INTERVIEW: Dizzy, Chano, Chico tribute to play NYC’s Town Hall
Photo: Pedrito Martinez will be one of the musicians at The Town Hall’s celebration of Dizzy, Chano and Chico. Photo courtesy of Danny Clinch / Provided by Cindy Byram PR with permission.
The Town Hall in New York City will soon play host to Dizzy, Chano and Chico — The Original Influencers: 75 Years Later at Town Hall. The Jan. 14 concert will serve as a tribute to the late, great Dizzy Gillespie, the world-renowned trumpeter; Chano Pozo, the Cuban conga maestro; and Chico O’Farrill, the respected arranger who blended everything from jazz to Afro-Cuban music, according to press notes.
The musical event will feature many talented performers, most prominently Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (and, yes, Arturo is the son of Chico). Special guests throughout the evening consist of Pedrito Martinez, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jon Faddis and Daymé Arocena, among others.
Martinez is one of the most anticipated additions to the musical bill. He’s a Cuban percussionist and singer who was born in Havana in 1973, according to his official biography. He has been a New York City resident for the past 25 years, and his recordings run deep, with him working alongside everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Paul Simon and Paquito D’Rivera — not to mention Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Chucho Valdez and Eddie Palmieri. He has also formed many groups over the years, including the highly influential Yerba Buena and The Pedrito Martinez Group.
The Town Hall concert marks many anniversaries, including the 100th for Chico and The Town Hall itself. There is also the 75th anniversary of a Christmas gig at the Midtown Manhattan venue featuring Dizzy and Chano. That night they performed their beloved composition of “Manteca,” and there’s a good bet the song will be featured in the Dizzy, Chano and Chico celebration this weekend. Ditto for Chico’s equally impressive “Afro Cuban Jazz Suite.”
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Martinez about his music and his contributions to the special concert. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
I take it that Chano Pozo was particularly influential on your life. When did you first encounter his music?
Chano was definitely an influence but maybe more as someone who I found interesting in the way he joined with Dizzy Gillespie and had such a strong impact on jazz, more than as a direct musical influence.
What can audience members expect during the concert? What are your contributions going to be?
They can expect me first of all to put 100% of my passion and love for music into my performance. I will be playing congas as well as batá drums, which are ceremonial, used in the Yoruba religion, a religion that started in West Africa, and one in which I am a priest. I will be performing two of my own songs and singing.
What was it like growing up in the music scene of Havana, Cuba? Did you immediately gravitate toward percussion?
It wasn’t so much a music scene as a powerful center of Afro Cuban culture. I grew up in a particularly poor neighborhood of Havana called Cayo Hueso, right across from a park where rumberos would play percussion, sing and dance — all day! I was struck by the music and started dancing before playing percussion and singing.
For those who don’t know, what exactly is a batá drum?
The batá drum traveled from Yorùbáland from Nigeria to Cuba and to the United States during the slave trade. They are a family of three double-headed drums shaped like an hourglass. There are three different sizes with different names: iyá, the larger drum, is the mother; itótele, the medium-size drum; and okónkolo, the smallest, is the baby.
They can be used to “speak” the Yorùbá language and have been used traditionally to recite prayers, religious poetry, share greetings, announcements, praises for leaders.
You have solo shows across the U.S. What’s a concert like when the entire evening is centered on your music?
It’s a party! But a party with deep African roots where women and men are dancing everywhere — on the dance floor and on stage. You can close your eyes and feel like you are in a village in Senegal or Mali. Or in Cuba!
What are you hoping for in 2023?
I’m hoping for the opportunity to bring my band all over the world presenting our new project, Echoes of Africa, and to spread joy and kindness.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dizzy, Chano and Chico — The Original Influencers: 75 Years Later at Town Hall, featuring Pedrito Martinez, among others, will play The Town Hall in New York City Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. Click here for more information and tickets.
