Ray Barretto, a percussionist extraordinaire and legend in the Salsa & latin Jazz music community has left the music scene with his death in February 2006 at age 76.
Born of Puerto Rican descendence in Brooklyn during the depression, he lived with his mother in East Harlem, The South Bronx and other "boricua" districts before he joined the army, where in the latter 1940's he heard Dizzy Gillespie's hard bebop. The young man was transfixed by Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca," which featured conguero Chano Pozo.
He started sitting in at a Munich jazz club, and after his discharge, by the early 50's he had bought his own Cuban Cnga drum and was playing regularly at clubs like The Bucket of Blood. Soon Mambo was the rage, and Barretto eventually started playing with Tito Puente in 1957, replacing the famed Mongo Santamaria. He became a band leader on his own by 1961, and had a big hit with his group Charanga Moderna and their boogaloo dance craze single called "el Watusi" in 1963 that was the first Latin record to hit the Billboard top 20, and went Gold.
Barretto is credited by some for bringing the African Conga drum into popular music, and had a crossover appeal that transcended the genre boundries of mainstream music categories. He gained recognition beyond the Puerto Rican music scene, ex. played on many Blue Note albums. He beacme associated with the Latin label Fania in the 1960's and played for three decades in the popular ensemble called the Fania All Stars alongsde Willie Colon, Ruben Blades and others. His 1972 album, "Carnaval", is considered a masterpiece amongst latin Jazz afficianados with the songs "Cocinando Suave" and his interpretation of Gershwin's "Summertime".
Highlights of Barretto's run with the Fania All Stars were their tours of spots like Panama, Puerto Rico and Zaire where they played to 80,000 in Kinshasa before the Ali-Foremen fight. Undoubtedly their sell out concerts at N.Y's Yankee Stadium in 1973 & 1975 would have to be included as well.
In 1975 and 1976, Barretto earned back-to-back Grammy nominations for his solo albums "Barretto" (with the prize-winning song "Guarere") and his double "Barretto Live...Tomorrow". By 1976, although he had stopped performing & touring with his live salsa orchestra, he was regularly voted Best Conga Player in music magazine annual polls. He became interested in jazz fusion forms, and pursued this musical passion despite it's lack of commercial appeal. Barretto felt restricted by the Salsa scene, it's conventions and strict danceable format, and did not like the tag Latin Jazz either.
He teamed with singer Celia Cruz in 1983 for the first of several albums, finally winning a 1990 Grammy with her for their 1989 song "Ritmo En El Corazon". In 1992, he formed the ensemble New World Spirit, and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
He had recently been named best drummer in the 2005 DownBeat poll, and received the NEA's 2006 Jazz Masters Fellowship before his health declined. His recent albums "Taboo" (1994), "My Summertime" (1998) and his final album 2005's "Time Was - Time Is" all received Grammy nominations for best Latin jazz performance.
Over the years he is said to have recorded more than 70 albums for numerous labels including Riverside, Atlantic, EMI, CTI, Fania, Tico, RCA Victor, Concord Picante, Prestige, Blue Note, Circular Moves, Sunnyside and his last for O+ Music. Amongst his many musical collaborators included Cannonball Adderly, Joe Farrell, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, Charlie Palmieri, George Benson, Lou Donaldson, Dizzy Gillespie, José Curbelo , Adalberto Santiago, Steve Gadd, Hector Lavoe, Yusef Lateef, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Ray Vega, Oscar Hernandez, Tito Gomez, and even Little Miami Steven Van Zant's Sun City project. At the time of his death in a New Jersey hospital, he was in his late 70's, and had recently had several health setbacks including suffering asthma, compounded by heart attack, bypass surgery, pneumonia , a tracheotomy and just enough damned ailments to take Fuerza Gigante down.
More Barretto Links & Sample MP3'z & Interviews available at
http://lilmikesf.blogspot.com/2006/02/conga-king-ray-barretto-rip.html
Bruca Manigua
Ray Barretto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sin la libertad no pue'o vivi'
Mundele cabá con mi corazón
Tanto maltratá cuerpo ta' furí, oh
Mundele cumba fiote siempre ta' ngarua'cha
Queta' por mucho que yo lo dinga
Siempre ta' maltratá
Ya ne me tabá labio de buirí, oh
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Ay, Yenyere Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Yo no quiero ser esclavo, yo quiero libertad
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Ay, Mundale cabá tanto maltratá
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá (Bruca Maniguá)
La libertad pa' los Niches
Y toda la humanidad (Bruca Maniguá)
¡Oye!
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Ay Bruca, Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
(Bruca Maniguá)
Yo no quiero ser esclavo, yo quiero libertad
(Bruca Maniguá) yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae
The lyrics to Ray Barretto's song "Bruca Manigua" revolve around the themes of freedom and liberation from oppression. In the first verse, the singer identifies himself as a black person from a specific ethnic group, the Carabalí. He asserts that he cannot live without freedom, emphasizing the importance of personal liberty in his life.
The chorus, "Mundele cabá con mi corazón, tanto maltratá cuerpo ta' furí," can be understood as a plea to the world to leave him alone and stop abusing him. The use of the term "tanto maltratá" suggests that he has experienced a great deal of mistreatment and abuse, both physically and emotionally. However, despite these challenges, he remains resilient and determined to fight against the oppression he faces.
The repetition of the phrase "Yenyere Bruca Maniguá" throughout the song serves as a rallying cry for freedom. It is a chant or spiritual incantation that represents the struggle for liberation. The singer calls upon the spirit of Bruca Maniguá, perhaps a mythical or legendary figure associated with resistance and rebellion, to bring about change and justice.
The lyrics also express the singer's longing for freedom and his refusal to be enslaved. He declares, "Yo no quiero ser esclavo, yo quiero libertad," which translates to "I don't want to be a slave, I want freedom." This line further emphasizes the central theme of the song – the desire for liberation from the chains of oppression.
Overall, "Bruca Manigua" is a powerful and impassioned plea for freedom and equality. It speaks to the struggles faced by marginalized communities and their determination to resist and fight for their rights. The song serves as a call to action, inspiring listeners to join the struggle for liberation and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo so' un carabalí negro de nación
I am a proud Afro-Caribbean from my nation
Sin la libertad no pue'o vivi'
Without freedom, I cannot truly live
Mundele cabá con mi corazón
They beat my heart down
Tanto maltratá cuerpo ta' furí, oh
My body is tired and bruised from so much mistreatment
Mundele cumba fiote siempre ta' ngarua'cha
They always attack me with their sticks
Queta' por mucho que yo lo dinga
No matter how much I resist
Siempre ta' maltratá
They always mistreat me
Ya ne me tabá labio de buirí, oh
Now my lips are sealed in silence
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
Ay, Yenyere Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
Oh, Yenyere Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
Yo no quiero ser esclavo, yo quiero libertad
I don't want to be a slave, I want freedom
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
Ay, Mundale cabá tanto maltratá
Oh, they keep beating me so much
(Yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae)
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá bruca Maniguá
Bruca Maniguá, Bruca Maniguá
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá (Bruca Maniguá)
Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
La libertad pa' los Niches
Freedom for all the marginalized people
Y toda la humanidad (Bruca Maniguá)
And for all of humanity
¡Oye!
Listen!
Ay Bruca, Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
Oh Bruca, Bruca, Bruca Maniguá
(Bruca Maniguá)
Bruca Maniguá
Yo no quiero ser esclavo, yo quiero libertad
I don't want to be a slave, I want freedom
(Bruca Maniguá) yenyere Bruca Maniguá, ae
Bruca Maniguá, Yenyere Bruca Maniguá
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@orlandosanchez3605
En Cuba necesitan volver a rescatar estos clasicos, la gente ya no sabe ni tiene idea de lo que es la musica cubana. En medio de la desmoralizacion, la miseria tambien se anade el fracaso cultural del regimen...
@almirandasi4794
Creci escuchando esta música en Veracruz, 2da capital de la salsa en los 70's...¡hermosa época!
@enriquecastro6852
EXELENTE, EXELENTE, EXELENTE!!!!! GRACIAS POR SUBIR Y COMPARTIR ESTAS JOYAS MUSICALES INMORTALES!!!!
@tierreronava2414
Ése es mucho Adalberto Santiago hermosa melodía mi hermano gracias por compartirla
@user-cw7kt1kp4z
Increible
@monicavelasquez4884
Solo sabor buen tema
@hib32
Que lindo el bajo
@alexandera4282
Great Cuban classic song!
@tonosi0290
Se me salio!