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Los Papines

Based in Habana, los Papines is one of Cuba's top rumba bands. From an announcement by La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley:

   "Los Papines are a world-renowned master percussion quartet. Their spontaneity combined with their African sounds make their concert an experience full of rhythm, energy and pleasure. But what makes them different is their way of playing the drums or golpe de cuero y canto giving the public a taste of the original rumba cubana. They are also known as The Kings of Rumba.

    Los Papines are the four brothers Abreu born in Marianao, Cuba, cradle of the best rumba musicians, among them one of the greatest, Chano Pozo.

    As children, Luis, Alfredo, Jesus, and Ricardo started playing rumbas on cans, then with codfish boxes,and later with tumbadoras, quintos, claves and cucharas (spoons). In the 50's Ricardo created Papin y sus Rumberos and finally in 1962, the four brothers united and started playing together as Los Papines. They began playing guaguanco, cumbia, yambo,
jiribillas and especially rumbas. Other rhythms such as boleros and son come along later. They started to work as professional musicians in cabarets and nightclubs such as Tropicana.

    Los Papines have taken their music around the world and have shared the stage with renown musicians such as; Panchito Berejano, Manteca, Daria Nasaco, Chicho from Benni More's Orchestra, Ray Barreto, Mongo Santamaría. Roberto Roena, Tito Puente, Oreste Vilató and many others."

October 29th marks the first anniversary of the death of Alfredo Abreu.

Perhaps many people in the world are not familiar with this name, but if I say he was a member of the internationally-known percussion quartet Los Papines, then they know who I'm talking about.

The Abreu brothers (Ricardo -- known as Papin and leader of the group -- Luis, Jesus and Alfredo) formed their quartet in 1957 and from then on they were the ambassadors of Cuban culture in over 40 nations. Throughout their  always-successful career, the mythical artists stood out on many stages, recorded a large number of albums and won countless prizes.

Los Papines, with their voices, their drums and their Afro-Cuban rhythms and rumba, are part of our cultural identity, the soul of Cuban percussion.

On October 30th, 2001, Alfredo was buried at Havana's Colon Cemetery. Top Cuban composer Cesar Portillo de la Luz gave the eulogy. Hundreds of people -- relatives, friends, admirers and fellow artists -- paid their last respects. Culture Minister Abel Prieto was at the burial.

On that day, the island's drums played louder than ever and Cuba sang a requiem for the great drummer.