock bands including Santana and Malo, examining in detail the pioneering records and the ways in which both reflect a wide spectrum of Latin influences. It highlights the cast of characters and emerging period in the US during the late ’60s, with all the cultural background events including the Summer of Love, Woodstock, political activism, and the record label expansion. Legendary figures such as Bill Graham, Clive Davis and the Escovedos family play crucial roles in the development of this sound. As Latin music continues to become more mainstream, the interest in its musical roots grows. This book sheds light on these musical pioneers, and is gorgeously illustrated with over 800 B&W photos by Jim Marshall, Rudy Rodgriguez, Joan Chase and others, plus artwork of dozens of rare album covers. Include color photo section and foreword by Carlos Santana.
Hi Musica Lovers
I love this song- it’s not new, but…
It’s kinda Salsa Romantica and a bit salsa dura.
It’s very uplifting with great vocals and arrangements
Enjoy!!!!!
Jim McCarthy
Ladies and Gentlemen and Latin Rock music lovers, this is our inaugural year for the Armando Peraza Award. This award named after the legendary and world-renowned percussionist is for service to both the Hispanic and music communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. This year’s honorees will be the first to receive the award as they have displayed a great affection and service to both of these communities and we wish to applaud them with the presentation of this award.
Our special honoree tonite, who is in receipt of our Armando Peraza Award is a music industry innovator, a true original that we are proud to be presenting this too. In fact, he was the initial catalyst after contacting him in New York in 1985, for me later coming to the USA, meeting Mike Carabello, then Jeff Trager and Ron Sansoe and the Voices book and subsequent shows being born. He has also shared many stages around the world with Armando, so this award could not be more appropriate.
Santana & Shrieve - Voices 6
Voices 6 January 2010
Carlos & Michael-Voices 6
From an early age he displayed a restless search for both musical knowledge and excellence. After initially honing his craft playing with a group called Glass Menagerie and then various soul bands and organ quartets, around the Palo Alto area, he landed his first big opening with the original Santana band. Within months he had contributed genre- defining drums to their ground-breaking debut album. He also made a now iconic and electrifying appearance with Santana at the Woodstock festival later that year with the resulting ascent to stardom the group received.
The Santana group, in the space of the next two years, constantly toured the USA and around the globe, as they were a global phenomenom. He and they also managed to record two further Latino rock classics, the timeless Abraxas and the scorching Third Album.
By this time our recipient had amalgamated many diverse techniques into his drum kit playing, such as Latin, jazz, rock, fusion and funk, all folded into a flavorful and distinct
melding of styles.
He went onto to further influence the growth of Santana music with the critically acclaimed albums, Caravanserai, Welcome and Borboletta and the then Japanese import of the live Lotus recording.
After departing Santana, he was involved in one of the best bands you’ve never heard, the cult group that was Automatic Man, a group way before it’s time. (A shout out to Doni Harvey, the band bassist who’s with us here tonite!!) While residing in London, England and Europe, he also played on the Go trilogy with Stevie Winwood and the avant-garde Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashata.
These projects found him experimenting with the first wave of electronic percussion both onstage and in the studio.
A move to New York City, found him establishing the power pop band Novo Combo with two album releases. Plus work guesting with various acts, such as Todd Rundgren, Pat Travers, The Rolling Stones & Mick Jagger to name but few.
As well as this he has produced a series of critically acclaimed solo releases such as Transfer Station Blue, Fascination, Stiletto, The Leaving Time, The Big Picture, Two Doors and the current release Spellbinder, who we have enjoyed here tonight!
Apart from being a great musician, he’s an engaging and open person, a lyricist and a composer/producer, who has recently produced acts such as New Moonsoon, Douglas September, Ruby Dee & The Snake Handlers and many more.
He has a knack of linking with and has also played with a stellar array of guitarists – here are some; Carlos Santana, Neal Schon, Al Di Meola, Pat Thrall, Bill Frizell, Pat Travers, Buckethead, Shawn Lane, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Carlos Rios, Kevin Shrieve, Pete Hewlett, Jack Griffiths, Danny Godinez, Dave Edmonds, David Torn, Andy Summers among others.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his continuing delight in and innovation in the field of music.
The phrase “pushing the envelope” is often overused but this gentleman embodies that term with a non-clichéd and questing attitude for the new and daring in his musical search.
