Israel "Cachao" Lopez - Biography
Israel López, who is affectionately known as Cachao, was a hugely influential figure in the history of Cuban music. Cachao brought the double bass to the forefront of Cuban music and was instrumental in the birth of the mambo in the 1940s. He formed the first Cuban jam session, or descarga, recordings in the fifties. A prolific composer and arranger, Cachao never lacked work as a musician and performed with numerous groups and in varying configurations. He re-emerged as a prominent bandleader in the 1990s and resurrected the classic forms of Cuban music, which later swept the world with the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon.
The López family is the first family of the double bass in Cuba with over forty family member dedicated to the instrument. Cachao was born September 14, 1918 in Havana, Cuba at the house where José Martí, Cuba’s most famous poet and patriot, had lived. As a child, the first instrument he took to was the bongo but by the age of nine he was playing the upright bass in accordance with the family legacy. Beyond his studies and formal training, he began his professional career while still a child by playing in a septet with singer Roberto Faz and also at the local silent cinema with pianist Bola de Nieve. Both Faz and Bola de Nieve went on to become true legends of Cuban music.
Cachao’s brother Orestes, a cellist, founded the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Habana (Havana Philharmonic). By the age of 12, Cachao was playing double bass with the group, even though he had to stand on a crate to reach the top of his instrument. During his tenure at the Havana Philharmonic, he had the honor of working under guest conductors such as the famed composers Igor Stravinsky and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Cachao later joined the danzón orchestra of flautist Antonio Arcaño, which was much in demand in Havana. From the beginning, he pursued a dual career playing in formal orchestras as well as popular groups.
The Cuban danzón was a somewhat stiff musical style that derived from the minuet. While still a teenager in the 1930s, Cachao and his brother began experimenting with the danzón, speeding up the tempo and adding more Afro-Cuban rhythmic elements. Dancers enthusiastically embraced the nuevo ritmo, or “new rhythms,” composed by Cachao and Orestes, and by 1938 everyone was calling it mambo (a word that originates in West Africa and relates to a conversation with deities). Thus, Cachao is credited in inventing the hugely influential style that swayed Afro-Cuban jazz and gave birth to the cha cha cha, a fad that swept across the globe.
Cachao remained busy composing and playing in the bustling Havana scene of the 1950s. Many of Cuba’s prominent musicians would get together in the wee hours to eat, drink, shoot the breeze, and jam. One of these impromptu sessions was recorded and released as Cachao y su Ritmo Caliente (1957 Panart). The album features many songs named after the principal instruments, such as “Goza Mi Trompeta” (“Enjoy My Trumpet”), “Sopresa de Flauta” (“Flute Surprise”), “Trombón Criollo” (“Creole Trombone”), and “Oye´Mi Tres Montuno” (“Listen to My Tres Guitar”). Two other descarga were recorded in 1957 for the Panart label, Cuban Jam Sessions in Miniature (1957 Panart) and Descargas (1957 Panart). All three albums are brilliant and showcase both the creativity and virtuosity of the musicians. Although overlooked when they were released, they remain among the most sought after and respected recordings in the history of Cuban music. Anchored on the bass of Cacaho, other musical luminaries featured on these recordings are Tata Güines on congas, Richard Egües of Orquesta Aragón on flute, Generoso Jimenez of Beny Moré’s band on trombone, and Alejandro “El Negro” Vivar on trumpet.
Jam Session with Felling- Descargas Cubanas (1958 Maype), released under the name Cachao y su Orquesta, sports a woman with maracas on the album cover and percolates with rhythm as they work through a brisk set of standards including “Siboney” and “El Manicero” (“The Peanut Vendor”). Several other descarga sessions from 1960 and 1961 appeared on vinyl and all are top notch. With the Cuban revolution and the gradual disappearance of tourists from the island, the nightlife and employability of musicians dried up. Cachao left Cuba for Spain in 1962.
A couple of years later, Cachao relocated to New York City where he was warmly embraced by a diverse musical community. During the ‘60s, he was among the most sought-after bassists and played with scores of Latin and jazz bands. Among the orchestras he played with were those of José Fajardo, Tito Rodríguez, and Eddie Palmieri. Cachao set the standard for the upright bass, helping to place it front and center on the Latin New York stage. His bass riffs provided the template for much of the nascent salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz played. But his influence stretched beyond the Latin scene; African-American musicians playing rhythm and blues, soul, and funk picked up on his syncopated riffs.
Cachao brought the jam session spirit with him from Havana to New York and helped energize the Latin music scene. Descargas at the Village Gate (1965 Tico) by the Tico All Stars documents that era in a rough live recording. Along with Cacaho on bass, the group featured Ray Barretto on congas, Johnny Pacheco on flute, the Palmieri brothers on piano, and Tito Puente on timbales. Each of these musicians would be crucial figures in the salsa epoch to come.
In the ‘70s, Cachao recorded a couple of overlooked gems for Joe Bataan’s Salsoul record label that was releasing mostly Latin soul and disco. The first, Dos (1976 Salsoul), is an ambitious mix of danzón and descarga material with the help of fellow legends Carlos “Patato” Valdés on conga, Alfredo de la Fé on violin, Charlie Palmieri on piano, Manny Oquendo on timbales, and Chocolate Armenteros on trumpet. Cachao y Su Descarga (1977 Salsoul) revisits the classic ‘50s jam sessions, allowing an all-star cast of musicians to stretch out and improvise by punctuating the tunes with inspired solos.
Next, Cachao gave up the steady diet of gigs in New York for the gambling mecca of Las Vegas. In the ‘80s, Cuban drummer Walfredo de Los Reyes, Jr. (who was then playing with Wayne Newton) enlisted Cachao to record a series of albums that updated the jam session concept. Latin Jazz Descarga!!! Part 1 (1985 Tania) featured nothing more than a rhythm section with congas, percussion, and keyboards joining Cachao on bass and Reyes on trap drums. They dubbed the group Wal-Pa-Ta-Ca, employing rhythmic onomatopoeia. Latin Jazz Descarga!!! Part 2 (1985 Tania) added a little brass to the ensemble and includes a playful salsa-reggae tune. Legendary Cuban flautist Fajardo joined the esteemed cast for the third of Cachao’s Vegas releases, Maestro de Maestros: Cachao y Su Descarga ’86 (1986 Tania)
Ultimately Cachao resettled in Miami, its tropical ambiance as close to his Cuban homeland as he could get. Cachao played bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras, and gigged in hotel lobbies while in Miami, as it did not have much of a music scene. Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia, an aficionado of classic Cuban music, put together a tribute concert for Cachao in Miami in 1990. With a large cast of luminaries to support Cachao, including Paquito D’Rivera on reeds, Chocolate Armenteros on trumpet, Alfredo Valdes, Jr. on piano, and Nestor Torres on flute, Garcia produced a concert film entitled Cachao, Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos. Garcia also brought the musicians into the studio to record Master Sessions, Vol. 1 (1994 Epic). A masterful recording that explores the broad range of Cuban traditions, the disc earned Cachao his first Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Performance. The charming film and Grammy put Cachao and classic Cuban music back in the spotlight.
A mesmerizing performer, Cachao’s percussive style, which incorporated thumps on the bass’s wooden frame, was revolutionary. A humble and gracious man he was easily embraced by a growing audience that seemed to understand the septuagenarian. As Cachao began performing in larger venues and traveling to European festivals, the superb Master Sessions, Vol. 2 (1995 Epic) was released, further cementing his legacy. He joined fellow legendary Cuban elders pianist Bebo Valdés and conguero Carlos “Patato” Valdés for a more intimate session on El Arte del Sabor (2001 Blue Note), which earned the trio a Grammy, this time for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.
Andy Garcia went on to produce two more recordings by Cachao with a large and talented supporting cast. Cuba Linda (1991 EMI International) includes the title cut’s exile anthem along with Cachao originals and a Gershwin cover. Ahora Si! (2004 Univision) is another sophisticated recording and deservedly won him another Grammy in 2005. With a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and a prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, Cachao received his respect due, albeit rather late in life. Garcia was in the midst of finishing a documentary on Cachao called Cachao: Uno Mas when the maestro passed away on March 22, 2008 in Coral Gables, Florida at the age of 89. As the title of Garcia’s first film on Cachao translates, “like his rhythm there was no other.”
