El Cantante

Though they don't look much alike, slight actor-singer Marc Anthony was born to play robust salsa sensation Héctor Lavoe. In addition to similar ancestry and vocal skills, Anthony has been building a respectable cinematic resume with roles in Big Night and Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead. The title of El Cantante comes from a number Rubén Blades wrote for The Singer. Lavoe would make it his signature song. In the film, Anthony's wife, producer Jennifer Lopez, plays Puchi, the Nuyorican beauty who won Lavoe's heart. She narrates their story from the perspective of 2002 (the real-life Puchi passed away shortly afterwards). Leon Ichaso (Piñero) contrasts Lavoe's rise from Puerto Rican street singer to New York superstar with his fall from innocent immigrant to heroin-addicted ladies man. By the mid-1980s, Lavoe's popularity hit its peak, and Ichaso spends the rest of the time ticking off the tragedies of his final years: the break with trombonist Willie Colón (John Ortiz), stay in a mental ward, etc. It's a dynamic portrait, and Anthony and Lopez work well together, but despite the urban setting and Latin-flavored soundtrack, El Cantante follows virtually the same trajectory as Ray and Walk the Line (Ichaso has also directed biopics of Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali). His movie looks and sounds authentic, but Lavoe's story might've been better served as nonfiction. There's a sense that there was more to the man than what appears on screen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Review: El cantante sings!
I loved this movie and I also love JLo and Marc Anthony! I think this movie was underrated. If you are truly interested in Hector Lavoe, you will love it. If you buy it just cause you want to see JLo and Marc, you probably won't like it. They are good in the movie but the story is what made it for me. Of course, it goes without saying, Marc Anthony's voice is supberb!
Customer Review: WONDERFUL....
I rented this film recently and was surprised at how good it was. The story depicts the stormy life and tragic end to the great salsa legend Hector Lavoe. This movie hits you in the heart from the start. It makes you care about the character and his music. I now own a cd of Hector Lavoe and I never knew I could like salsa. Who knew?? His music is amazing and the tragic events of his life makes you want to know the person behind the prose of his songs. My ears know good music when it hears it and this man was a icon. Hector Lavoe.......rest in peace! I'm not much of a fan of Jennifer Lopez but she played a good role. However, another actress (a more popular one) would have made this film more marketable to the non-Hispanic population ( mass audience).

The conga drum is widely used in many countries around the globe but is believed to have mainly originated in both Africa and Cuba, and is often called the Afro-Cuban drum or Afro-Cuban barrel-shaped drum. Today, congas, which are played either singly or using several drums, are a large part of Latino-American music, and those who play this unique instrument are referred to as congueros.

Conga drums are narrow, tall, and have varying widths ranging from nine inches across the drumhead to 14 inches across, with the size affecting the sound and pitch of the drums. Larger congas are used for playing lower, deeper rhythms, while the smaller, or quinto drums are used for playing the melodies. When playing several conga drums together, they most often are tuned to one particular chord.

In English, the word conga is used to refer to the single-headed drum, and congas for sets of three individual drums, which includes a higher pitched drum known as the quinto, the lowest pitched called the tumbadora, and the medium-sized drum, called either the conga or the segundo. However, throughout Cuba, the Spanish name tumbadora, which is a more accurate term, is commonly used to describe the drums and is more widely used rather than conga or congas. In Cuba, the word conga is only used when describing drums that are specifically played during Carnaval, which is similar to the annual Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.

Conga drums are typically made from woods such as oak, ash, or beech, although the fiberglass congas of today are gaining in popularity as they can be more durable and are usually far less expensive. Although, many professional congueros who have mastered the techniques still prefer the traditional wooden congas, stating that the sounds produced are warmer and richer than with the newer fiberglass sets.

Congas made from ash wood tend to produce more resonant tones, while oak models are said to give a warmer sound along with reducing overtones that are similar to those made when using synthetic materials.

Today drumheads are also made from synthetic materials, although traditionally, heads made from cowhide were used for the most melodious of sounds, while in more modern times, water buffalo hide was the preferred material of choice to create crisper, cleaner tones.

Typically, buffalo skins are more expensive while other rawhide drumheads are generally found on the less pricier congas. Synthetic heads created to mimic the sounds of natural materials may be beneficial to the more inexperienced player as they produce a brighter, louder tone when played, and also tend to be more durable.

As with any type of musical instrument, craftsmanship and the best materials are of the utmost importance. The use of quality materials and finely honed skills will produce a better set of drums that's not only easier to tune or play, but one that will also sound better. Even beginners are encouraged to purchase a well-made set of congas that will still be sufficient as their experience grows and their skills increase.

Played with both hands using the fingertips and the palms of the hands, congas produce a wide variety of sounds that can be loosely described as either open or muffled tone, slap, open or muffled slap, bass tone, fingers, or palm. Experts recommend learning how to invoke the many different sounds before mastering hand coordination, and then finally concentrating on the rhythm aspect of playing conga drums.

The open tone stroke is played using four fingers, striking close to the rim of the drumhead which produces a clear, distinct sound. The muffled tone stroke, similar to the open tone, is also made using four fingers, but then involves keeping the fingers against the drumhead to muffle the sound produced. For a low, more muted sound, opt for the bass tone stroke using the full palm of the hand to strike the drumhead.

The most well known rhythm for congas is known as the tumbao, which uses a 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2 rhythm with the first two played with muffled tones, and the latter using open tones. Another most popular rhythm is called the bolero rhythm (1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3) which uses two congas and has most recently been heard on songs by artists such as Andrea Bocelli in Besame Mucho and Luis Miguel in La Puerta.

Some of the most widely known congueros are Desi Arnez, who was the influence behind the naming of a small conga known as the "Ricardo" from his television role, Candido Camero, Giovanni Hidalgo, Arsenio Rodriguez, and Poncho Sanchez. Many types of modern music, including jazz, Latin jazz, salsa, mambo, and rumba, still rely on conga drums to keep the beat and produce a variety of unique sounds.

You can buy your Conga Drum or Tumbadora and many other world musical instruments Online at http://www.yourworldinstruments.comOnce you enjoy playing rhythm patterns on your Congas, you can try other Drums like the Djembe, Ashiko, Bongo Drums and enjoy their distinctive sound and styles.

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