I had caught one of Los Van Van's free concerts at La Plaza de la Revolucion.
I spotted Cesar 'Pupi' Pedroso, the piano player and one of the lyricists
behind Cuba's best known dance band. Earlier last year, we had tried to
get together for an interview, but per usual, we missed one another. This
time, however, Pupi agreed to meet at La Tropical, where they would be working
on a new recording the following week. Pupi's playing and lyrics have continued
to drive Los Van Van and the their public into a dance frenzy! I arrived
at La Tropical, rain and all, found Pupi and we proceeded to talk in the
sound and mixing booth. Q: When did music come into your life?
Cesar 'Pupi' Pedroso: Well, I started in music at the age of 14. I studied at the Amalia Roldan Conservatory, here in Havana, and I took classes with different teachers. After a year, I started playing as a musician in a school band from Santa Fe, a beach town close to Havana. We all went to the same school and rehearsed in our spare time. After that I stated playing with Fascinación, which was very popular here in the Marianao region. Then I moved to Orquesta Reve. Before that I was a substitute player in different clubs, nightclubs, and I also worked in a place called El Rescate in Neptuno, Havana, where I substituted for my father, who was the pianist with Conjunto Bolero. Then, I played with Orquesta Sensación and then with Conjunto Chapotin. On top of having played with different bands--because sometimes I played with Sensación, and some other times with Chapotin, all that on top of my job with Fascinacion Band, and school, I was still a student. I did all that until early 1966, when I played with Orquesta Reve. That was from 1966 until 1968, and in December of 1969 we created the band, Los Van Van, and I am still with them.
Q: You do so much with Los Van Van. You write many of the lyrics as well as play piano.
CPC: Yes. By 1978 I started writing my own music. My first tune for Los Van Van was 'Bate de Aluminio' (Aluminum Bate); and another song was 'Tal como empezó' (Just as It Started); then I wrote 'Traicionada' (Betrayed), 'El buena gente' (The Good Guy), and songs like those. I also did the mixing. On top of mixing and my own songs, I have also mixed for [Juan] Formell. I have mixed 'Que le den candela' by Rodolfo Cardenas, and other songs by [Juan] Formell, and a song by Pedrito Campos, 'Se acabo a un querer, nadie quiere a nadie' (A love dies, no one loves anyone). As musicians, Juan and I did the 'amarre', a typical 'tumbao' style with a bass and piano, that has become one of the most characteristic features of the band [Los Van Van].
Q: Elaborate a little more on the style of 'songo'.
CPC: The style is based on 'son' but with the addition of Formell's ideas about 'songo' and all the things that he has come up with in the 30 years that the band has been playing.
Q: Have you produced and wirtten material only for Los Van Van?
CPC: No. I produced a record with Raul Plana, Rolo Martinez, Caridad Cuero, now deceased, Xiomar Laguar‹by the way, the song that she sings on that record was used for the movie Baila Conmigo (Dance with Me). Another singer in the record is Rojitas. I put two generations of singers together, young and old singers, and I used musicians from different local bands, such as Los Van Van, Rumba Havana and other singers like Pedrito [Calvo]; he sings in the record, too. And also Mayito [Rivera] and Angel Bune. In this new one I am also going to have different musicians from different bands. I will also have Raul Plana, Changuito, Ibrahim Ferrer with songs that have been previous hits for the band. This is the work that I have done outside Los Van Van.
Q: Can you expand a bit on your musical influences?
CPC: Sure. I should have mentioned those. Los Van Van, especially, has influenced my style, the way I play piano. Since I was a child, I admired piano players like Jesus Lopez, who played with Orquesta Cana, Ruben Gonzalez, who played with Peruchin in the 'Golden Era' of Cuban pianists. I also admire Joselito Gonzalez. Now there are lots of piano players like Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lopez Nunza, Emiliano Salvador. There are great piano players now. Like I said, Los Van Van were my main influence. I also liked one of the piano players who played for La Sonora Matancera, Lino Frias.
Q: Do you play much jazz or have you been influenced by others in that music genre?
CPC: No, just pure 'son'. I love jazz, but I have never felt like playing it. I am also a fan of Papo Luca, Eddie Palmieri, Fito Perez and all those piano players.
Q: Do you have a recording with only your material?
CPC: Yes. I already have a recording with my songs. The title is Lo mejor de Cesar Pedroso (Cesar Pedroso's Greatest Hits). I am producing a second one now, this time with Arte Midor--the first one was with Dario Productions. The problem is that I haven't had enough time to put into the record because I am so busy with the band [Los Van Van]. I just received another proposal from Dario Records to produce another record, and I have to put off the other one--I am not tied to any one record company--, and I have another proposal from RM (this is an old proposal).
Q:
What recordings are you working on presently?CPC: Now, we are going to be recording my new CD. All the tunes are mine. Around January or February we are going do a Los Van Van CD. According to [Juan] Formell, we are going to condense two records in one with 20 or 25 songs. It is going to be a compilation of old hits to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band, along with some new songs. I have four songs on this record that are very different from any of the things that we have used for my CD.
Q: How do you bring a song or melody to fruition?
CPC: Sometimes I labor over an idea; it is hard to follow it through and I fail. But most of the time songs come to me quickly. The key is dedication, to have a clear mind. Problems and distractions block your mind.
Q: Do you sing?
CPC: Do I sing? No, like I don't eat fruit. I really should, but I just won't eat it.
Q: What do you think of our Bay Area musicians like John Calloway and Rebeca Mauleon?
CPC: He [John] is very good. Rebeca is excellent. She sounds more Cuban than American. Wayne [Wallace], the trombone player is also great. There are very good musicians, especially in San Francisco, and they do both salsa and jazz.
Q: When will we see you next in California?
CPC: We will be on tour there around June or July. We are invited to the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl.
Q: What does this year's schedule look like?
CPC: We are going to stay here to work on the record. In March, we'll start the Summer Tour in New York. Then we will spend some time in Cancun, and then we will tour the States and Europe. We almost consider the States and Europe part of the same tour. We do one right after the other. Some times we have time to come back, some times we don't.
Q: Which festivals have you played at?
CPC: We played in the Playboy Jazz Festival,which is a very important festival, and I loved it. We also played in a festival in Philadelphia--I can't remember the name of it--, and in places like the Manhattan Center and we haven't played yet the Lincoln Center. In L.A., we have played in Santa Ana, in San Diego. The tour of the US is a very important tour. This year we want to go to Miami.
Q: When will you be there?
CPC: September.
Q: You said that you have recordings with other artists, but are there any other musicians you would like to work with?
CPC: Yes, there are many musicians I would like to work with. I would would like to work with the singer from Tiburon, with Mayito [Rivera], with Pedrito [Calvo]. Outside of Los Van Van, I would like to work with the singer from Orquesta Aliamen, Fito, who now sings with Manolito. There are many singers, like Raul Plana, Ibrahim Ferrrer, [Rolo] Martinez. Here, [in Havana] there are so many great singers.
Q: Did you have students here in Cuba?
CPC: Right now, I don't have time. I do particiapte in a course at La Esquela Nacional de Artes each year, when I have free time to give a class. Some people from Columbia are coming for classes in February.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not playing or working?
CPC: I like to read, do crossword puzzles, see films or listen to instrumental music. I like instrumental music a lot.
Q: Do you play other instruments aside from piano?
CPC: I like to play percussion, like the congas and even the drums, but I don't know how to play them!
Q: Anything else you would like to say?
CPC: Well, musicians like Pablo Menendez (Grupo Mezcla) have been very important and have added a lot to the Cuban music movement with their style.
Q: Any future projects?
CPC:My plans for the future are to keep recording CDs, to keep composing. I like the idea of recording CDs especially with my own songs. Now, however, I am probably going to record one CD that will not have my own compositions, but songs from some very good Cuban composers. Here, we have excellent composers. I will do the arrangements with the help of two or three other arrangers.
At this point, Pupi motioned that he was needed for some mixing at the sound board andwe ended. I thanked him for his time and said I look forward to his next visit in Califonia with the band as well as any new CDs. Pupi graciously thanked me and sent regards to Pablo Menendez (Grupo Mezcla). Spending some time with Pupi brought some warmth and light to the dreary Havana day outside. When Los Van Van are in town, make sure to hear them and catch Pupi working his magic on stage.
Interview and photos © 1999 by Julia Sewell.
Transcription © 1999 by Julio Artiga.
Translation © 1999 by Contextos.
No reproduction without written permission.