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Feb 05, 2018
EDUCATOR GUIDE
Artist/Organization: John Santos Discipline(s): Music
SECTION I - OVERVIEW...............................................................................................................2 SUBJECT .........................................................................................................................................2
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS OBJECTIVE STORY SYNOPSIS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES EQUIPMENT NEEDED MATERIALS NEEDED INTELLIGENCES ADDRESSED
SECTION II CONTENT/CONTEXT............................................................................................3 CONTENT OVERVIEW THE BIG PICTURE RESOURCES TEXTS RESOURCES WEB SITES VIDEO RESOURCES BAY AREA FIELD TRIPS
SECTION III VOCABULARY.....................................................................................................8 SECTION IV ENGAGING WITH SPARK ................................................................................10
Still image from SPARK story, 2007.
SUBJECT
JohnSantosandtheMacheteEnsemble
GRADE RANGES K12
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS Music
OBJECTIVE ToprovideaforumforstudentstoexploreLatinjazzmusic,itshistory,anditsintrinsicconnectiontojazz.
STORY SYNOPSIS For20years,fourtimeLatinGrammynomineeJohnSantoshasledhis11pieceMacheteEnsembletobecomeoneoftheBayAreaspreeminentLatinjazzgroups.Nowasoneeracomestoanend,anewonebegins,asTheMacheteEnsemblebidsfarewelltoitsfansinagoodbyeconcerttoclosetheSanFranciscoJazzFestival.SparkfollowsSantosashepreparesfortheconcertandshedslightontheworldofLatinjazz.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES Handsongroupprojects,inwhichstudentsassist
andsupportoneanother
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Handsonindividualprojects,inwhichstudentsworkindependently
Grouporaldiscussionandanalysis,includingpeerreviewandaestheticvaluing
Teacherguidedinstruction,includingdemonstrationandguidance
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES TofosteranunderstandingofLatinjazzandits
historyToillustratethechallengesandrewardsofworking
asamusicianToanalyzehowmusicaltraditionschangeand
develop
SECTION I - OVERVIEW EQUIPMENT NEEDED SPARKstoryonJohnSantosonDVDorVHSand
relatedequipmentComputerwithInternetaccess,navigationsoftware,
speakersandasoundcard.CDplayerandmusicalsamplesselectedfromthe
Resourcesectionoftheguide
MATERIALS NEEDED Accesstolibrarieswithuptodatecollectionsof
periodicals,books,andresearchpapersAccesstoLatinjazzrecordingsandCDplayerPencils,pens,andpaperMusicalinstruments,especiallypercussion
(homemadeortraditional)
INTELLIGENCES ADDRESSED LogicalMathematicaltheabilitytodetectpatterns,
reasondeductivelyandthinklogicallyMusicalIntelligencethecapabilitytorecognize
andcomposemusicalpitches,tones,andrhythms
Interpersonalawarenessofothersfeelings,emotions,goals,motivations
Intrapersonalawarenessofonesownfeelings,emotions,goals,motivations
BodilyKinesthetictheabilitytouseonesmindtocontrolonesbodilymovements
SeemoreinformationonMultipleIntelligencesatwww.kqed.org/spark/education.
MEDIA MATTERS ThefollowingSPARKstoriesmayusedfor
compare/contrastpurposes:RobertoBorrellandtraditionalCubanmusic:http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/115.pdfZakDioufandDiamanoCouraonAfricanmusic:http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/303.pdf
http://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/115.pdfhttp://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/115.pdfhttp://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/303.pdfhttp://www.kqed.org/arts/spark/education/lessonplans/303.pdf
SECTION II -CONTENT/CONTEXT
CONTENT OVERVIEW For over 20 years, four-time Latin Grammy nominee, John Santos and his Machete Ensemble have been at the forefront of Latin jazz in the Bay Area. His 11-piece ensemble, comprised of lead and backup singers, bass, keyboard, drumset, four horns and two Latin percussion instruments, has explored the boundaries of Latin jazz, incorporating elements of Afro-Caribbean folk, blues, Latin dance, straight ahead jazz, and experimental music. Over the years, The Machete Ensemble has developed a loyal and critical audience appreciative of music that doesnt fit into simple categories. Yet, economic factors have not been kind to large ensembles, and with reduced bookings, the ensemble has decided to end its two-decade tenure with a farewell concert closing the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Spark follows Santos as he prepares for the concert and the journey into the next phase of his music career, with the John Santos Quintet. WithfamilyrootsinCapeVerdeandPuertoRico,SantoswasinspiredbyhismusicallytalentedfamilyandtheburgeoningmusicsceneofSanFranciscosMissionDistrict.AlthoughhestartedoutplayingLatinpercussioninstrumentssuchasthebongosandcongadrums,itwasntuntilthe1960sandtheintroductionofthefunkyLatinfusionmusicofCarlosSantanawhenSantoswastrulyinspiredbythepossibilitiesofmergingtraditionalLatinmusicwithmodernforms.
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AsSantosstates,hearingthetraditionalinstrumentssuchascongasandtimbalesmixedwithelectricguitarandblues,legitimizedtheolderinstrumentsofmygrandparentserainanewandfreshway.AfterabriefexperienceasapercussionistinSantanasband,Santosdedicatedhimselftoalifetime
ofstudyandpractice,andtodayisoneoftheforemostauthoritiesonLatinjazzandLatinfolkmusictraditions.Aftermanyyearsasaneducator,historian,recordingartistandperformerithasbecomepartofhismissiontoeducatethepubliconLatinmusictraditionsandtheassertionthatLatinjazzdidnotdevelopasanafterthought,butrather,thatLatinmusichasaparallelandstronglyinfluentialdevelopmentonnotonlyjazzbutallpopularAmericanmusic.Asisevidencedbyhisdiscography,extensiveresume,andcollaborations,SantoshasexploredthegamutofLatinjazz,seekingnewavenuesforexpressionwitheachnewproject.
(Lefttoright)LuisTorres,JohnSantos,TogbajiStewart,BobiCspedes,JacquiBarneand,MarcusGordon.PrecitaPark,SanFrancisco,CAc.1977
THE BIG PICTURE Latinjazzisageneraltermthat,likethewordjazz,doesnotdenoteonespecificstyle,butratherencompassesdifferentrhythms,eras,approachesandinstrumentations.Inthebroadestsense,itcombines
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LatinandAfroCaribbeanrhythmswithjazzharmonies.Foroverahundredyears,LatinmusichasinfluencedtheAmericas.JellyRollMortonwasoneofthefirsttomentionacertainSpanishTingeinearlyjazzmusic(andthatwithoutit,amusicianwouldbeunabletocapturetherightswing),andsincethen,theintroductionofLatin,andmostpredominantlyCuban,rhythms,stylesandsensibilitieshaveexpressedthemselvesfrominstrumentationtocompositionalstylesinAmericanpopularmusic.AlthoughattributingconcreteexamplesofLatingeneticmarkersinearlyjazzandragtimeissomewhatdifficulttoprove,thelinkbetweentheseAmericanidiomsandthoseoftheCaribbeanisclear,giventheproximityandtradebetweenNewOrleansandCuba,andtheircommonmixofSpanish,FrenchandAfricanelements.ThisSpanishtingereferredtobyJellyRollMortonwasalsopresentinragtimemusic,aswasevidencedbythesimilaritybetweenthehabaneraandragtimesyncopation.TheritmodetangoofthehabanerawasvirtuallyidenticaltotheAfricanAmericancakewalkstyleofmusicanddance,andbecameastandardrhythmicfeatureinmanypopularsongsattheturnofthecentury.OneofthemostnotablewaystotracktheinfluenceofLatinmusicisthroughthevariousdancecrazesthathittheUnitedStatesthroughoutthe1900s.Bythe1920stheUSexperienceditsfirstLatindancecrazefromArgentinathetango.Meanwhile,inCuba,thepeopleenjoyedcontinueddevelopmentofdancemusic,fromsontodanzn,andtheemergenceofsextetos,septetos,andorquestastipicas(withfluteandstrings).ItisundeniablethattherewascrossfertilizationbetweenthesebandsofCubaandearlyjazzbandsoftheUS,andonecanhearjazzharmoniesorstylisticsoloingonrecordingsfromtheperiod(suchasthetrumpetplayinginSextetoHabanero).1930witnessedtheintroductionofanauthenticCubandanceorchestraonBroadwaywithDonAzpiazsHavanaCasinoOrchestra.ThebandfeaturedacompletelineupofLatinpercussioninstrumentsthatforeverchangedthewayAmericans
thoughtaboutLatinmusic,beginningwiththesongMamaInez,andElManiceroThePeanutVendor.HotonAzpiazsheelswasanotherpopularentertainer,XavierCugat.Cugat(himselfaSpaniard)assertedthatinorderforAmericanstounderstandLatinmusic,hegavethemessentially80%eyecandyand20%authenticity,thereforehisshowswereheavyoncharisma,andlowonwhatwastraditionalCubandancemusic.Hisinstrumentationwaseclecticandincludedaccordion,marimba,drumset,violins,trumpetandpiano.ThedancethatwassoldtotheAmericanpublicwasnowtherumba(nottobeconfusedwiththeAfroCubanformofthedanceandmusic),awatereddownversionofsonaCubandancestyle.ButregardlessofbeingsimplerforAmericanstodigest,CugatandothersweresomeofthefirsttocreatehybridsofLatinandAmericanstyles.OfgreaterimportancewasthecreationofamusicscenethatwasstylisticallyLatin,withtwodistinctcoresuptownbands(thatcateredtothegrowingLatinopopulationintheBarriosinEastHarlem)anddowntownbands(thatplayedforpredominantlywhiteaudiences).ThissawthebeginningofLatinbandleadersplayingfordiverseaudiences.TheresultwasanecessaryhybridizationofstylestomakethemmoreLatin,ormoreAmerican,dependingonwhichaudiencewaslistening.11940wasperhapsthemostsignificantdecadeforLatinmusicintheUS,notonlyfortheriseofLatinjazz,butalsotheinfluenceofBrazilanditsmusic,andtheemergenceofthedancecalledthemambo.MachitosAfroCubans,withMarioBauzasmusicaldirector,createdbigorchestrasandmatchedastandardlineupofbigbandjazzwithLatinpercussionsuchasbong,claves,maracas,andtimbales.By1952,theywereoneofthetopthreebandsplayingatNewYorksPalladiumBallroomatatimewhenthedanceclubhadissuedanallmambopolicy.TheothertwogroupswereledbyTitoPuenteandTitoRodriguez.Whatwasuniqueaboutthesebandsisthewaytheyplayed.TheytookthebigbandorchestrationsandlayunderthemanAfroCuban
1 The Latin Tinge, John Storm Roberts, p. 86-