Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > June 2007 > 2007.06.10 > 01Prev  Next


El Organo Oriental, The Eastern Organ of Cuba
By Piers Smith-Cresswell

By accident I caught most of a rather interesting programme on Cuban
music yesterday on BBC Radio 3.  In the "World Routes" programme
broadcast on 9th June, Lucy Duran travelled around Cuba interviewing
musicians and recording local music.

MMD-ers, particularly mechanical organ and Cuban music enthusiasts,
might be particularly interested in the section on "El Órgano Oriental",
which is a type of mechanical organ manufactured in the east of the
island by Francisco Cuayo.  There is about a 10-minute section at the
factory and recordings of the thing in action, both solo and accompanied
by the Ajo brothers percussion ensemble.  With the addition of percussion
it really rocks!

The programme is available on-line for seven days from the date of
transmission at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldroutes/pip/tg35d/

The World Routes programme starts at about the 2 minute point, and the
Órgano Oriental section comes in at about 25 minutes.  If the link doesn't
work, find the World Routes section on Radio 3, and go from there.

Best wishes
Piers Smith-Cresswell
Northampton, UK

 [ At http://www.baibrama.cult.cu/municipios/calixto/organo.htm :
 [
 [ El Órgano Oriental - The Eastern Organ
 [
 [   This curious instrument, a species of musical box, arrived from
 [ France in 1885 at the port of Cienfuegos (in central Cuba) and
 [ later traveled to Manzanillo (in eastern Cuba) where it became the
 [ favorite of the fiestas. ... ¡Ah!  And something interesting: the
 [ eastern organ also participated in our wars of independence.  Inside
 [ this instrument, the patriots transferred weapons and medicines from
 [ one town to another with the pretext of going to play at a dance. ...
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Sun 10 Jun 2007, 08:15:33 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Cuba, Eastern, El, Organ, Organo, Oriental

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page