Candido Camero Showcase 1956-1973

banned from youtube
Conga Soul Sessions presents the music of Cuban percussionist Candido who celebrates his 94thbirthday on April 22. He began playing the bongo at a very early age growing up in Havana within a musical family. He learned to play the tres and bass as well. It was with the latter two instruments that he began playing with various groups and eventually working with Chano Pozo’s group Conjunto Azul as a bass player with Mongo Santamaria on the bongos. He would help Mongo with his job delivering mail so they could have time to practice. With Arsenio Rodriguez revolutionizing the way son was to emerge with the birth of the conjunto and adding the conga drum as well as piano, the music would become more complex. Since Candido didn’t know how to read music he decided in his early 20’s to start focusing on playing congas which wasn’t new to him as he participated in many rumbas in his neighborhood from a young age. He started getting work in the cabarets playing bongo with the house band and playing quinto with various dance teams. By 1943 he was with the Tropicana Orchestra as well as performing on radio and recording with Bebo Valdes. Eventually he started working with the dance team of Carmen & Rolando at the Tropicana that were booked to perform in New York City. They didn’t have enough funds to bring the two conga drummers so they choose to bring only the quinto player Candido. Out of this situation Candido decided to bring 2 congas anyway and in 1946 out of his inventiveness he played both parts the rhythm while soloing on the quinto following the movements of the dancers. It was a smash and something new. Candido decided to stay in New York and his first recording in the United States was with the Machito Orchestra. This was also fertile time between Latino and jazz musicians as bebop was what was going on 52ndSt. Dizzy Gillespie was impressed with his playing at the Palladium with Tito Puente and asked him to come down the Downbeat Club to sit in with Billy Taylor’s trio to see how he would play in a jazz setting. Dizzy hired him to go on tour the next day but since Candido’s understanding of English was limited at the time he thought Dizzy meant to come back to the club. Dizzy actually wanted him to meet him at the train station. Candido arrived at the Downbeat expecting Dizzy but since he was not there and the previous night was happening he got offered a one year contract with Billy’s trio in the house band. He got to play with practically who’s who of the jazz world including Charlie Parker. His first jazz recording was with Billy Taylor and would record with Dizzy, Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Errol Garner, Sonny Rollins, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Gene Ammons, Randy Weston, Elvin Jones and many more. Only Ray Barretto who sidelined playing jazz during this time has probably been just as busy recording for the jazz labels. But only Candido as a Latin percussionist was given a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2008 for his contribution to jazz.Candido was able to play the bongos and the congas at the same time and incorporated other percussion as well such as the foot pedal and guiro attach to his congas. He would play 6 congas and bring out melodies within the instrument before anyone else. Eventually he settled on just three due to mainly they could fit in his trunk of his car. He was the first professional to play on fiberglass congas made by Frank Mesa in 1957. The year before marked his debut as a solo artist with ABC-Paramount which he recorded 5 albums for. They were latin jazz albums from small combos to big band and one calypso based lp. By the late 60’s and 70’s his albums would incorporate r&b and funk like his friend Mongo was pursuing. He made a disco album for Salsoul records in 1979 which brought him success and seen as an influence to house heads while his records from the 70’s where sampled for its percussion breaks during the early hip hop period. He and another one of his early friends from Cuba, Carlos “Patato” Valdes along with Giovanni Hidalgo became The Conga Kings that recorded a few albums and toured after 2000. In 2004 he would record an album with Graciela revisiting the standards he had been playing for years that was nominated for a Grammy. Ivan Acosta made a documentary of Candido called Hands Of Fire that was released in 2006. Phew – I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of his long career who continues to play when he can and he owes it to his clean living and that he brought his wife of many years with him when he toured. This mix is off cuts from 10 of his solo albums from vinyl. This is the living legend of Candido – The Thousand Finger Man!
Mambo InnCaravanTin-Tin-TeoConga JamWhen The Saints Go Marchin’ InTalking DrumsConga SoulMadridGhana Spice (Part One)Thousand Finger ManSt. ThomasTic Tac ToeToccataCandido’s FunkCandi’s FunkSt. Thomas El Mix Es Cultura
“como mi ritmo no hay dos”
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