WOMAD

Cachaito Lopez featuring Miguel ‘AngᒠDíaz

From Cuba

2001 BiographyGreat musical dynasties are rare enough but great double bass playing musical dynasties are very rare indeed! Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez comes from a clan of over 100 Cuban double bass players. His father was the great Orestes Lopez and his uncle was the even greater Israel ‘Cachao’ Lopez. It was the elder Cachao who spiked the old and elegant danzón style with some African mojo magic back in the 1940s and paved the way for the fiery mambo and the shape of Cuban music we know today. Music was everything in the Lopez household and almost as soon as he could walk and talk, Cachaito was accompanying his father and uncle to rehearsals and jam sessions with the heroes of Cuba’s musical heyday including the legendary Arsenio Rodriguez and Arcaño y sus Maravillas. In the 50s and 60s Cachaito’s bass was the bedrock of a multitude of different ensembles… big bands, small bands, National Symphony orchestras, doo wop outfits, bolero singers and crooners. His range and musical mastery is astonishing and it was no surprise that he was chosen by producer Juan de Marcos Gonzalez in 1996 to play bass for the Afro-Cuban All Stars and subsequently The Buena Vista Social Club. Cachaito is the heartbeat of any band he plays in, always providing the all-important rhythmic bedrock rather than indulging in flashy ostentatious soloing. In his current line-up he leaves that job to the remarkable young percussionist and bandleader Miquel ‘AngᒠDiaz, a superstar-in-waiting by all accounts, who played a crucial role in the recording of Cachaito’s multi-faceted debut album on World Circuit, ‘Cachaito’. Drum and bass or rum and bass?…either way it’s a Caribbean ‘ting! Biography by Andy Morgan, June 2001In this 2001 Cuban festival special, another highlight guest is Cachaito Lopez, legendary bass player and member of the Lopez musical dynasty. Cachaito's recent debut album is a wonderful thing and this performance adds another top-class perspective on the music of Cuba today.May 2001