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
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which ...
. He co-wrote some of
Dizzy Gillespie'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
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. to Cecelio González and Carnación Pozo. Chano grew up with three sisters and a brother, as well as his older half brother,
Félix Chappottín
Félix Chappottín (March 31, 1907 – December 21, 1983) was a Cuban trumpeter and bandleader. He was a member of three highly successful Cuban bands: Septeto Habanero, Arsenio Rodríguez's conjunto and Conjunto Chappottín, which he directed ...
, 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
drums, and performed ably in
Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural el ...
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
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
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, and
truancy
Truancy is any intentional, unjustified, unauthorised, or illegal absence from compulsory education. It is a deliberate absence by a student's own free will (though sometimes adults or parents will allow and/or ignore it) and usually does not refe ...
. At the age of 13, Chano was sent to the reformatory in
Guanajay
Guanajay is a town and municipality in Artemisa Province in western Cuba, located about southwest of Havana. The town lies among hills.
Guanajay is the twin town of Axtla De Terrazas
Overview
In colonial times it was an acclimatization stati ...
, 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. Also known as "La Regla de Ocha", this is an
Afro-Caribbean religion derived from traditional beliefs of the
Yoruba people
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 constitut ...
of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. Developed among Afro-Cuban slaves, the religion began as a blending of these West African
spiritual beliefs and
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
doctrine.
Yoruba deities were identified with Catholic saints to fool the slave owners, as the Spanish colonialists had forbidden the practice of
African religions
The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural ...
. Chano pledged allegiance to the Catholic
Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara ( grc, Ἁγία Βαρβάρα; cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲁ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Accounts place her in t ...
, identified widely with
Shango
Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha, a deity in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafi ...
, 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
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. . Cecelio persuaded his son to practice his trade of
bootblack
Shoeshiner or boot polisher is an occupation in which a person cleans and buffs shoes and then applies a waxy paste to give a shiny appearance and a protective coating. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job was traditionally d ...
, 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'', 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. 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, during the nightly celebrations of which neighborhoods formed highly competitive ''
comparsa
A comparsa is a group of singers, musicians and dancers that take part in carnivals and other festivities in Spain and Latin America. Its precise meaning depends on the specific regional celebration. The most famous comparsas are those that parti ...
s'', 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," a composition that some consider an unofficial theme song of
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains ...
, and a familiar standard at many Latin American carnivals.
Career in Cuba
Cuba was by this time a popular
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
destination, with the biggest hotels, The Sevilla Biltmore, the Nacional, and
El Presidente catering to rich
Americans
Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
ans, and Chano was determined to break the
color barrier
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Internati ...
that restricted the employment of
dark skin
Dark skin is a type of human skin color that is rich in melanin pigments. People with very dark skin are often referred to as " black people", although this usage can be ambiguous in some countries where it is also used to specifically refer to ...
ned 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
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the '' Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his ...
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
Candido is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Candido Amantini (1914–1992), Italian Roman Catholic priest
* Candido Camero known simply as "Candido" (1921-2020), Cuban percussionist
* Candido Jacu ...
,
Mongo Santamaría
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga an ...
,
Armando Peraza
Armando Peraza (May 30, 1924 – April 14, 2014) was a Latin jazz percussionist and a member of the rock band Santana. Peraza played congas, bongos, and timbales.
Biography
Early life
Born in Lawton Batista, Havana, Cuba in 1924 (although the ...
,
Francisco Aguabella,
Julito Collazo,
Carlos Vidal Bolado,
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...
and Modesto Durán. Pozo moved to New York City in early 1947 with the encouragement of
Miguelito Valdés, and participated in a recording session with Valdés, the legendary band leader
Arsenio Rodríguez
Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4 p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader ...
,
Carlos Vidal Bolado and
José Mangual, Sr..
In 1947 Pozo recorded what are considered the first commercial recordings of
rumbas,
cumbias,
guaguancós and
abakuá
Abakuá, also sometimes known as Ñañiguismo, is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity or secret society, which originated from fraternal associations in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon.
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,
Arsenio Rodríguez
Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4 p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleader ...
as well as
Miguelito Valdés, Kiki Rodríguez (brother of Arsenio), and Puerto Rican bongero
José Mangual Sr.
In September 1947, after
Mario Bauzá
Prudencio Mario Bauzá Cárdenas (April 28, 1911 – July 11, 1993) was an Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin, and jazz musician. He was among the first to introduce Cuban music to the United States by bringing Cuban musical styles to the New York City ja ...
introduced the two, he featured in Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band at
Carnegie Hall 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
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
.
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.
Discography
*
Dizzy Gillespie, ''
The Complete RCA Victor Recordings
''The Complete RCA Victor Recordings'' is a 1995 compilation 2-CD set of sessions led by Jazz trumpeter and composer Dizzy Gillespie recorded for the RCA Victor label between 1937 and 1949.
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, Richard S. Ginell stat ...
'' (Bluebird, 1995)
*
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo.
Although he was a pioneer of ...
&
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Career Early life and career
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...
, ''
The Kid and the Brute'' (Clef, 1955)
*
Machito
Machito (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music. Ginell, Richard S. ''Biography''. Allmusic, 2011/ref> He w ...
, ''Ritmo Caliente'' (Proper, 2002)
*
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
&
Dizzy Gillespie, ''Diz 'n' Bird at Carnegie Hall'' (Roost, 1997)
In popular culture
*Cuban drummer
Chino Pozo claimed to be related to Chano Pozo.
*Pozo is featured (in animated form) in the fictional animated film ''
Chico and Rita
''Chico and Rita'' is a 2010 Spanish adult animated music romantic film with Spanish and English languages directed by Tono Errando, Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal. The story of Chico and Rita is set against backdrops of Havana, New York City ...
'' (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
John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...
, in the film ''
Inside Llewyn Davis''. Turner claims to have learned Santeria and black arts in New Orleans from Pozo.
*Jazz musicians
Poncho Sanchez
Poncho Sánchez (born Filoberto Sanchez, October 30, 1951) is an American ''conguero'' (conga player), Latin jazz band leader, and salsa singer. In 2000, he and his ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for their work on the C ...
and
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...
released the collaborative album ''
Chano y Dizzy!'' in 2011.
See also
*
List of famous Cuban-Americans
*
List of Cubans
This is a list of notable Cubans, ordered alphabetically by first name within each category.
Additional lists
For Cuban-Americans please see List of Cuban Americans
Art and entertainment
Actors
*Ana de Armas, actress
* Ana Margarita Martín ...
References
External links
Chano Pozobiodata
*
*
{{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