PHOTO OF EDMUNDO PINA MACHIN “MUNDELE” PICTURED LEFT…PHOTO BY MARTIN COHEN
LM: I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING TO EDMUNDO PINA MACHIN MUNDELE OF LOS VAN VAN FOR MANY YEARS. HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
MACHIN: I’M FINE. A BIT COLD AROUND HERE BUT I’M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO YOU
LM: EDMUNDO, TELL US A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GOT INTERESTED IN MUSIC? WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE TROMBONE?
MACHIN: IT STARTED BY PLAYING THE CONGA…THE TUMBADORAS. MY BROTHER WAS A SINGER BUT I LIKED PLAYING PERCUSSION. I STARTED MY MUSICAL CAREER WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG..14 YEARS OLD. I PLAYED CONGAS WITH A PROFESSIONAL ORQUESTA BUT A FRIEND ADVISED ME TO THE SCHOOL OF ART. I STUDIED PERCUSSION. MY TEACHER HAD TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL AND MY FRIENDS CONVINCED ME TO PLAY TROMBONE. THAT’S HOW I STARTED TO PLAY TROMBONE.
LM: YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYING TROMBONE WITH LOS VAN VAN FOR 40 YEARS. HOW DID YOU MEET JUAN FORMELL?
MUNDELE: MY BROTHER WAS A SINGER IN A CABARET ORQUESTRA AND FORMELL PLAYED IN THE BAND. I WOULD SEE FORMELL AROUND AND I STARTED PLAYING WITH MUSICIANS FROM OTHER GROUPS. AT THAT TIME, HE ONLY HAD 2 TROMBONES IN LOS VAN VAN. ONE DAY, I WENT TO HIS HOUSE AND I TOLD HIM THAT I PLAYED THE TROMBONE. HE SAID THAT HE KNEW WHO I WAS AND I PITCHED HIM ON HAVING 3 TROMBONES IN THE BAND. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD THINK ABOUT IT AND THAT HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME ONCE HE RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO MEXICO. HE TOOK A WHILE TO GET BACK TO ME BUT HE CAME WITH CONTRACT AND I JOINED LOS VAN VAN.
LM: WHAT YEAR WAS THAT?
MACHIN: APRIL 1983. NOW I’M CELEBRATING 40 YEARS WITH LOS VAN VAN
LM: IN THOSE 40 YEARS, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST MPORTANT INNOVATIONS THAT LOS VAN VAN CONTRIBUTED TO CUBAN MUSIC?
MACHIN: FORMELL CHANGED EVERYTHING..THE CONFIGURATION OF THE GROUP. THE RHYTHM SONGO HAS CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKES IT A GENRE IN ITSELF. HE CHANGED THE WAY OF PLAYING THE PIANO SO THAT IT HAD MORE OF AN ATTACK. THE TUMBAO SOUNDED DIFFERENT FROM THE TRADITIONAL TUMBAO. HE INTRODUCED THE ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR. HE INTRODUCED THE DRUMS. HE CHANGED THE WAY THE SINGERS HARMONIZED BY EXPANDING TO A FOUR PART HARMONY. ONE OF THE SINGERS AT THAT TIME, EL LELE SANG WITH A TRIO PREVIOUSLY AND BROUGHT THAT SOUND INTO THE WAY THE QUARTET SANG. HE FEATURED THE VIOLINS MORE IN THE MUSIC. THE PERCUSSION CHANGED AS WELL. SONGO IS CHARACTERIZED BY IT’S POLYRHYTHMS THAT WERE VERY ADVANCED FOR THE ERA AND FOR CUBAN MUSIC. WHEN I JOINED THE BAND, THERE WASN’T A CHARANGA THAT HAD 3 TROMBONES. IN 1980, LOS VAN VAN ADDED 2 TROMBONES, IN 1983 THAT EXPANDED TO 3 TROMBONES AND IN 1988, CHANGUITO USED ELECTRONIC PERCUSSION, WE WERE ALWAYS INNOVATING IN THE GROUP. LATER I STARTED TO USE AN ELECTRONIC DRUM PAD AS WELL AND FORMER VAN VAN SINGER ANGEL BONNE STARTED TO USE A STAINER EWI SAXOPHONE IN THE GROUP.
LM: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND ADMIRED GROUPS IN THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC AND WORLDWIDE. WAS WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR 40 YEAR CAREER WITH THE GROUP?
MACHIN: THERE ARE TOO MANY TO MENTION! THE ARE SPECIAL EMOTIONAL MOMENTS FOR ME PERSONALLY. IT’S HARD TO PICK JUST ONE…THERE WERE MANY. THE FIRST TIME THAT I PLAYED FOR LOS VAN VAN AT KARL MARX THEATRE WHERE THOUSANDS ATTENDED WAS UNFORGETTABLE. THERE WERE A LOT OF TRIUMPHS IN PARIS, JAPAN, BARCELONA…THEY WERE HUGE CONCERTS. THE SAME IN CUBA…HUGE SHOWS…INCREDIBLE! AND THERE ARE PLACES THAT LOS VAN VAN DON’T WANT TO GO AND PLAY. (MUNDELE LAUGHS.) AND THEY TELL US TO LEAVE! (LAUGHS)
LM: DO YOU STILL CURRENTLY PLAY WITH LOS VAN VAN?
MACHIN: YES ALTHOUGH I’M IN THE PROCESS OF RETIRING FROM THE GROUP BUT I’M STILL PLAYING WITH THEM IN CUBA. I’M PLAYING THE ELECTRONIC PAD…ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BAND PLAYS FROM THEIR 1980 AND 1990’S PERIOD WHERE THE PAD WAS HEAVILY USED IN CUBAN MUSIC. WE USED IT TO CREATE NEW RHYTHMS AT THAT TIME. FORMELL ARRANGED THE INNOVATIVE WAY THAT I USED THE PAD IN THE INTRO OF “EL QUE NO BAILA GANA”
LM: NOW YOU’RE CONDUCTING PRESENTATIONS ON THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC FROM THE 1880’S TO THE PRESENT TIME. WHY ARE YOU TAKING THIS NEW PATH?
MACHIN: I STARTED TO GET THE WRITING BUG ONCE I STARTED A BLOG THAT CELEBRATES THE WORK OF OUR BAND THAT WASN’T GETTING EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE USUAL PRESS CHANNELS. SO I MADE THAT MY STARTING POINT I ALSO STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC. SO I WANTED TO DEFEND CUBAN MUSIC THROUGH EDUCATION SO I STARTED THERE. I STARTED WITH THE HISTORY OF LOS VAN VAN AND THEN THINGS STARTED TO OPEN UP. I HAVE A BIG LECTURE COMING UP ABOUT THE HISTORY FOCUSING ON IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES SINCE THE 1700’S WHO ARE EITHER FORGOTTEN OR UNKNOWN. I BEEN HAVING SUCCESS PRESENTING THESE LECTURES IN THE MUSIC WORLD…IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE AND IT’S GROWING ELSEWHERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW THE GENRES THAT CUBA CREATED AND THE HISTORY OF THE ABACUA IN CUBAN MUSIC.
LM: YOU JUST MADE THE PRESENTATION ON THE ABACUA UTILIZING PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND RECORDED MUSIC RECENTLY AT LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER IN BERKELEY.
MACHIN: IT WAS INTERESTING. IN REALITY, PEOPLE DIDN’T GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I PRESENTED BUT IT ALSO ENDED WITH A RUMBA WHICH WAS A SPECTACLE, IT WAS LAST PART OF THE PRESENTATION. THE HISTORY OF THE ABACUA IN CUBAN MUSIC WAS VERY INTERESTING WHICH INCLUDED THE INSTRUMENTS THAT THEY USED. EL CERRO WHO STARTED PLAYING IN 1912. THE HAMMER PATTERN “TAC-QUI-TAC ON PERCUSSION WAS CREATED IN 1927. THE CREATOR OF THE DANZON WAS AN ABACUA. MANY CREATORS OF CUBAN MUSIC WERE PART OF THIS ABACUA ASSOCIATION.
LM: WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THESE FIGURES IN THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC?
MACHIN: LACK OF EXPOSURE. SINCE 1959, WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS BEING CONNECTED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION OF LATIN MUSIC. AND WHEN TIME PASSES, PEOPLE FORGET. THEY FORGET WHY THEY’RE HERE AND WHY THEY’RE LISTENING TO THIS MUSIC. CUBAN MUSIC HAVE MANY GENRES, MANY DIFFERENT RHYTHMS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF., NO? I THINK THAT THERE ARE SO MANY RHYTHMS THAT IT’S HARD TO GRASP THEM ALL. THERE IS SOME CONTROVERSY ABOUT SALSA VERSUS CUBAN MUSIC THAT REALLY DOESN’T EXIST. THERE’S NO CONTROVERSY…IT’S THE SAME MUSIC WORLDWIDE. SO THAT GAVE ME THE MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD
LM: HOW CAN PEOPLE GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU? DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE?
MACHIN: WWW.VANVANMUNDELE.WORDPRESS.COM
LM: WHAT ARE YOUIR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
MACHIN: AT MY AGE, I LOVE THE INVITATIONS TO SPEAK AT CONFERENCES. I BELIEVE THAT IT’S GOOD WORK TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC.
LM: WILL YOU STILL PLAY WITH LOS VAN VAN AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU ARE GIVING LECTURES?
MACHIN: WE’LL SEE HOW THINGS WORK OUT. LOS VAN VAN ARE GOING THROUGH A NEW GENERATION OF MUSICIANS THAT’S EXCITING TO SEE. I WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR THE ORCHESTRA. NOW MY BODY IS SLOWING DOWN ON THAT LIFE STYLE…IT’S NOT EASY TO BE ON THE ROAD ALL THE TIME. PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
LM: IS THIS PROJECT GOING TO BE YOUR MAIN FOCUS?
MACHIN: YES IT IS. I’M HAPPY ABOUT THIS DIRECTION THAT I’VE TAKEN. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WRITE A BOOK
LM: WILL YOU BE VISITING THE UNITED STATES MORE OFTEN?
MACHIN: YES, I THINK I AM. IN CUBA, I HAVE BEEN DOING PRESENTATIONS AT THE SUPERIOR SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS, THE SUPERIOR SCHOOL OF ETOLIA, THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC, EGREM AND VARIOUS PLACES. LAST YEAR, I TALKED AT A PRESENTATION ON LOS VAN VAN’S INFLUENCE ON CUBAN MUSIC AND I HAVE PROPOSED NEW LECTURES THAT ARE AWAITING THE GO-AHEAD. I’M HANDLING ALL OF THESE TALKS BUT ALSO TALKING ABOUT AFRICA’S INFLUENCE AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE ABACUAS FROM THE PORT OF AFRICA TO THE HISTORY OF CUBAN MUSIC.
LM: IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE TO SPEAK TO YOU AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS
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