Variety (Jul 1944)

so ORCHESTRAS—MUSIC Wednesday, July 5, 191* See New Afro-Cuban Musical Trend In Widespread Use After the War By EDWARD* PERKINS Havana. July 4. Chano Pozo, Cuba's ace. ebony composer - mrisiciai)' - Stinger - dancer, haVcreated an: amazing.ne'w trend of nriainal Afro- Cuban music that is «weepi«S. this republic via radio nisn't clubs ahd iceords and will soon have, potent eflect . in the United States. Mexico and through- owr Latin Amenta, -It's a postwar natural. '• ; ':'/..'•■. ... ■., : "While '-'-Of Ca:au San Martin was recently ' being elected President, by the Auteutico party. Peso became the leader, of another group of ' An- teiuicos"—•those who "champion .au-. thelitis Cuban music. It all stems.'irojri .'UMuna .Sa-ngaiiT fmvba." an' Afro rumba which Cha::o la Playa Orchestra mi all Miguelito- Valdes' Victor recordings.' - , . • With his radio combo. Pozo has just introduced the bongarimba, the hot- test rhythm instrument to ever startle Havana. It is : a."-massive- mahogany: ■creatio n, ' sl i ghtly big ge r t han: a,'e m iz cert grand piano, -with eight complete built-ip drums,, ranging, from , the bongalita. bongo, quintico and quihtoj: jj^Vor.' '-Variety" First Lov* Hollywood; July *. B. C5. De Sylva, executive pro- ducer, is still Buddy D« Sylv*, songwriter, at heart. New ditty is ''Another Kiss," with De Sylva credited as- lyricist and Ted Grotiya as Uinesmith. POST-INVASION MUSIC BIZ UP IN LONDON London. Jui'.e 12, to the conga, congador, Uimbador and bombo. the latter a huge bass drum. From the foregoing .list only the bongo and conga are well known to American musicians, haying been popularized by;' Cugyt. Madriguera, Morales, Rimae. Machijo. Spcasas and others who. feature Latin rhythms I with their bands., ... /Played .by - h'aivd; :the bongarimba - ' produces a full octave of drum tones, composed three years ago lor the . ... % - lH „ t!iis W()rk | •annual "Cumparsa ..street carnival the Cuban 'March Gras.. But right ....after -Pearl Harbor the •'•Cumparsa" ' was' put oh ice for the duration.:, and the tune was left stranded, save for a Victor -recording ..by Miguelito Valdes and the.'Casino, cie la Playa, which is now .getting a big play. ■ "Muna Sahgaufimba" has: a -weird but catchy.melody. okay for vocals or tevping. plus a.comedy patter and a wham trick ;finale. A-lew, weeks ago Pozo dusted off' the number, and played itwiih his eight, piece, radio combo on their .nightly program over the Cadena, Azul station. Within a fortnight it Was the honey of all the dance bands ;i:i Havana and beeaine "sabrosa." which-is a Cuban way of saying ter- ri lie. • ' Every now and .then the Vedado longliaji's try ■ to suppress Afro music on the grounds that it does no.t rep- . resent the best iii Cuban tastes, but it always bobs up again in the jam- packed: bistros of Marianao. where the best citizens stay up all night at Panchin's or Choricera's to enjoy it. It's as . much a' tfaft of., the -Cuban scene as rum and sugar. ' A Tourism Natural Afro is hailed as a. boon to future tourist trade, for it combines all the exciting features Of the rumba and conga, which have been standard favorites with playboys, convention- eers and cruise travelers. This new vogue is so pronounced that the Cuban Tourist Commission is already, huddling over plans to fi- nance an Afro-Cuban revue on Broadway* next winter, figuring it Will build up more postwar tourist interest than , the; usual budget de- voted.to posters and folders. ; Pozo has several published; tunes to his credit, including "Rompete." "Zarabanda'' and ' "Amparame ". but "Muna. Sanganfimba"' is still unpub- lished ' Traveled .Americans.. Latins and Europeans kin-.v him chiefly as Cuba's top boiigo player with the Casino de Rhythm, fans flock to Cadena Azul Music business slumped, some- what during the pre-invasion period btit better now The 12-yerr-old Robert Stoiz waltz, ' Don't Ask Me Why"' (your Joe young's lyric' is a'.j bullish No 1, and is . heard a» fre- 1 queiitly among the populace as was "If.:! Had My Way" a .few li-.onth.- bacic, . It shared the honours with Roll Out the Bat' el when , the Army of. Invasion pushed oft' from these shores. Rarely does a song reach the great national popularity Bands at Hotel B. 0/s (Presented herewith, as a weekly tabulation, is the estimated covet charge business being done by name bands in various New York hotels, Dinner business (7-10 p.m.) not rated. Figures after name oj hotel give room capacity and couer charge. Larger amount designate* weekend ana holiday price. Compilation is based on period from Monday to Saturday.) • '•'''..';"■'-.'. ■ ■"••. '" ' '•-. .'' -,-'.:•'.""• Coven Total' : '.'■' - Week* l'att C'»ver'i Iliiliil Hotel l'l».i'«d Week On Hat* Hairy James.... . Astor (800; $1-$1.50>........ ,. . . 6 6.620 37,370 Lanl Mclntire. ...Lexington (300; 750-^1.50)..,.......12-4 > 1,950 226.375 Tony Pastor'.. ...New Yorker (400; $1-$1.50)...8 • ' %2m 16,500 Glen Gray . '■.... . Pennsylvania (500; $1-$1.50).... i.,. 10'.' - 2,650 . 25^075 Xavier Cugat ... .Waldorf (550; $2) («' days).1 3,201 S'20i Dean Hudson. ....Lincoln (275; $1-$1.50)............. 4 1,000 4,45t> ".Asterisks indicate a supporting floor show. New Yorker has an ice show. Waldorf has iWortoit Downey. Lexington, Hawaiian floor show. - ■ ■. '/ •": ,'■■': Lot Angeles. Freddie Martin (Ambassador; 900: $1-$ 1.50. Closed Thursday on, due waiter union strike. ■ T.wo night take. 1.100. ' '.'•■;' .ioe Reichmaii (Bilimore; 900; $1-81.50 11 Getting some of -Grove cVOv for grand 4,700 tabs. , : N day and night to give the bongarimba. y^. -Mf.i Had My Way." The oddest a looksee. And Cliano's half ■:,|'ioui- j thin „. in t |, e ^viM business . right program there, is the top audienSE-1 110w j^. jhe Saga of Lilli Mai-lene getter . -Thal lmulein ceUamly gets around! Imitators are siyjnied because it I Tunred down by your folks.' she bas takes three years to age these drums Chano has'a corner on the market?: The best drum-makers, submit their .wares to him ftrst. becalise-he. pays the highest prices. He has ,a- collec- tion of 37 different drums, in addition to his bongarimba. .- ■■ ..• George Balalichine knows Pozo as a bang'up choreograher who pro- duced and. starred in the famous "Conga Pantera'' ballet at the Tropi- cana, swank outdoor, night club, in 1941. with the Ballet Russe'troupe. Set the Pattern '.-•.;■' . Ppzo's "Cumparsa" troupes, in which: he was the leading dancer, were forerunners of the tropical re Location Jobs, Not in Hotels .•;.'.'•'."•;' .'."'-.'v'.'! ' (Los Angeles) . ' ■ ;,'■.','•'■ .'Jimmy Dotsey /Palladium B. Hollywood, third week). Continued seii- sational biz for . third consecutive week with 35.000. payolas. ■.": ; .'.; Jan Savitt (Trianon B, Southgale, tourthweel;>. Baton like a magi-: -waird. 'Holding-at-87500; * '.. • . - ■ r ,' - ■> —^ •'. Freddie' Slack iSlapsy Maxie's! N. Los Angeles; sixth weeki. Masters on tap for July, 4'.. Slack closing capacity 5.200,. , V. , Franki'e nevertheless bobbed up in no less than three Arms here in England, one of which uit least' nas flie bless- ! . ... .. • "■■'.'';'-"' ■ ■', .' ' '- : ing of ofl'icial sanction. Sales are.' ..':... ".:' .;'.':'- ' Chicago -':'. quite brisk too. «'hich ) xieorgt Hamilton .Empire Room. Palmer House: 700: .M-S3.50. min.). 6 , xp . la " 1 ! d .^ y .,^^/^ \- Hamilton and new show, headed by Victor. Borge .helped .weekly tola! },k great 10.200. Army boy.s all learned the tune in North Africa.- Ill this craV.y day, and | age almost anything goes.- but, tbe j Woody Herman (Panther Room. Sherman hotel; 950: $1.50-$2.50 min.'i. Herman keeping figure around excellent 8.000. circumstances of this song's rise to ; . ^ ^ arid Marine Roam. Edgewater Beach hotel; popularity are swely unique, m the J 4 600 . colnbined; . $1 . SI . 50 : admission to Beach Wa ,k for dancing and sho.r history or poputai music. ., 50e and 75c cover charge, plus $1.25; min. in Marine Room). Beach Walk More., and .more Ameucau .a.t.sts | ^ yefy popu|ar - ^ ^ ^ clli ,, killg „ p : al . olmrt 10,000,/ •: and programs are becoming popular with "British listeners due' to the variety of U. S.-trapscribed broad- casts over the BBC —Charlie Me- i vue .formula - now show n by the, I Carthy" is a national favorite..and I Katherine Dunham Dancers in " the | think quite a few people.get a little United States. kick out of.the association of Ra^- The versatile Pozo is also the.guid- ing influence of the Nanigos. a so- ciety which glorifies ; the' : jianigo. bembe. ' santo. diablita and other Noble's orchestra With the program. Other names, that are becoming favorites are Andre Kostelanetz. Harrv James and Dinah Shore, w hile Bill Snyder (Mayfair Room. Blackstone hotel: 400; $2.50 min.V. Terrifift turnover oh GOP ,conventionites enabled Snyder and Irene Bordbni to play to marvelous 2.700. : /r.'.'.'-'~ *'>*">*• n • Benny;Strong (New- Walnut Room.'Bismarck hotel:, 465: $1.50-$2.50 ni'rn.t. Convention helped here, too, Strong and room attracting (We 4.700. . Afro-Cuban dances. These are in the j Bing still "reigns all aloiie, l.ike a j voodoo category, and , performances i king on. a throne"! No. reports so '.."•'•'.<>.■'? '' ■ : (Chicago ' ' ' : ■ Gay Ciaridge (Chez Paree; 650; $3-$3.50 .miniy. ■ ■'Spphie Tucker '.and Claridge turned 'em away. All place could holdwiih capaciiy 5.200.; .. Carl Raviizza (Blackhawk; 500: $l-$2.50 min.h Ravazza opened strOiid Wednes. 128). Around 4.200 covers ,. are strictly private.. Btit they are the talk of Havana, and harder to crash than ••» Broadway stage' premiere. Membership is limited, and there is a long waiting list. • ■• far of anyone—-male or ifemale— having swooned at Sinatra, but .then it took several years tor Blng to ] achieve his present, popularity here. Mairzy Doats'' became No.'l in Other composers aboard the Afro Arsenio Rodriguez. Fecu.ndo Rivero. I States. Francisco Fernandez. Julio Cnevas,' Love. Love, Love,' Harry James'l-Nighfers In Trek Back to Coast who are getting evitably, but has less "zing" here bandwagon are | than U - appeared-, to have ..in the Soon we'll see about .''It's which is the sort Jose Forest and Rodriguez Fift'e. | o£: ditty that usually catches on. ahd Arsenio Rodriguez, blind guitarist, the added Latin - America n- : fl a vo'f. will has a .new. hit, "Junto at; Bambu." not haim it in any way, for the iu- w-hich is ruhiierup to "jMuna-Sangan-1 terest in that type of music is getting nrpba." It is also on records..but still i much momentum. Hits of the calibre unpublished. Rodriguez' "Bruja'| 0 f "Green Eyes." "Besame Mucho." Manigua" was a standout several ] "Amapola,": "Nightingale." ' I Came, years ago. , • ' 'I Saw, I Conga'd" and ' Brazil", have assignment, likely. "Cabbage* and Hermanos Palau Orchestra is.nbwi done much to accomplish this,' ; and | Kings."' . ... ■ the No. 1 dance and recording combo I now the -musicals starring people here. They have 22 numbers on Vk> | nke Xavier Cugat are getting around tor's June-July release list, against which helps, too. •.■■*•.•.•'.•,',■• (Continued on page 32) I Reg Co*ine/iy. Harry James and his orchestra are on a two-week trek of one-night stands- \vest which will take them to Hollywood. Band played Atlantic City yesterday <4); plays .Wilkes- Barre today (5), Rochester (6), Allentbwn (7), Hershey (8), Pitts- burgh (10), Dayton (11), Cincinnati (12i, Akron (13), Chicago (14). ■ \ Back oh Coast, James will confer with Metro execs on his next film Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra booked for the week of July 18 at the Or- pheum theatre. Los Angeles. DUKE*S HORNS^SWIPED,- RETURNED IN TORONTO Toronto, July 4. Duke Ellington's orchestra lost five saxes, Ave clarinets and a trumpet: here recently, when thieves brok>t into, the locker .room, of the. Club . Queensway,. but. they 'were mysteri- ously returned later, apparently by the thief. At the time the horn* Were stolen Ellington was forced In cancel two performances and play- others with borrowed instruments. On final night of the run Ellingtons manager, Al Calley, got a telephone. call telling him the stolen horns would be found outside the club'* door. They were. :....-:..,;...-■-. . ,, . . . Learned A Lesson 111 Never Forget Words and Music by JOE DAVIS ROBBINS MUSIC CORP. • 799 SEVENTH AVE., N.Y. 19 ♦ JERRY JOHNSON, Gen. Prof. Mgr.