Latin Roots: The Infectious Power Of Montuno
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Latin Roots: The Infectious Power Of Montuno
Rodrigo Y Gabriela perform music with a montuno basis. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Rodrigo Y Gabriela perform music with a montuno basis.
Courtesy of the artistPlaylist
- Eddie Palmieri, "Conmigo"
- Rodrigo Y Gabriela, "Diablo Rojo"
In today's Latin Roots segment we're looking at montuno, a kind of syncopated piano vamp often used in traditional Cuban music, and tumbao, what the piano is doing when the pianist performs montuno. A vamp is a repetitive musical accompaniment or phrase found in jazz, gospel, soul and musical theater — the equivalent of a riff in rock music or a loop in hip-hop. The literal translation of montuno is "from the mountains," and it is often at the heart of Cuban dance music, giving piano players a range of harmonizing phrases to use.
David Dye talks with NPR Music reviewer Tom Moon as they play a couple of montuno-based songs from such well-known artists as Rodrigo Y Gabriela and Eddie Palmieri. Moon has experience playing Latin music as a professional saxophonist, and he gives insight into what it takes to reshape traditional music into something new.