JOHN SANTOS and
EL CORO FOLKLORICO KINDEMBO

“PARA ELLOS”

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  1. ELEGUA (Traditional)
  2. MAESTRO MONGO (John Santos/Trad.)
  3. OGUN (Traditional)
  4. MISA (Traditional)
  5. QUISIERA HACER UN RECORRIDO (Anonymous)
  6. EL PANADERO (John Santos/Trad.)
  7. LOS RUMBEROS (José Luís Gómez)
  8. SANTA TERESA (Traditional)
  9. LA CULTURA (John Santos/Trad.)
  10. CONGA CARABALI (John Santos/Trad.)
  11. PARA ELLOS (John Santos/Trad.)
  12. TEMA KINDEMBO (John Santos)

Produced by John Santos.

All arrangements by John Santos except Los Rumberos, arranged by José Luís Gómez.

Track 8 produced by John Santos and Wayne Wallace in 1990. Engineered by Al Eaton at One Little Indian Studios, Richmond, CA.

Track 9 engineered by Jeff Cressman 1/8/03 at Bay Records, Berkeley, CA. James Ruzicka, 2nd engineer.

Tracks 2 & 5 engineered by Jeremy Goody 2/3/03 at Skyline Studios, Oakland, CA.

Tracks 1, 3, 6, 7 & 10 engineered by Jeremy Goody 6/12/03 at Skyline Studios, Oakland, CA.

Track 12 engineered by Jeremy Goody 6/14/03 at Skyline Studios, Oakland, CA.

Tracks 4 & 11 engineered by Jeremy Goody 7/5/04 at Megasonic Sound Studio, Oakland, CA.

Mixed by John Santos and Jeremy Goody, Fall 2003 at Megasonic Sound Studio, Oakland, CA.

Mastered by Ken Lee December, 2003

© 2004 Machete Records

Para Ellos (For Them) refers to our elders and all our ancestors upon whose shoulders we stand – in particular those whose courage, conviction, and love have left us the legacy of drum, dance, and song, and the tradition of fighting for the dignity of all beings. Para Ellos is for all of them - those we never met in this life as well as those whose paths we were honored to physically cross. We are intimately connected to every one of them, centuries and millennium notwithstanding. We dedicate this project to the countless defenders, teachers, and interpreters of drum/dance/song traditions the world over - especially to five of the greatest of all time who gave so much and left us recently - Mongo Santamaria, Julito Collazo, Oscar Valdés Sr., Chichito Cepeda, and Malonga Casquelord.

Among the music, dance, spiritual practice, and language of the West and Central Africans brought to Cuba during the brutal slave trade, none have been more influential than that of the Yoruba (from present-day Nigeria and Benin) and the Kongo nations (Bantú linguistic groups hailing from a huge section of Central Africa). Their fascinating, resilient cultural legacy has been largely incorporated into the social fabric of Cuban society. The same holds true for Caribbean society in general.

The collision of cultures produced by this forced encounter has borne various levels of syncretization of spiritual practices and their associated music/song/dance traditions. This process is clearly demonstrated throughout the Americas in general, and the Caribbean Basin in particular. The geographic and economic position of Cuba at the heart of the colonial Americas made it the major port of disembarkation and the cultural focal point of Spain’s empire. These factors contributed heavily to Cuba’s intense African heritage.

The music presented here is a testament to the vital current traditions conceived by the continued transmittal and valorization of Afro-Cuban cultural practices of West and Central African origin, which thrive in countless communities in the Americas (and in Europe as well). These cultural practices have survived because of their considerable, inherent spiritual and practical information, the unsinkable, courageous spirit of Africans and their descendents, the honoring and recognition of ancestral values by successive generations, and because of the improvisational and adaptive nature of these forms. Our San Francisco Bay Area has become one of the most important hotbeds of African-based drumming in the world. The Cuban contributions to the movement here are strong, begun by resident pioneers such as Armando Peraza, Francisco Aguabella, and Mongo Santamaría, continued by local musicians of various ethnic backgrounds, and fortified mightily by the immigrant Cuban community.

These vibrant rhythms and styles are intended to be uplifting in all ways. More importantly, as they have done for decades and in some cases centuries, they continue to offer a mode of expression where we can bridge gaps of generation, nationality, gender, and politics. They give voice to that which concerns and inspires us in a social reality that leaves little room for our thought, much less our voices. We feel it urgent to maintain this music of resistance in its role as a strong advocate for colonized, marginalized, and otherwise disenfranchised communities. The music and dance have grown beyond their undeniable Cuban roots and have become part of a greater international community surrounding the drum, dance, and song, united by a common desire for peace and respect.

(From the liner notes)