Chano Pozo
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Luciano Pozo González (January 7, 1915 – December 3, 1948), known professionally as Chano Pozo, was a Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer, and composer. Despite only living to age 33, he played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz. He co-wrote some of
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
's Latin-flavored compositions, such as " Manteca" and "Tin Tin Deo", and was the first Latin percussionist in Gillespie's band.


Early life

Luciano "Chano" Pozo González was born in Havana to Cecelio González and Carnación Pozo. Chano grew up with three sisters and a brother, as well as his older half brother, Félix Chappottín, who would later become one of the great Cuban '' soneros''. The family struggled with poverty throughout his youth. His mother died when Chano was eleven, and Cecelio took his family to live with his long-time mistress, Natalia, who was Felix's mother. Chano showed an early interest in playing
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s, and performed ably in Afro-Cuban religious ceremonies in which drumming was a key element. The family lived for many years at El África Solar (Africa neighborhood), a former slave quarters, by all accounts a foul and dangerous place, where it was said even the police were afraid to venture. In this environment criminal activities flourished, and Chano learned the ways of the street as means of survival. He dropped out of school after the third grade and earned a solid reputation as a rowdy tough guy, big for his age and exceptionally fit. He spent his days playing drums, fighting, drinking, and engaging in petty criminal activities, the latter of which landed him a stint in a youth reformatory. No official records document the crime he was sentenced for, though at least one account has him causing the accidental death of a foreign tourist, adding to a record of thievery,
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
, and truancy. At the age of 13, Chano was sent to the reformatory in Guanajay, where he learned reading and writing, auto body repair, and honed his already exceptional skills playing a variety of drums.


Santería

During this time he became a devotee of
Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the tradit ...
. Also known as "La Regla de Ocha", this is an
Afro-Caribbean Afro-Caribbean people or African Caribbean are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern African-Caribbeans descend from Africans taken as slaves to colonial Caribbean via the ...
religion derived from traditional beliefs of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Developed among Afro-Cuban slaves, the religion began as a blending of these West African spiritual beliefs and Catholic doctrine.
Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...
deities were identified with Catholic saints to fool the slave owners, as the Spanish colonialists had forbidden the practice of African religions. Chano pledged allegiance to the Catholic Saint Barbara, identified widely with Shango, the Yoruba god of fire and thunder, and took him as his personal protector. Both Shango and St. Barbara had associations with the color red, and for the rest of his life Chano would often carry a red scarf signifying his allegiance. Pozo was Abakwa and belonged to the Ekue Munanga Efo lodge. Upon his release from Guanajay, Chano returned to his father's house in Havana. Cecelio persuaded his son to practice his trade of bootblack, but Chano's temperament was not suited for this occupation and he quit after less than a year. In 1929 he took a job selling newspapers for ''
El País ''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...
'', Havana's most influential publication, hawking papers on a number of street corners. His forceful nature and success in selling brought him to the attention of newspaper owner and influential businessman Alfredo Suárez, who hired Chano as his personal driver and
bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
. He was rumored to have performed duties as debt collector or "leg breaker" for Suarez. Chano spent his free time dancing, singing, fighting, chasing women and playing his drums. He also began to compose music.


Carnival

Chano's reputation grew among the people each year, not only because of his physical prowess as a dancer, drummer, and success with women, but for the compositions he wrote for
Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
, during the nightly celebrations of which neighborhoods formed highly competitive '' comparsas'', or street troupes. They consisted of singers, dancers, musicians, and the ever-present ''rumberos''. Mostly young, street-toughened drummers, ''rumberos'' were integral to each ''comparsa'' (something like a 'jam club'), since rumberos provided throbbing, sensuous rhythms regarded as the base for all Afro-Cuban music. In a few years Pozo was the most well-known and sought after rumbero in Cuba, with the most talented ''comparsas'' (local groups) vying for his services, and was regularly winning top cash prizes for his compositions. Chano elevated the status and reputation of rumbero to near mythic proportions with his swaggering attitude as he led his own comparsa through the streets and with increasing successes became a hero to Havana's poor people. Pozo and some of his fellow musicians wrote a conga music composition that earned them first prize in the city of Santiago de Cuba's carnival of 1940: "
La Comparsa de los Dandys LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
," a composition that some consider an unofficial theme song of Santiago de Cuba, and a familiar standard at many Latin American carnivals.


Career in Cuba

Cuba was by this time a popular tourist destination, with the biggest hotels, The Sevilla Biltmore, the Nacional, and El Presidente catering to rich Americans and Europeans, and Chano was determined to break the color barrier that restricted the employment of dark skinned people. He began to court musicians and others who might help him by auditioning in unusual places—such as in front of the Cuban-owned radio station Azul, which broadcast popular recordings as well as live Cuban folk music. Chano befriended many musicians who worked there, playing his drum on the street to catch their attention as they arrived for work. Though admired for his prodigious talent, dark skinned blacks were prohibited from working most venues outside of the slums, and Chano searched for opportunities. He found that opportunity with Armando Trinidad, owner of the radio station. Armando persuaded Chano to work for him as the bouncer for Azul, where his imposing size and reputation kept rowdy crowds in check. To survive racial marginalization in Cuba, he worked cleaning shoes and selling newspapers. He first performed as a dancer in a Havana troupe known as ''The Dandy''. His brother was the Cuban trumpeter Felix Chapotín. Once Pozo became famous, he also became renowned for his sense of fashion, including sometimes wearing an all-white top hat and tuxedo.


Career in New York

In 1947, he immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life. He was encouraged to do so by Mario Bauza and his childhood friend Miguelito Valdes. It was Mario Bauza who introduced Chano to Dizzy Gillespie who was looking to include a conga player into his musical group. Chano Pozo is one of a handful of Cuban percussionists who came to the United States in the 1940s and '50s. Other notable ''congueros'' who came to the U.S. during that time include Candido, Mongo Santamaría, Armando Peraza, Francisco Aguabella,
Julito Collazo Julio "Julito" Collazo (1925 – March 5, 2004) was a master percussionist. Collazo was born in Havana, Cuba. He began playing the ritual music of Santería on the batá drums at the age of fifteen. He moved to United States in the 1950s to join ...
,
Carlos Vidal Bolado Carlos Vidal Bolado also known as "Vidal Bolado" (1914–1996) was a Cuban conga drummer and an original member of Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Vidal holds the double distinction of being the first to record authentic folkloric Cuban rumba and ...
, Desi Arnaz and Modesto Durán. Pozo moved to New York City in early 1947 with the encouragement of
Miguelito Valdés Miguelito Valdés (September 6, 1912 – November 9, 1978), also known as Mr. Babalú, was a renowned Cuban singer. His performances were characterized by a strong voice and a particular sense of ''cubanismo''. Life Miguelito Valdés was born ...
, and participated in a recording session with Valdés, the legendary band leader Arsenio Rodríguez,
Carlos Vidal Bolado Carlos Vidal Bolado also known as "Vidal Bolado" (1914–1996) was a Cuban conga drummer and an original member of Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Vidal holds the double distinction of being the first to record authentic folkloric Cuban rumba and ...
and José Mangual, Sr.. In 1947 Pozo recorded what are considered the first commercial recordings of rumbas, cumbias, guaguancós and abakuá in the album ''Afrocubano Rhythm 1, 2, 3 and 4''. Produced by Gabriel Oller for the Spanish Music Center (SMC) label the recordings featured Pozo, along with
Carlos Vidal Bolado Carlos Vidal Bolado also known as "Vidal Bolado" (1914–1996) was a Cuban conga drummer and an original member of Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Vidal holds the double distinction of being the first to record authentic folkloric Cuban rumba and ...
, Arsenio Rodríguez as well as
Miguelito Valdés Miguelito Valdés (September 6, 1912 – November 9, 1978), also known as Mr. Babalú, was a renowned Cuban singer. His performances were characterized by a strong voice and a particular sense of ''cubanismo''. Life Miguelito Valdés was born ...
, Kiki Rodríguez (brother of Arsenio), and Puerto Rican bongero
José Mangual Sr. Jose Mangual, Sr. (March 18, 1924 - September 4, 1998) was a Puerto Rican percussionist world renowned for his bongo drum performances and recordings during the 1940s and 1950s with groups such as Machito Orchestra, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, ...
In September 1947, after Mario Bauzá introduced the two, he featured in Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and subsequently on a European tour. Their notable material includes "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop" (written by George Russell), and "Tin Tin Deo" and " Manteca", both co-written by Pozo.


Death

Chano Pozo was shot and killed on December 2, 1948, in the El Rio Bar at 111th St and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The El Rio Bar no longer exists — even the small triangular block where it was located has been removed. Pozo's killer was a local bookie named Eusebio "Cabito" Munoz. Pozo is buried in the
Colón Cemetery, Havana El Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, also called La Necrópolis de Cristóbal Colón, was founded in 1876 in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana, Cuba to replace the Espada Cemetery in the Barrio de San Lázaro. Named for Christopher Columbus, t ...
.


Discography

*
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
, '' The Complete RCA Victor Recordings'' (Bluebird, 1995) * Illinois Jacquet & Ben Webster, ''
The Kid and the Brute ''The Kid and the Brute'' is an album by American jazz saxophonists Illinois Jacquet and Ben Webster recorded in late 1954 and released on the Clef label. Reception Allmusic reviewer Scott Yanow described the album as "An excellent example of I ...
'' (Clef, 1955) * Machito, ''Ritmo Caliente'' (Proper, 2002) * Charlie Parker &
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
, ''Diz 'n' Bird at Carnegie Hall'' (Roost, 1997)


In popular culture

*Cuban drummer
Chino Pozo Francisco "Chino" Pozo (October 4, 1915, Havana - April 28, 1980, New York City) was a Cuban drummer. Pozo claimed to be the cousin of Chano Pozo, though this has been disputed. He was an autodidact on piano and bass, but concentrated on bongos, ...
claimed to be related to Chano Pozo. *Pozo is featured (in animated form) in the fictional animated film '' Chico and Rita'' (2010), where the circumstances surrounding his death are included as part of the plot line. *Pozo is mentioned in a monologue by character Roland Turner, played by John Goodman, in the film ''
Inside Llewyn Davis ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' () is a 2013 period black comedy musical drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1961, the film follows one week in the life of Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac in his breakthr ...
''. Turner claims to have learned Santeria and black arts in New Orleans from Pozo. *Jazz musicians Poncho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard released the collaborative album ''
Chano y Dizzy! ''Chano y Dizzy!'' is a collaborative studio album by conga player Poncho Sanchez and jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard. The release contains 11 tracks inspired by the works of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo whose short-lived musical collaboration ...
'' in 2011.


See also

* List of famous Cuban-Americans * List of Cubans


References


External links


Chano Pozo
biodata * *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pozo, Chano 1915 births 1948 deaths Afro-Cuban jazz drummers Cuban emigrants to the United States Conga players Cuban jazz composers Cuban percussionists Cuban Santeríans Cuban people murdered abroad Male murder victims People murdered in New York City People from Havana Rumba musicians 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century drummers