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In 2023 Atabal celebrated 40 years since percussionist Héctor Rodríguez co-founded the band, and this month they began their forty first 12 months with a exceptional efficiency on the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián.
Atabal ‘s Fortieth Anniversary
Atabal has been taking part in Afro-Caribbean music with a up to date twist since 1983. Final 12 months they celebrated their Fortieth anniversary, so I’m a 12 months late writing about it. However higher late than by no means. Their title comes from the phrase “atabal”, which implies “drum” in Arabic and Spanish. The band’s founder and director, Héctor “Atabal” Rodríguez, was a famend percussionist who grew up within the Tras Talleres neighborhood in Santurce Puerto Rico.
Of their early days, the band targeted on Afro-Caribbean percussion rhythms, an idea Hector borrowed from Cuban percussion teams like Los Munequitos de Matanzas and Los Papines. The band slowly started emphasizing extra the Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms of Bomba and Plena, two genres that emerged from the African diaspora in Puerto Rico. Bomba is a drum-based music that entails a dialogue between the dancer and the drummer, who responds to the dancer’s actions with rhythmic variations. Plena is a vocal and percussion music that narrates the tales and occasions of the folks, typically with a humorous or satirical tone.
Atabal ‘s Music and Albums
After Hector’s passing in 2020, his son Caymmi Rodríguez took over the band’s management. Caymmi has continued the evolution of Atabal’s idea and music, persevering with its fusion of Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms with components of Salsa, Jazz, and different components, together with spices of city music. This evolution has given Atabal a extra modern sound that appeals to the youthful generations, whereas nonetheless sustaining its folkloric roots.
The band has launched a number of albums, reminiscent of “Atabal”, “Soneros en la Plena”, “Ya Son 30: Antología”, “Andy y Atabal” (one in all my favorites with one other son of Tras Talleres, Andy Montañez), and “Yo Soy Atabal”, a tribute to their late founder Héctor Rodríguez. Their newest album, “En la Batalla”, options collaborations with Caymmi Rodríguez, Kily Vializ, Tito La R, and Gabylon. The album’s title observe is a plena that expresses the resilience and delight of the Puerto Rican folks within the face of adversity.
Atabal has carried out in lots of native and worldwide venues, such because the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest, the Smithsonian Folklife Pageant, and the Montreux Jazz Pageant. They highlighted their Fortieth-anniversary celebration with their efficiency on the 2023 version of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Pageant.
Efficiency at Fiestas Calle San Sebastián
Atabal has been a fixture on the Fiestas de las Calle San Sebastián. This 12 months, with the Fiestas theme of “Al Ritmo de la Bomba” (To the Rhythm of Bomba), their presentation had extra significance as they it’s one of many rhythms they specialise in. It couldn’t be a extra becoming begin to Atabal’s forty first 12 months.
Atabal’s presentation was on Friday, January 19, on the Plaza de la Barandilla, one of many 4 phases that hosted reside music reveals in the course of the four-day occasion. They performed to an estimated record-breaking crowd, which loved listening and dancing to their music. The band additionally paid tribute to Ismael Rivera, the legendary salsa singer who was born in Santurce. With Rafael Cortijo, Ismael helped revitalize the rhythm of Bomba.
Right here’s a video of one in all Atabal’s performances on the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián when Héctor was nonetheless with the group.
Atabal ‘s Legacy and Invitation
Atabal is greater than a band; it’s a musical household that shares a ardour for percussion and Puerto Rican tradition. Their music is a celebration of the range and richness of the Afro-Puerto Rican heritage, in addition to a mirrored image of the modern realities and challenges of the island.
Atabal invitations us to affix them of their musical journey and to benefit from the rhythms and melodies that make us dance and sing. If you wish to study extra about Atabal, you possibly can go to their YouTube channel, their EthnoCloud profile, or their web site.
#atabal #fiestascallesansebastian #sanse2024
