Clinics and Workshops
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Pictured- Left to Right: Eddy, Rolando, Devere and Paul at the 2007 Panoply Arts Festival, Huntsville, AL |
Rolando Matias is also available for clinics/workshop
and afro-latin speaking forums. Other programs includes Forum/Seminar with
Bobby Matos.
The Afro-Rican Ensemble offers a wide variety of educational workshops that brings a clear understanding of the fusion of Latin rhythms with jazz. Latin-Jazz is made up of four building blocks: rhythmic grooves and the Clave-Cuban and Puerto Rican (e.g., rumba, son, bomba, and salsa), melody, harmony, and most importantly, improvisation. The Afro-Rican Ensemble presentations explain each of these in an exciting and accessible way.
The Clave:
The group demonstrates how a melody that all students recognize can sound very different depending on which side of the Clave the melody is played over, the three side or the two side. And by giving students a guide to identifying the different sections of a jazz piece, the presentation teaches students to follow the "road map" of a performance. The group shows how the Clave is at the heart of every Latin- Jazz compositions. A brief history of Afro-Caribbean music will be presented by Rolando Matias, explain the development of the music from its African roots to the assimilation of Western influences in the music, for Cuba and Puerto Rico. The Ensemble will cover the development of the Cuban Clave, and the lesser known Puerto Rican Clave, the "Cua". The Ensemble will explain that these claves will move the music with a certain flow, and will perform known melodies, played over the different claves that will demonstrate to the student, how the pulse of the clave changes the mood of the melody.
The Afro-Rican Ensemble educational presentations describe the instruments the musicians play to create the music, their history and place of origin, and a quick explanation how the instruments are played and their functions inside the musical spectrum. Will talk about the development of the conga, bongos, timbales, bells, etc. and how the ethno-sociology of the afro culture creating one of the most exciting music in the world.
Here is an outline of one possible workshop:
The Four Elements of Latin Jazz and Synthesis of the Ensemble:
1. The First
Element of Latin-Jazz: The Clave-
" The
Clave is the key, and the Key is the Clave" Ed Uribe
This discussion
introduces participants to the Cuban Clave. For example, we will play a traditional
swing tune , On Green Dolphin Street, and then we will play it, with the melody
on the three-side of the clave, and finally on the two-side of the clave, and
ask the students the differences they felt in the pulse, the accents, the way
the melody flows, etc. Then, we might play Donna Lee or Yes or No, as
traditionally written, and then over the "Cua", the Puerto Rican
clave, and have the student identify the differences and the similarities to
the Cuban Clave. We will demonstrate how the Ensemble works together in
establishing a groove, focus on a traditional Cuban son, entitled "Son de
la Loma". First, the Latin percussionist demonstrates their parts alone
and explains the components of their basic beat. Then, the bass player
demonstrates his part alone-the "Tumbao", the keyboardist
demonstrates his part alone-the "Montuno" and explains how it fits in
with the bass and the percussion, and finally the horns will demonstrate how
their part fit in the mix.
In short, this section
familiarizes the participants with the many feelings and emotions that
Latin-jazz expresses by contrasting them with the more traditional approaches.
2. The Second
and Third Elements of Jazz: Melody and Harmony
The Ensemble will
demonstrate how a composition is developed, our original composition,
"Mayo 15" a bolero (Latin ballad) by our bass player Dean Hulett,
will be used as an example. Dean, Mario and Eddie will explain the importance
of voicing, and harmony when developing a jazz tune, and the importance of technique
when performing a ballad.
3. The Fourth
Element of Jazz: Improvisation
Every Ensemble's
compositions involves improvisation, which is the unique component of jazz in
the context of instrumental music. In this section, band members explain the
basic notion of improvisation and demonstrate how it is done. This section is
divided in two, the rhythms instruments and harmony instruments. The
demonstration begins very simply, with an improvised solo based on only one
note. Then, increasingly complex solos are demonstrated, involving, 2, then 3,
and then 4 notes. Then dynamic variation is added to the solo to demonstrate
its role. When appropriate, participants are invited and encourage to the stage
to improvise with the band.
4. The Members
and Their Instruments
The group members each
introduce themselves, described how they first became interested in music, how
their training evolved, and how the place of music in their lives today. They
also demonstrate the range of sounds that can come from their instruments, explain
how each is operated and maintained, and describe the technical challenges each
poses. For young audiences, some participants are invited up on stage to try
playing the instruments, and they receive a little tutoring.
Synthesis
of the Ensemble:
1. Birth and
Transformation of the Band
This section focuses on
how the Ensemble was formed, how its stylistic directions were chosen, and how
it evolved from a sextet ensemble into an established professional organization.
This discussion addresses the notion of teamwork and the challenges in evolving
a collective vision for an artistic partnership. With emphasis in the business
of Jazz.
2. Performance
Settings/Schedule/Formats
This section describes
the many different settings in which the Ensemble currently performs, ranging
from concert halls to outdoor jazz and arts festivals to jazz clubs. Each venue
poses its own unique challenges and has its own unique rewards. The discussion
touches on each of these and gives participants a sense of life on the road for
the Ensemble.