Asalto Navideno: Yomo Toro • El Topo • Zon del Barrio • Danza Fiesta
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NAVIDAD PARA EL PUEBLO
CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, JIBARO STYLE!
YOMO TORO and “EL TOPO” ANTONIO CABÁN VALE
ZON del BARRIO with DANZA FIESTA
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, in conjunction with Aurora
Communications, Inc., presents a special holiday event, NAVIDAD PARA
EL PUEBLO, a Christmas celebration featuring the unique jíbaro music
from the mountains of Puerto Rico on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at
8pm. The concert will feature the King of the Cuatro and Fania All-
Star legend YOMO TORO, whose parrandas have become a Lehman holiday
tradition. Also featured will be the Bob Dylan of Puerto Rican folk
music, singer, songwriter and poet “EL TOPO” ANTONIO CABÁN VALE. The
artists will be backed by the eclectic sounds of ZON DEL BARRIO, an
outfit steeped in nostalgia while exploding into the future, bringing
to life the various musical genres, from traditional folkloric
aguilnaldos, plenas, danzas and bombas to modern day salsa including
guarachas, mambo and boogaloo. Choreographing the entire show is
GILDA RIVERA PANTOJA, gifted dancer and director of the theatrical
dance troupe DANZA FIESTA. Twenty dancers will perform to a mosaic of
rhythms, from a salsa navideña to a Carnaval finale with the arrival
of the three Magi Kings. The parranda is the Puerto Rico Christmas
serenading tradition of musicians surprising friends and relatives
during the season with festive music at night. The blending of
Spanish décimas (ten-line stanzas), African percussion and rhythms,
and Indian güiros and maracas created plenas, bombas and aguinaldos
(“gifts”), which descended from the Spanish Christmas carol. These
songs were the first lyrical expression of Puerto Rican culture --
stamped with an indelible Boricua seal. Rich in themes, celebratory
in spirit, these tunes and dances express the folk wisdom of the
jibaro through refrains, legends, superstitions, customs and
traditions.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman
College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468.
Tickets for NAVIDAD PARA EL PUEBLO on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at
8pm, are: $45, $40, $35 and $30 and can be purchased by calling the
Lehman Center box office at 718.960.8833 (Mon. through Fri., 10am–5pm,
Tues. 10am-7pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert),
or through 24-hour online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. Lehman
Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off
the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Free on-
site parking is available.
Yomo Toro, born in Ensenada, Puerto Rico, has had a five-decade career
as one of NYC’s most respected Latin musicians. Playing the cuatro, a
Puerto Rican 10-stringed instrument descended from the Spanish
vilhuela, he arrived in New York in 1953 with his band, Los 4 Aces,
playing several tours of the Caribbean before settling in the Bronx.
He played with Trio Los Panchos in the early ‘60s, recording four
albums, one featuring Eydie Gormé, and soon began recording on the
Fania label, joining the Fania All-Stars. In 1969 he recorded the
influential salsa album Tribute to Arsenio with the Larry Harlow
Orchestra. In 1970, with Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe, he combined
the new sounds of New York salsa with traditional Puerto Rican
Christmas music on Asalto Navideño, one of Fania’s best-selling albums
of all time. The cuatro master has appeared on over 150 albums,
including CDs with Paul Simon and Linda Rondstadt, and recorded over
20 solo albums. Since 1994, he has performed in the Latin Legends
with Larry Harlow and Adalberto Santiago.
“El Topo” Antonio Cabán Vale, singer, songwriter and poet, born in
Moca, Puerto Rico, moved to San Juan in 1961 to study at the
University of Puerto Rico, where he became known as “El Topo” and
published his first poems in a student literary review. He began to
write music in the ‘70s and formed a band called Taoné, singing with
the group. As the nueva canción style of popular music hit Puerto
Rico, Cabán became a noted composer. Songs such as “Qué bonita luna”
and “Solina, Solina” boosted nueva canción as well as his own career.
His romantic melodies such as “Canción de los amantes” were
popularized in many versions. And his “Verde Luz” is considered akin
to a national anthem. In the ‘90s, Cabán made over 20 recordings
including La patria va and Un metro de temura, which included “Amante
corazón.” He also published two books of poetry to wide acclaim. In
2001, the Sixth International Book Fair at Roberto Clemente Coliseum
in San Juan was dedicated to Antonio "El Topo" Cabán Vale.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City
Council. Lehman Center also receives support from the New York State
Council on the Arts.
For additional information, photos, interview requests, contact:
Leah Grammatica / LGPR / 212.243.6052 / Leah...@aol.com
*
Click here to view a segment from last year's show.
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aurorazdb has shared a video with you on YouTube:
Carnaval Yomo Toro & Zon del Barrio Asalto Navideño
Cortijo's Carnaval from the Time Machine recording hasn't been
done re-recorded or covered in more than 35 years. In this freestyle,
avante guard plena of 1973 Cortijo mixed a fusion of rock with Puerto
Rican folkloric chants. Zon del Barrio continues the tradition
alongside Yomo Toro. Experimenting with tones on the cuatro with
complimentary riffs and vamps on the keyboards, there are creative
expressions that hint at influences of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and
Ornete Coleman all rolled into a plena form. Re-arranged for 3 'bones
by our bassist Ruben Lopez. ¡WEPA!
An Alfie Alvarrado Documentary
© 2009 YouTube, LLC
Click here to buy your tickets now! http://lehmancenter.org/shows/navidad.html
El Topo, Asalto Navideno