The Latin Jazz world lost another major voice in Cuban percussion this past Monday February 4th when the legendary Tata Güines passed away at the age of 77. Güines, the inspiration for countless percussionists around the world, died in Havana as a result of a kidney infection. He had performed up to end, spending Sunday in a recording session with vocalist Cesaria Evora. Güines left a legacy of recordings that spanned both Latin Jazz as well as dance music, and his approach shaped modern percussion technique.

Güines was born in 1930 as Federico Aristides Soto, destined for a career in music. He grew up immersed in music; his father was a tresero that performed with a local son group called Partagas. Güines became interested in the bass, and his uncle, the bass player in Partagas, taught him the basics. Soon he was subbing on bass with Partagas and eyeing the conga drums. He developed a distinct style on congas and moved to Havana in 1948. In 1952, he joined Fajardo y Sus Estrellas, which provided full time work and travel abroad. In 1957, he moved to New York, gaining extensive work with the jazz community. He performed at the exclusive Waldorf Astoria and added percussion tracks to recordings by Frank Sinatra and Josephine Baker. Despite his success, his distaste with America’s racism led him back to Cuba.

Upon his return, Güines impacted the Latin Jazz world tremendously through a variety of influential recordings. In the late 1950s, Güines and a group of Havana’s top musicians met after-hours to experiment with improvisation. The resultant combination of Cuban music forms and jazz aesthetics became known as the descarga. Güines, along with Isreal “Cachao” Lopez, Julio Guiterrez, Nino Rivera, Fajardo, and more, recorded the Cuban Jam Session albums, setting the standard for improvisational playing in Cuban music. Some years later, Güines joined Los Amigos, a tremendous descarga group that included Frank Emilio Flynn on piano, Guillermo Barretto on drums, Gustavo Tamayo on guiro, and Papito Hernández on bass. Los Amigos explored more complex rhythmic and harmonic approaches, extending the descarga tradition into the modern era. Güines continued to record and perform Latin Jazz, recording with Anga Diaz on Pasaporte, Jesus Alemany’s Cubanisimo on Malembe, Jane Bunnett on Cuban Odyssey, and Orlando “Maraca” Valle on Tremenda Rumba and Soy Yo. Güines became know for both his percussive vocabulary, but also his ability to create exciting, spontaneous parts.

At the same time, Güines recorded on a variety of popular albums that walked the line between jazz and dance music. In the 1970s, the Estrellas de Arieto brought together many of the country’s top musicians into a loose blend of improvisation and dance music. Musicians included Ruben Gonzalez, Juan Pablo Torres, Pio Leyva, Arturo Sandoval, and Paquito D’Rivera; Güines held the percussion chair, and pushed the ensemble to explosive heights. Although he was the original pick for the conga chair in the Buena Vista Social Club, Güines was on tour during the recording session; he recorded on many of the follow-up albums. Güines joined Spanish flamenco singer Diego “El Cigala” and Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes on Lagrimas Negras, gaining worldwide notice and two Latin Grammy Awards. In addition, he recorded with Cuban artists Síntesis, Elena Burke, Peruchin Jr., and Silvio Rodriguez during the final years of his life. Regardless of the musical setting, Güines always added a fire and grace to the ensemble through his strong groove and nimble solos.

As I look back upon Güines’ amazing body of work, I’m constantly amazed at the range of his influence. Listening to modern day percussionists, Güines’ touch rings through the tone of their congas and his phrasing shapes their lines. He stands on par with the great rumberos Mongo Santamaria and Patato Valdes, both for their overall ability and their influence on today’s musicians. Personally, I’ve heard Cuban Jam Sessions, Vol. 2 countless times; my focused listening was meant to internalize Cachao’s bass lines. Yet I find myself able to not only sing Cachao’s bass lines, but most of Güines’ conga fills. His performance was so powerful, my ears couldn’t help buy gravitate towards it.

We’ll be returning to Tata Güines more over the next couple of week as we remember this master. In the meantime, I’d encourage you to share your memories of Tata Güines. Leave a comment and let us know about your favorite Güines recording or his most impactful performance. Let’s remember his huge impact on the music and keep his memory alive!

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