Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2013 Latin Issue | Page 11

like this approach, as we have

Spanish guitar lessons and

some ideas for possible special

listened to hours of Mariachi, Trio

editions in the future!

music and Norteño.
As a teenager, my family

So what is it about Latin music

moved to Puerto Rico from El

in particular that inspired

Paso and introduced me to a

this issue? We felt we had

whole new selection of musical

a responsibility to share the

styles and rhythms. Having some

treasure that is Latin American

guitar skills under my belt, I was

music, as seen through the eyes

quickly recruited to join “La Tuna

and talent of Latin bassists, with

De Cayey”, a traditional group

the rest of the world.

that set the bar for Puerto Rican

I have always been very partial Christmas music, but also had
to Latin music. It could be, in

a wide variety of other pieces

part, because my ancestors

that they incorporated from their

boarded Spanish sailing vessels

Spanish predecessors (Spanish

in the Canary Islands and we

Tunas) and surrounding Latin

spread around the world like

American countries, such as

weeds. I could point out that in

the Dominican Republic and

my very early years my Aunt

Venezuela, but equally reaching

Helen brought home records from deep into the Afro-Antillean roots
Brazil and I listened to Samba

that are present; I believe that

and Bossa Nova, as much as I

having played this music gave

listened to the Beatles.

me a much better insight to it’s

I must include the exposure

fine details. Needless to say,

that one gets from geographical

during the eighteen years that I

location. In my years living in El

lived on the island my ears were

Paso, TX, we frequented Ciudad

also wide open and I listened to

Juarez where I took classical

everything I could.
AUG 2013 / BASSMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM