Música Viva: Curriculum Vitae (English)

Traditionnal Percussion from Cuba

Manley "Pirí" López Herrera
is the youngest member of now famous family of tamboreros "Los Chinitos de la Corea", who invented guarapachangueo, bata drum players and makers of the "Abbilona" cd series (17 cds already available). He has been considered as one of Cuba's most gifted children-musicians.

Since he is very young Piri plays Rumba in professionnal groups, and Batá drums or "Cajones al Muerto" in ritual orchestras. His legend grew up when, aged 15, he has been "last-minute substitute" to accomplished musicians when recording the 45cds of the Abbilona project, though he never entered in a recording studio before.

Glossary of used terms

(Photo Credits: Daniel Chatelain)

Bata Drums:
Main instruments in rituals of Yoruba slaves in Cuba, coming from Nigeria. These drums, with songs, allow posession transe in initiated people's body, by gods ("Orichas" or "Santos") of afro-cuban religion named "Santería".

Cajones:
Wooden drums palyed in rituals named "Cajones al Muerto" or spiritist ceremonies, allowing posession of initiates by spirits of the dead. This religion mixes catholic, congo and yoruba cults.

(Photo credit: Official demo from Rumberos de Cuba)

Rumba:
Non-ritual popular music in which cajones are also used as original instruments, afterwards came congas.

Guarapachangueo:
Rumba style created in late 1970's by the López family, which then influenced rumba in all Cuba during the following decade. This name is also used for a cajón "with partitions" created by the López brothers too.

Curriculum Vitae

MANLEY "PIRI" LÓPEZ HERRERA
Specialist musician in afro-cuban percussion.

-Initiated musician from yoruba ritual drum ensemble "Añá Obba Tola", belonging to his family.
-Musician in rituals called "Cajones al Muerto" or spiritist ceremonies, also with his family.
-Member of international dance company "Raices Profundas" leaded by Juan de Dios Rámos "El Colo".
-Recorded 17 cds that can be bought in the whole World with Abbilona.

Born june 15th 1981, Manley the younger member of a drummer family named "Los Chinitos", from la Corea, barrio of the San Miguel del Padrón municipio, in Havana.
This family is composed by four López brothers: Reynaldo, Berto, Irián, and Pedro, and by Pedro's son Manley. This family has been nicknamed "los Chinitos" (little chinese) because they look, as Pedro López says, "achinados" (they've got some "chinese" - in their face).

(Mario "Aspirina" Jáuregui and his gransons
Photo Credits: Christine Ammour)

Professional Experience:

-In 1991: Manley begins playing in yoruba rituals, at the age of 10, knowing most of the music of the sacred rhythms on the second and third drums, he learned with his uncle Irián.
-Between years 1991 and 1997 he integrated several ritual bata groups such as "Tambor de Amador", "Tambor de Pedro Aspirina" and in 1997 completely integrated "Tambor de Lázaro Cuesta" called "Añá Obba Tola", that today is leaded by his father Pedro López. Manley is now the main musician of the group.

-In 1995, Manley enters the group "Aspirina Guaguancó" formed by young gifted musicians. The "Aspirinas" family from Guanabacoa is the most famous rumba family in Havana, since years 1940.

(Young Manley "Piri" aged 15 during recordings of "Abbilona" project)

-After 1997, the "Chinitos" began recording bata drums and yoruba singing records, within the "Abbilona", project containing 45 cds, recorded in 4 periods. Those records are known in the whole World as the most accomplished work ever made in afro-cuban music. They are the most complete work ever recorded in yoruba music from Cuba. Irián López has been the artistic leader, and conducted recording sessions. But famous guest drummers didn't do the work the way Irián would like to, so he decided to ask young Manley, aged 15, as a last-minute substitute. Manley wears for the very first time in his life a headphone, and, without fearing the studio situation, acts as a great professionnal musician, recording all drums parts to be recorded in one take.
He therefore took an important place in the "Abbilona" project. Cuban musicians or bata aficionados all over the world will hardly believe a 15 years old musician plays that great itótele in all those records. This drum is difficult to play, since attention must constantly be paid to what iyá plays, answering to questions it constantly brings. Piri played a fully mastered part, without failing, all along the 45 Abbilona cds.

-In 2004 he enters folkloric company "Raíces Profundas" leaded by great singer Juan de Diós Ramós "El Colo". It is one of the most famous cuban folkloric ensembles. Raíces Profundas makes international tours since 15 years. Within the company, Piri improved the styles he didn't know well, learning the world of modern non-traditionnal choregraphy, using elements from folklore in a contemporary context.

Manley masters improvisation and accompanying dancing in most of all the 100 styles of afrocuban music.
He plays and teaches all following folkloric styles:

• Rumba (Columbia, Guaguanco, Yambù, Guarapachanguero)
• Comparsa (carnival music)
• Yoruba (Bata drums, Guïro, Bembé, Iyesá)
• Congo (Yuka, Makuta, Makutica, Palo)
• Arará (Hebbioso, Afrekete, Asoyí, Asojanú, Mase, Tiñosa)
• Tonada Trinitaria
• Folklore "de Oriente" (Gagá, Vodú, Merengue haitiano-cubain, Tumba francesa, Tajona, Yubá Cobrero, Yubá Macota, Masón, Frenté, Manganzila)

The "Chinitos" are also professionnal musicians in other ritual styles in afro-cuban music such as "Guïro", and "Cajón Espiritual" or "Cajón al Muerto". They often play at "Sábados de la Rumba", a weekly rumba series of concerts organized by the Conjunto Foklórico Nacional.
Manley plays in at least 15 afro-cuban musical manifestations every month, 10 of them at least are bata drum ceremonies.

Manley has the reputaion to play with great creativity, his own style is getting influence on common Havana style, as he is one of the most remarkable musicians of the time.

(Piri and Antoine in Italy)

Teaching Experience:

Transmission of afro-cuban musics has been made until now mainly using oral tradition. Manley learned this way since he was small with his uncles. In cuban Art Schools and Universities great musicians teach folkore since early 1960ies. But oral tradition still lives on, and remains the main teaching mode, for cubans and for foreign students.
Since early 80ies, the "Chinitos" teach afro-cuban music at their home, to students from the whole world. In 25 years, they have known a lot of foreign students, and Manley, since he was 10, accopanied lessons with the uncles. There he learned how to teach. To anyone interested in cuban folkloric music he often tells:
"Even if one day I am part of the best musicians, once I'll be dead: what will remain of me? Nothing. But if I teach people what I know I'll get a better chance for people to remember me one day as a master musician".
Manley teaches since year 2001 in Cuba. He's been a teacher in Italy, Belgium and France.

(text by Antoine Miniconi and Patrice Banchereau)

The Music of the López Family

Musicians of tambor Aña Oba Tola: X, Eliade, Piri, Fredy (singer), Reynaldo, Berto, Osniel, X

Pedro López's father and uncle (Pedro is Manley's father), used to lead in the 1940ies a conjunto de Son (popular music), that played on catholic feasts. At the end of every concert, people used to play Rumba, hybrid music between afro-cuban and popular music. The rumba "peñas" (popular feasts) of the López family became famous in whole Havana, soon attracting famous musicians such as "Los Aspirina" (most famous rumberos family in Havana), from neighbour-municipio Guanabacoa, or Juan De Dios Rámos "El Colo" or Maximino Duquesne Francis.

(Pablo Roche "Akilakuá" in the 1950ies, Photo credits: John Mason)

The "Aspirina" family was well-known for being close to famous Pablo Roche Cañal "Akilakuá", the greatest bata drum player from Cuba ever. Mario Aspirina Jáuregui is one of the few ancient students of Pablo Roche still alive. Despite evolution of bata drums playing style, Pedro and Mario Aspirina are known as the keepers of Pablo Roche's original style.
They were those who, helping the López brothers, taught them how to play the sacred drums of yoruba cults from Cuba, or: "tambores batá".
They allowed the Chinitos to be part of their rumba group: Aspirina Guaguancó.
So, being considered as the most inventive family in whole Cuba in the world of afro-cuban music, for last twenty years, the López family took part to yoruba rituals with the most authentic and conservative bata drummers in Havana.

Manley's father and uncles:

Pedro López is Manley's father. He worked as a carpenter with a man who - says him - has been the very first to create a "pyramidal" cajón in Cuba: Ifraín Kofa Frioles. Pedro has been recently contacted to be part of a rumba project similar to "Buena Vista Social Club".

"Bertico" López is a drummer, too, and integrated famous rumba group "Grupo Yoruba Andabó", that before that was named (since 1961) "Guaguancó Maritimo Portuario". He brought guarapachangueo within the group, and influenced famous Pancho Quinto Mora, one of the greatest drummers in Cuba, who died last year.

Irián López, Manley's uncle, was a member of the great Conjunto Foklórico Nacional de Cuba, gathering folklore specialists of the whole island, in the 1980ies. He appears with the CFN in the film "El País de los Orichas".

Reynaldo is the fourth brother of the family. He is a drummer and a singer. His rumba repertoire is endless.

During the 1970ies, the Chinitos invented a rumba style named "Guarapachangueo"
(or, like themselves say, "Guarapachanguero") that afterwards created a revolution in the worl of rumba. The "modern" styles of groups like:
"Conjunto de Clave y Guaguancó" or
"Grupo Yoruba Andabó" are born from elements caught from Chinitos.
Rumba is a non-ritual feast, where anybody can express his state of mind by singing. The rumba musical system contains a strong relationship between lead singers ans chorus.
The instruments of this music are percussions, using very syncopated rhythms and phrases. It is all about accompanying the singer. Lead singing is the main element until comes the refrain or "estribillo", from which main element becomes dancing.

(Foto: ©Rebecca Bodenheimer)

Three main rhythms are used, corresponding to three different styles of singing and dancing:
Yambú, Columbia and very popular Guaguancó.
Rumba was born in both harbours (La Havane, Matanzas and Cárdenas) and countryside (Sabanilla, provincia de Matanzas, where Columbia was born).
Rumba is nowadays played in whole Cuba, in cities and in the country, it is a great part of cuban identity.
The original rumba drums were cajones (wooden boxes), then congas. The "Chinitos" invented their own "cajón" style, created by Pedro, and adapted to "Rumba Guarapachanguero" style.

(Manley, his uncles, and the musicians of their yoruba rituals group with the banner of their "tambor de fundamento" Aña Oba Tola)

The four López brothers began to play bata drums in the 1980ies and now have their own ritual drums (or "tambor de fundamento"), named "Aña Obba Tola", now recognized - though recent - as one of the greatest tambor in Havana.
Manley is born within this boiling nucleus, and always showed big interest in music. He studied since very young with his uncle Irián. He now is the soloist of the family, and is told in Havana to be part of the "gifted youth" of afro-cuban folkloric world.

Discography

The "Abbilona" project is something ambicious that changed a lot the way to present recorded yoruba music from Cuba to public outside Cuba. Before that, tracks had to fit a standard commercial size: only 5mns tracks were recorded, corresponding to a "classical" length in record industry. This size has nothing to do with real length of yoruba music from Cuba, where, to get "the Saint come down", you have to sing and play for 30 minutes for one particular Oricha, the music always beginning from "slow and calm" to "fast and intense".
In any "Abbilona" record, the Chinitos recorded tracks that last from 5 to 20 minutes, that fit better to what really happens in rituals.
The Abbilona project also includes many singers from young generation, such as:
Jesús "Cusito" Lorenzo Peñalver, with his harsh voice,
Javier Pina, with his very modern melodic style,
Jesús "El Corto" Zayas,
Alain Fernández,
Naivi Angarica, etc…
All these new generation ritual singers would maybe never have got opportunity to record without the creation of this project. The music of Abbilona is the mirror of current cuban yoruba music under logical evolution, since early XXth century.
"Abbilona" series have been made to put all cuban yoruba cult music down on cd. After listening to Eleguá vol. 3 & 4 (not yet available), we could come to conclusion that every song and "toque" belonging to that Oricha had been recorded in the four records. One can tell that it has been only in present time style, but this kind of testimony remains unique, not only on the cultural side, but it indeed contains a scientific interest.
This project also provoked "reaction" of "official" number one singer, Lázaro Ros, who imitated Abbilona by publishing a 13 cds series, leaving his own testimony before diying in 2004.
Out of the 45 cds that will complete the whole Abbilona series, only 16 are available.

Abbilona "Eleguá-Ogún-Ochosi" 1