I noticed the title of the song Homage a Ton Ton Ferrer.. ton ton is a french endearment for Uncle .. I like that word. so Ferrer did not catch my attention. The group playing was the Orchestra Baobab from Dakar Senegal.
It was during one of our trips to South East Asia, my brother Eliyahu introduced me to the Putamayo album From Congo to Cuba. it is an excellent album, still!
No need to stress the importance of Africa in the music of Cuba, but like souls returning back to their origins, some of this music has travelled back to Africa and it can be heard all over the Atlantic side of Africa from Senegal to Angola and Congo. It seems that in the 1930s Cuban son and other rhythms travelled back and spread throughout the western part of Africa.
When Club Baobab was founded in Senegalese capital, the resident orchestra was named Orchestra Baobab. Their distinct sound in Wolof and Mande languages but one hears also Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba. as if Mother Africa is welcoming back her children and children of children ..
There have been many artists who play this genre of African-Cuban music.. I remember Africando and some other musicians who moved to New York..
Music does unite people.
I was listening to this song and suddenly my ear picked up a familiar voice, that of Ibrahim Ferrer, whom I had met in La Habana and attended his funeral at Funeraria K
I thought of the many times I had met Ibrahim, what a humble man with a silky voice always proud of his family, with his black cane adorned at both ends, that went to the grave with him.. a nice dinner at the house of my friend Sandra in Centro Habana..Austin Texas .. Houston Texas..
Then I realized that Orchestra was paying homage to Ibrahim..
What a nice find ..
This is what Orchestra Baobab actually look like..
Te quiero
But if a sunset
Pero si un atardecer
The gardenias of my love die
Las gardenias de mi amor se mueren
It's because they guessed
Es porque han adivinado
That your love has betrayed me
Que tu amor me ha traicionado
Dos gardenias para ti
With them I mean
Con ellas quiero decir
I love you, I adore you, my life
Te quiero, te adoro, mi vida
Give them all your attention
Ponles toda tu atención
What will your heart and mine be
Que serán tu corazón y el mío
Dos gardenias para ti
That they will have all the warmth of a kiss
Que tendrán todo el calor de un beso
Of those kisses that I gave you
De esos besos que te di
And that they will never find you
Y que jamás te encontrarán
In the heat of another love
En el calor de otro querer
A tu lado vivirán y se hablarán
Like when you are with me
Como cuando estás conmigo
And they will even believe that they will say
Y hasta creerán que se dirán
I love you
Te quiero
But if a sunset
Pero si un atardecer
The gardenias of my love die
Las gardenias de mi amor se mueren
It's because they guessed
Es porque han adivinado
That your love has betrayed me
Que tu amor me ha traicionado
Because there is another want
Porque existe otro querer
A tu lado vivirán y se hablarán
Like when you are with me
Como cuando estás conmigo
And they will even believe that they will say
Y hasta creerán que se dirán
I love you
Te quiero
But if a sunset
Pero si un atardecer
The gardenias of my love die
Las gardenias de mi amor se mueren
It's because they guessed
Es porque han adivinado
That your love has betrayed me
Que tu amor me ha traicionado
Because there is another want
Porque existe otro querer
It's because they guessed
Es porque han adivinado
That your love has betrayed me
Que tu amor me ha traicionado
Because there is another want
Porque existe otro querer
