Danny Barcelona
Encyclopedia
Danny Barcelona was an international jazz
-band drummer
for Louis Armstrong
's All-Stars band. He was a Filipino-American born in Waipahu a community of sugar cane plantation families East of Honolulu, Hawaii
. He was also frequently introduced to audiences by Louis Armstrong as The Little Filipino Boy.
, singer, and bandleader
Trummy Young
. Barcelona was a self-taught percussionist
. Young and Barcelona met in the mid-1940s. Danny Barcelona was later introduced to Louis Armstrong in 1956 by Young. Barcelona became Armstrong's drummer for 15 years. A native Hawaiian
, Barcelona joined Young's Hawaii All-Stars in the early 1950s, and then later assumed leadership of the said band - a sextet known as the Hawaiian Dixieland All-Stars - when Young himself left to join Louis Armstrong’s combo
in 1952. Barcelona toured around the Hawaiian Islands
, Japan
and the rest of the Far East
. In the fall of 1957, Barcelona moved to New York City
. Barcelona, again through Trummy Young's recommendation, formally joined Armstrong's All-Stars band in February 1958 to replace retiring drummer Barrett Deems
and to record jazz music with Armstrong for more than 130 times. Barcelona was only 27 years old when he was introduced by Young to Armstrong. Barcelona's recording career with Armstrong included the jazz music hits "Hello, Dolly!
" (1964) and "What a Wonderful World
" (1968). With Armstrong and Young, Barcelona, traveled the world which included trips to Denmark, Germany
and Rhodesia
, Africa
. Barcelona was described by T. Dennis Brown in The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz as a drummer "characterized by extensive use of the ride cymbal, crisp, clean fills and breaks, and solos that exploit asymmetrical phrasing". After Armstrong's illness in 1971 and his death on July 6 of the same year, Barcelona returned to Hawaii and became a permanent performer at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel
to play with Bernie Halmann and Melveen Leed
. He also worked for many years at Harry's Music Store and the Easy Music Center. In 1979, Barcelona returned to the mainland and settled with his family in Monterey Park, California
.
at the age of 77. He was survived by his wife Dee Barcelona; by his two daughters, Dana Barcelona-Bonner and Jodi Barcelona; by his brother, Jose "Sonny" Barcelona, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Barcelona's wife, Dee Barcelona, was once a member of the Morgan Sisters singing trio. Danny Barcelona and Dee Thrasher met while the latter was performing with her two sisters at the Waikiki Hotel
. Barcelona's contemporary players in the jazz music industry at the time were Gabe Baltazar
, Frank Kamano and Bobby Kamano.
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...
-band drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
for Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's All-Stars band. He was a Filipino-American born in Waipahu a community of sugar cane plantation families East of Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. He was also frequently introduced to audiences by Louis Armstrong as The Little Filipino Boy.
Career
At the age of 18 and in his final year in high school, Barcelona was already playing music with trombonistTrombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, singer, and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
Trummy Young
Trummy Young
James "Trummy" Young was a trombonist in the swing era. Although he was never really a star or a bandleader himself, he did have one hit with his version of "Margie," which he played and sang with Jimmie Lunceford's Time-Life Orchestra.-Biography:Growing up in Savannah, GA and Richmond, VA, Young...
. Barcelona was a self-taught percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. Young and Barcelona met in the mid-1940s. Danny Barcelona was later introduced to Louis Armstrong in 1956 by Young. Barcelona became Armstrong's drummer for 15 years. A native Hawaiian
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
, Barcelona joined Young's Hawaii All-Stars in the early 1950s, and then later assumed leadership of the said band - a sextet known as the Hawaiian Dixieland All-Stars - when Young himself left to join Louis Armstrong’s combo
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
in 1952. Barcelona toured around the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the rest of the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. In the fall of 1957, Barcelona moved to New York City
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...
. Barcelona, again through Trummy Young's recommendation, formally joined Armstrong's All-Stars band in February 1958 to replace retiring drummer Barrett Deems
Barrett Deems
Barrett Deems was an American swing music jazz drummer born in Springfield, Illinois, probably best known for his work with jazz musicians Jimmy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong , Red Norvo, and Muggsy Spanier.Deems died of pneumonia in Chicago, in September 1998, at the age...
and to record jazz music with Armstrong for more than 130 times. Barcelona was only 27 years old when he was introduced by Young to Armstrong. Barcelona's recording career with Armstrong included the jazz music hits "Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (song)
"Hello, Dolly!" is the title song of the popular 1964 musical of the same name. Louis Armstrong's version was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001....
" (1964) and "What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
" (1968). With Armstrong and Young, Barcelona, traveled the world which included trips to Denmark, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Barcelona was described by T. Dennis Brown in The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz as a drummer "characterized by extensive use of the ride cymbal, crisp, clean fills and breaks, and solos that exploit asymmetrical phrasing". After Armstrong's illness in 1971 and his death on July 6 of the same year, Barcelona returned to Hawaii and became a permanent performer at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
to play with Bernie Halmann and Melveen Leed
Melveen Leed
Melveen Leed is an American singer. After winning the title of "Miss Molokai" she begin singing in the mid-1960s and has released a number of records in the genres of Hawaiian, Country, and Jazz music....
. He also worked for many years at Harry's Music Store and the Easy Music Center. In 1979, Barcelona returned to the mainland and settled with his family in Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
.
Personal
Barcelona died at Monterey Park on Sunday, April 1, 2007, due to complications from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 77. He was survived by his wife Dee Barcelona; by his two daughters, Dana Barcelona-Bonner and Jodi Barcelona; by his brother, Jose "Sonny" Barcelona, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Barcelona's wife, Dee Barcelona, was once a member of the Morgan Sisters singing trio. Danny Barcelona and Dee Thrasher met while the latter was performing with her two sisters at the Waikiki Hotel
Waikiki Hotel
The Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel is a major luxury beach resort in Waikīkī on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Located at 2255 Kalakaua Avenue in Honolulu, it sits on the legendary Waikīkī Beach. The Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel was built in 1971 and is currently owned by Kyo-Ya Company Limited and operated by...
. Barcelona's contemporary players in the jazz music industry at the time were Gabe Baltazar
Gabe Baltazar
Gabe Baltazar is a Filipino-American jazz alto saxophonist.Considered as one of the last great alumni from the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Baltazar moved to the U.S. mainland from Hawaii in the mid-1950s, to record music with Paul Togawa in 1957, and spent a brief unrecorded period in 1960 with the...
, Frank Kamano and Bobby Kamano.