dvd description
65 minutes
filmed in Havana, Cuba
genres presented: guaguancó, columbia, batarumba

A full length performance of traditional and contemporary styles of rumba matancera by one of Cuba’s most famous music and dance companies.

On the morning of Saturday, March 2nd 2005, having overcome some problems with their transport the 24 strong group, Afrocuba de Matanzas, travelled from their home city to the Havana base of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba. Afrocuba had been invited to share the bill, with the national folkloric group, for one of the famous rumba Saturdays hosted on the shaded patio of El Palenque. What followed was a superb, full length performance of some of Afrocuba’s greatest rumbas, presented here for the first time on DVD.

Live at el Palenque presents performances of el yambú, el guaguancó, la columbia, and batarumba.

DVD chapters
La Rumba de Muertos - dedicated to the late akpwon Lázaro Ros
El Lukumí - yambú matancero
Atención Cubano - guaguancó
El Manglar - a rumba from 1900-10 which sings about the old slave barrio, El Manglar
La Columbia - columbia
Laye - batarumba
Caridad - batarumba

This DVD includes a twenty page booklet containing background information and details about the performances and Cuban rumba.

artists
lead vocals, director - Francisco Zamora Chirino

vocalists - Sara Gobel Villamil 'Mima', Miguel Ángel Dreke Reyes 'El Negro', Laureano Alfonso Arzuaga 'Papito', Bertina Aranda Villamil

percussionists - Pedro Aballí Torriente 'Regalao', Reynaldo Garcia Alfonso 'Whichichi', Reynaldo Gobel Villamil, Ignacio Calderon Osborni 'Nacito', Dunieske Isassi Yano, Diosvani Saldado Junco, Ramses Zamora Molina

dancers - Yesniel Pérez Domenesch 'El Chini', Antonio Figuroa Gazmuris, Juan Carlos Gobel Pelladito, Omar Alfonso Oña, Zulima Echevarrea Rodriguez, Lisbeth Estacholi Alfonso, Maria Victoria Fleita Gonzales, Osiris Hernandez Sejas, Yordanka Cancino Lamart