Chapter 7: Un Gran Dia en el Barrio
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The weather was still fantastic. The B Team arrived as their name
suggested, last, and Lapiz and Ricardo headed off to get us all
bottles of water to help us make it through the tour [by now the weather
was officially ‘hot’]. We all met underneath the statue of Duke Ellington
and were told that opposite was planned a similar one of Tito Puente.
Well, we were on TP Way so there should hardly be many objections.
Lapiz told us that he was hoping Juan AKA Salsaguy could make it, but
didn’t think he would. We agreed it would be great to be able to meet
him too. Lapiz was particularly disappointed as “he has a car, man”
though he added “AND he’s a really nice guy”.
So, no Juan and no back-up vehicle. Next time Juan, but you really
missed out.
———
Previously Deleted/Lost Scene
Restored Outtake:
Following a YIM conversation I can report that Juan was suffering from the after effects of the alcohol he had imbibed the previous night. He does indeed have a car.
———
Ana set up the video camera she was carrying, turns out that this
tour was to be filmed for Jose?s Cable TV show. We assumed that his
show wasn’t simply the tour repeated over and over again but with
different people nodding at Jose?s wise words and that this was a
Special Edition. But, having never seen it, I couldn’t say [“Join us
again at the same time next week when a jazz loving dentist and her
husband from Yankton, South Dakota join us for the tour”].
Maybe the combination of the weather, well known musicologist in
denial RR, local interest from Lapiz and two of us travelling 3,500
miles ‘to take the tour’ was the reason behind us being filmed. We
will find out in time as Ana promised to let us have a copy of the
tape, which we will sort via Richie at some stage. [Hmmmm,
SalserosCollective TV…..].
As we were being filmed I prepared my disclaimer signature but no
contract of co-operation was issued and, with a real sense of This Is
Live TV, Quiet Please, Take One (etc) Jose welcomed us all, through
addressing the camera directly.
“Welcome to the greatest story on earth……on this corner we can
see the past [points at somewhere that used to be a club but is now
housing or a shop or a parked ice cream van or something], the
present [points to block of flats where he tells us master timbalero
Jimmy Delgado now lives] and the future [points at empty space where
TP might be represented in statue form or some other projected
happening, I can’t actually remember, I was downing my bottle of
water at the time]…..etc….etc….”
After the first take it is quite clear that Jose has done this
before. “Have you done this before?” I ask him, AND HE GETS THE JOKE.
Paul from Vermont would have told me that he has indeed and that in
Vermont…..
We make our way across the road to what looks like a completely
unremarkable piece of rough land, currently being tended by a man who
is watering the plants ( NOT a turtle style reference). Completely
unremarkable piece of reclaimed land currently used as a bit of a
garden? Excuse me, how wrong can a man be.
Jose tells us that this piece of land is one of the most important
spaces in the entire city of NY. This is part of something known as
Operation Greenthumb. “Oh, right, Operation Greenthumb, way to
go” we all nod, uncertain why.
This IS actually an important space, not for what it is [a kind of
garden/allotment space with a ramshackle shed used and run by
ordinary locals for nothing in particular] but for what it stands
for. It represents bulldozed lots where slum landlords had let the
neighbourhood rot, inviting drugs in and keeping them there in a poor
and under supported, undervalued area of the city, Spanish Harlem.
The reclaiming of the land and its use as a simple but nice space in
what Jose reminded us was the “most expensive real estate on the
PLAN ? ET” [Jose emphasised many words for effect] was actually an
important endeavour. We had to agree and nodded with new
appreciation/understanding.
So, Jose was a supporter of Operation Greenthumb and was passionate
about it. Enter an old black man stage left behind the fence:
“What the hell you people looking at/doing here in my space/wearing
that tie for/hey am I on TV?”
Jose, official Salsa and Metro museum titles and all, was being
attacked by the very people he was fighting for. Jose, Cultural
Knight in his Intellectual Shining Armor was well and truly dragged
off his Horse of Truth by one of the foot soldiers. He landed well
and truly in the shit too.
As one, we all decided to act as people do in such tense, awkward
social situations – we shuffled off a few yards to the side, leaving
Jose on his own to regain the respect of this disgruntled trooper.
“I’m from the Metropolitan Museum” Jose explained
“I don’t give a shit” was the response………..
Fortunately for Jose, unfortunately for the 500,000+ cable TV
receivers, the cameras had stopped rolling. Jose eventually got
away, very funny moment captured for posterity here in this journal
though.
After a few minutes we headed down the street and crossed
over to where a hut painted entirely with a Puerto Rican flag was
sitting, on stilts, in a car repair yard. “Ready to roll and Action….”
This was an example of a jibaro house, typical of the sort found on
THE island. Behind this was a house where Tito Puente had lived.
Around the corner was an after hours descarga club, as evidenced by
the boarded up windows. Tito Rodriguez lived round here too, he and
TP were childhood friends, then long time enemies…..
———-
Previously Deleted/Lost Scene
Restored Outtake:
There were a number of points on this tour that I originally missed out. On one street Jose told us how well known folk, who I shall refer to Cheo and Ismael to protect their identity, were well known for coming here seeking drugs to feed their habits ?back in the day?.
We passed the well known and extremely proficient mural on , I think, a corner of 104th Street, titled The Spirit of East Harlem. This is by Hank Prussing & Manuel Vega and well worth passing by.
Another mural, a less artistically proficient and recent one of the recently departed Celia Cruz, was a memorial piece, Jose informed us. Such was the ?quality? of the painting I felt compelled to ask Richie if Liberace was a salsero.
———-
Jose was biggin up the Puerto Rican influence on salsa. In fact, he
was openly saying stuff like “Cuba has NO-THING to do with salsa,
it’s AAAAAA’LLLLLL PUERT-O RIC-AAAAAN”.
Even Richie, known to be a vocal supporter of the vital role of the
NuYorican, was raising his eyebrows higher that some of the
surrounding buildings by this stage. Rod and Michelle, when in town,
you MUST take this tour! I had the feeling that such was the frenzy
Jose had whipped himself up into if I had asked him the time he would
have replied “San Juan”.
We walked some more and found ourselves at the entrance to a Casita
[or, the Casita]. This was a plot of land between two blocks on which
sat some wooden lean to’s and a hut at the end. Some chairs and
tables were in the yard. Trio style Cuban music [which I assume Jose couldn’t
hear] was being played. We went inside and Lapiz asked what I’d like
to drink. I was tempted to ask for that well known Puerto Rican
drink, a Mojito, but asked instead for a local brew. Bottle of cold
Heineken in hand, I joined the others outside in the lovely sunshine.
A group of folk passed on their way out, a woman playing cowbell and
on the veranda an old guy played the guiro. Had I been a lazy arsed
newspaper reporter this would have reminded me of the Buena Vis…..
no, nothing at all like BVSC. Come back Huck, it’s safe to read on.
Jose was excited to show us the toilet, a stolen construction workers
blue portable with some homely touches, in the shape of a mirror and
some torn paper strips. Nice.
Cuban influence, I wondered?
———-
Previously Deleted/Lost Scene
Restored Outtake:
Sometime around this stage I told Richie that I had been unsuccessful in my attempt to add to the list of birthdays I keep track of as I could not find reference to his. I believe he told me ?May. 13th? ?.by which I calculate with other info means RR was born 13/5/71. This right?
———-
We departed the Casita and took in the sights of the last vehicle
used to carry a neighbourhood politician ? it looked like the
untouched original Beverly Hillbillies car, though in bright blue
paint. This represented the unimportant [to the wider NYC community]
status of the area still. We also saw Machito’s old house. Machito,
isn’t he, er, Cuban? This is disputed but whether he was born in
Tampa, Florida or not, he was certainly of Cuban origin. Jose didn’t
mention this.
Neither did he mention Mario Buaza, or any of the rhythms of Cuba
that have formed, along with others, what we know today as Salsa.
Maybe next years tour will include a new feature, “Ladies and
Gentlemen, at this VE-RYYYYYY SPO-TTT, Mongo Santamaria
became a Puerto Rican National in July 1937…..”
We finished with Jose looking down a street, on camera, making a
statement about the importance of the area. He choked and clearly had
a tear in his eye.
We ALL felt it. It was a moment.
Ana told us quietly that in all her time with him, doing this tour,
she had never seen him like this. I would like to point out that
whilst Jose is adamant that the creation of salsa is almost entirely
a Puerto/NuYo ? Rican thang [not sure if I have mentioned that
already, forgive me if I just might?ve made some previous
reference], he is in fact from Ecuador. He is not saying this out of
in built bias, but from his view of his, considerable, experience.
At the end of the day you can’t help but like the man, even if his
views are a little, well, a LOT ‘lopsided’. He seems to care deeply
about the neighbourhood and all the people who have and continue
to live there.
We said farewell to Jose and Ana and made our way over to El Barrio
Music Center, where Ricardo picked up the Barretto album with
Descarga Criolla on it and the Pete “El Conde” album Generacions,
both ones he has been after for absolutely ages.
We called Jane and waited [and waited a bit longer for effect] for her to
re-join us. We stood on the street corner, very close to the infamous Cousin Dropping
Off Drugs And Picking Up Money Before Having Throat Cut
barber shop with pool table scene from the film Carlitos Way.
Talk was of the walking tour, the music that was playing from the shop
[and, as Lapiz already noted, I DO prefer the Marvin Santiago version
of El Jibaro Y La Natruraleza on the Bobby Valentin album Afuera than
the 35th BV live anniversary version with Josue Rosado on vocals]
cigars, certain uptight LJ e-group members and whatever else one
chats about on a street corner in El Barrio with a group of friends
on a warm Saturday evening in Spring.
I shall return and re-read that last paragraph over and over, four
salseros hanging out, nothing fancy but simply wonderful.
———-
Previously Deleted/Lost Scene
Restored Outtake:
Some other stuff we talked about: The tired old selections that bands who should do better like Wayne Gorbea and Willie Villegas churn out; contrasted with the new Bio Ritmo which is original from start to finish; all really looking forward to hearing Armando?s effort via Orquesta La Verdad too.
Richie also promised us a new SalserosCollective e-group picture, which he delivered soon after in the shape of The Barrio All Stars flier, one of which I had picked up in Casa Latina a couple of hours earlier.
———-
Fan-bloody-tastic. We really were all getting along like old friends.
Lapiz’s cell rang and he passed me the phone……..
“Hey it’s me, turn round, no other way, now look up, hey! HERE!!!!!!”
It was Jane waving at us from over the street, under the arches. Time to head
to our hotel fellas, and off we all went to get in Jane?s car………