Candido Camero
Encyclopedia
Candido de Guerra Camero, also known simply as Candido (born April 22, 1921) is a Cuba
n percussionist (mainly conga
and bongo
) who backed many Afro-Cuban jazz
and straightforward jazz
acts since the 1950s. Although he has been credited as the first person to use the congas in jazz music, it is well known that at least Diego Iborra preceded him with Dizzy Gillespie by the mid 1940s as well as Luciano "Chano" Pozo Gonzales in 1947 also with Dizzy Gillespie at Carnegie Hall and a European tour.
. He moved to New York
in 1952 and started recording with Dizzy Gillespie
. During 1953-54 he was in the Billy Taylor quartet and in 1954 he performed and recorded with Stan Kenton
. He also enjoyed some hits during the disco
era, most notably with the Babatunde Olatunji
penned track "Jingo" which he recorded for Salsoul Records
, which released from his Dancin' and Prancin album
. It peaked at #55 in the UK Singles Chart
in July 1981. On January 15, 2009 he was the surprise guest at Zinc, a jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village
.
He was honoured with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2008.
(1970 Blue Note) Drum Fever (1973 Polydor) Dancin' and Prancin (1979 Salsoul)Hands Of Fire / Manos De Fuego (Live) (2008 Latin Jazz USA)
With Bennie Green
With Grant Green
With Wes Montgomery
With Elvin Jones
With Wynton Kelly
With Ellen McIlwaine
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n percussionist (mainly conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
and bongo
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
) who backed many Afro-Cuban jazz
Afro-Cuban jazz
Afro-Cuban jazz is an early form of Latin jazz that mixes Afro-Cuban rhythms with harmonies and musical timbre typical of Bebop. It was developed in the early 1940s by both Cuban musicians and Jazz musicians, with Dizzy Gillespie, Mario Bauza, Machito and Stan Kenton among some of the most notable...
and straightforward jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
acts since the 1950s. Although he has been credited as the first person to use the congas in jazz music, it is well known that at least Diego Iborra preceded him with Dizzy Gillespie by the mid 1940s as well as Luciano "Chano" Pozo Gonzales in 1947 also with Dizzy Gillespie at Carnegie Hall and a European tour.
Biography
Early in his career, Camero had recorded in his native Cuba with MachitoMachito
Machito , born as Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, was an influential Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music...
. He moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1952 and started recording with Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
. During 1953-54 he was in the Billy Taylor quartet and in 1954 he performed and recorded with Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
. He also enjoyed some hits during the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era, most notably with the Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji
Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist.- Biography :Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, a small town near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Yoruba people, Olatunji was introduced to traditional African music at...
penned track "Jingo" which he recorded for Salsoul Records
Salsoul Records
This article is about the record label. For SalSoul the Puerto Rican Salsa radio station see Cadena Salsoul.Salsoul Records was a New York City based record label founded by brothers Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre . Salsoul released about 300 disco 12-inch singles, and a string of...
, which released from his Dancin' and Prancin album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
. It peaked at #55 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in July 1981. On January 15, 2009 he was the surprise guest at Zinc, a jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
.
He was honoured with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2008.
As leader
Beautiful (Candido Camero album)
Beautiful is an album by Cuban jazz percussionist Candido Camero recorded in 1970 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Matt Collar awarded the album 3 stars stating "Beautiful isn't the most essential of Candido's recordings, but should hold a fascination for...
(1970 Blue Note) Drum Fever (1973 Polydor) Dancin' and Prancin (1979 Salsoul)
As sideman
With Sonny RollinsSonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
- What's New?What's New? (album)What's New? is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, his second recorded for the RCA Victor label, featuring performances by Rollins with Jim Hall, Bob Cranshaw, Ben Riley, Dennis Charles, Frank Charles, Willie Rodriguez and Candido.-Reception:...
With Bennie Green
Bennie Green
Bennie Green was an American jazz trombonist.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and 1960s.-As leader:...
- Bennie Green Blows His HornBennie Green Blows His HornBennie Green Blows His Horn is an album by American trombonist Bennie Green recorded in 1955 and released on the Prestige label.-Reception:...
(1955)
With Grant Green
Grant Green
Grant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
- His Majesty King FunkHis Majesty King Funk- Personnel :*Grant Green - guitar*Harold Vick - tenor saxophone*Larry Young - organ*Ben Dixon - drums*Candido Camero - bongo and conga-Track listing:#"The Selma March" 08:26#"Willow Weep for Me" 10:02#"The Cantaloupe Woman" 04:56...
(1965)
With Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
- Bumpin' (1965)
With Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
- Poly-CurrentsPoly-CurrentsPoly-Currents is an album by American jazz drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1969 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars calling it "Advanced modal hard bop with all of the musicians playing in top form".-Track listing:# "Agenda" -...
(Blue Note, 1969) - CoalitionCoalition (album)Coalition is an album by American jazz drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1970 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "This was a particularly creative and often intense ensemble, attached to the hard bop tradition but always...
(Blue Note, 1970)
With Wynton Kelly
Wynton Kelly
Wynton Kelly was a Jamaican-born jazz pianist, who spent his career in the United States. He is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1959-1962.-Biography:...
- It's All Right!It's All Right!-Track listing:# "It's All Right" - 2:51# "South Seas" - 5:30# "Not a Tear" - 5:59# "Portrait of Jennie" -Track listing:# "It's All Right" (Curtis Mayfield) - 2:51# "South Seas" (Rudy Stevenson) - 5:30# "Not a Tear" (Stevenson) - 5:59# "Portrait of Jennie" -Track listing:# "It's All Right"...
(1964)
With Ellen McIlwaine
Ellen McIlwaine
Ellen McIlwaine is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for her career as a slide guitarist.-Biography:...
- Honky Tonk AngelHonky Tonk Angel (Ellen McIlwaine album)Honky Tonk Angel is the 1972 debut solo album by Ellen McIlwaine, following her departure from Fear Itself. The first side of the album contains songs that were recorded live at The Bitter End in New York City while side two of the record is made up of studio recordings.The album was re-released on...
(1972) - We the PeopleWe the People (Ellen McIlwaine album)We the People is a 1973 album by Ellen McIlwaine.The album was re-released on CD in 1993 along with McIlwaine's 1972 debut album Honky Tonk Angel as Up From the Skies: The Polydor Years.-Side A:#"Ain't No Two Ways About It " – 4:26...
(1973)