Wolf Trap, June 2004-------------------Millennium Stage The Kennedy Center, October, 2002, 2005-------Smithsonian Institution 2002
Percussionists:
Luis Garay, Wilbur Wood, Axel Garay, Alex Vevacqua, Leon Khoja-Eynatyan
COLUMBIA FESTIVAL 2006
With Afro-Latin Dancers at Black Rock Center for the Arts summer 2005
LUIS GARAY PERCUSSION WORLD’S Washington DC Area Performances
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MARYLAND Walter Johnson High School 2008 The Stone Ridge School 2008 Bonnie Branch Middle School 2007, 2008 Green Acres School Summer Camp 2008 Earle B. Wood MS, 2006, 2007, 20080 Columbia Pro Cantare 2008 Burtonsville ES 2008 WT Page ES 2008 The Barnesville School 2008 S. Christa McAuliffe ES Germantown ES 2006, 2008 Maiden Choice School 2006-07, 08 Luxmanor ES-2002, 2005, 2008 Piney Branch ES-2000,2005, 08 Cresthaven ES 2008 Brown Station Elementary 2008 Rachel Carson ES 08 Clinton Grove ES 2008 Mid-County Regional Services Center 08 Stedwick Elementary School 08 Bradley Elementary School 08 City of Gaithersburg 2007, 2008 Cabin Jones MS 2007 Westland MS 2006,2007 Westminster ES 2007 Jones Lane ES 2007 Strawberry Knoll ES 2007 Belmont ES, 2007 North Bethesda MS 2007 Mount Rainier ES 2007 Fulton ES 2007 Carderock Springs Elementary 2007 Waters Landing ES 2007
Olney Elementary School 2007
St. John The Baptist School 2002, 2007 Deep Run ES, Elkridge, 2005, 2006, 2007 Columbia Festival of the Arts 2006 Candlewood ES, 2006 Centennial Lane ES, 2006 Thunder Hill ES 2006 Bellows Spring ES 2006 Martin Luther King MS, 2006 Swansfield ES, Columbia, 2006
Somerset ES, Chevy Chase, 2006 South Shore ES, 2006 Forest Ridge E.S., Laurel, 2006 Takoma Academy 2006 John Poole MS-2000, 06 Stone Mill ES 2006
Waters Landing ES 2006 Archbishop Borders School, 2006 Maiden Choice School 2006-(two times) Brookhaven ES-2005, 2006 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School 06 Rotary Club Silver Spring 2005, 06 Black Rock Center for the Arts. 2005 Montgomery College Takoma Park 05 Holton-Arms School, Bethesda, 2005 Thurgood Marshall ES 2005 St. Paul's School, Brooklandville, 2005 Clarksburg Elementary School 2005 Worthington ES. Ellicott City, 2005 Elkridge Landing MS Elkridge, 2005 |
Capt. James Daly ES-2005 Bethesda ES-2005 Cashell ES-2002,2005 (three times) CHI Centers 2005 Lakewood ES-2005
Strathmore ES-2005 The Mansion at Strathmore, 2004 Lawn Theater 2004 Worthington ES. Ellicott City, 2004 Flower Hill ES-2004 Ellicott City, Maryland-2004 Baltimore Waterfront Festival, 2003 Triadelphia Ridge ES, 2003 Mill Creek Towne ES-2003 Rolling Terrace ES-2003 Silver Spring International MS, 03 Weller Road ES-2003 Fallsmead ES-2003 Argyle MS-2003
Kensington Parkwood ES-2002 Sequoyah Elementary School 2002
Rolling Terrace ES 2002 Julius West MS-2001
Ronald McNair ES-2001
Oak
View ES-2001 Caithness Shelter Home-2000-2001
John
Poole MS-2000
Poolesville ES-2000
Westover ES-1999
WASHINGTON DC Millennium Stage-Kennedy Center 02,05, 06 Smithsonian, Discovery Theater, 2008 Martin Luther King, DC Public Library 2006, 2007, 08 Community Academy PCS 2008 Marshall Education Center 08 Janney Elementary School 08 Brookland ES 2006, 08 Catholic University of America-1998-2008 National Cathedral. 2001-2007 National Zoological Park, 2007 Elizabeth Hospital, 2007 The Choral Arts Society 2003-2007 Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History07 The Church of the Epiphany , 2007 Blow Pierce MS, 2007 |
Friendship Southeast Elementary Academy 07 Border's Books 2007 Simon ES 07 Miner ES 07 Cast of Thousands 2006 Blessed Sacrament Church School 2006 The World Bank 2006 Georgetown Day School 2006
SAIL-Upper School 2006 Sidwell Friends School 2005 Argentine Embassy 1999, 2005 George Washington University, Marvin Center 05 Ronald Regan Building, 2003 Smithsonian, National Museum-African Arts02 St. Albans School, 2002 Department of State 2001 Holy Trinity School Georgetown, 2001 Washington Children's Hospital 1999 Trinity College, 1997
VIRGINIA Wolf Trap, 2004, 2007, Wakefield HS, 2008 International Children Festival 2007.08 The Harris Pavilion, 2008 Henry ES,2008 Long Branch ES,2008
Claremont ES, 2008 London Towne's school 08 Graham Road ES, 2008 Henry ES 2008 Long Branch ES, 2008
Kilmer Center 2008 Poplar Tree ES , Chantilly 2005, 2008 George Mason HS 2007 Mantua Elementary School 2007 Sherwood Regional Library 2007 Our Lady of Good Counsel School,07 Cunningham Park ES 2007 Farview ES 2007 Ravensworth E.S.2006
Westlawn ES 2006 Waples Mill ES, Oakton 2006 North Springfield ES Springfield, 2006 Terraset Elementary School Reston, 2006 Stenwood ES, Vienna, 2006 Cardinal Forest ES 2006 Saratoga ES, 2005 Edge Elementary, Reston 2005 Poplar Tree ES , Chantilly 2005 London Towne ES, Centreville 2005 Providence Elementary, Fairfax 2005 Guston ES, VA 2004 Bernadette ES 2004 Longfellow MS, Falls Church 2004 Waynewood ES 20043 Radio Shack 2003 The Madeira School, McLean 2002 |
You can order the CD by credit card at:
To get a free autographed poster please purchase the CD by check or money order
click here to order
Thanks
This multicultural group was conceived in 1996 in Washington D.C. The members are professional percussionists. The ensemble performs world rhythms, specializing in rhythms of the Americas and Africa. In the performance you will enjoy exciting music during a high energy concert for percussion instruments including drums, congas, bongos, timbales, marimba, steel drum, djembe, ashiko, talking drum, slit drum, berimbao, bombo, and multiple accessories such as shekere, agogo, maracas, clave, rain stick, buffalo drum, African cowbell, guiro, etc. You will experience Afro-Latin jazz rhythms (Brazilian and Cuban) and fusion (Latin-Jazz and funk). LGPW Ensemble has also performed at The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Smithsonian Institution, Catholic University, University of Md., Trinity College , Hall of the Americas, U.S. Department of State and the US Justice Dept. Argentina Embassy, Washington Children's Hospital and in many public and private schools in the Washington DC area.
• Concert Performance
– LGPW is available for
College / High School,
international and family nights, festivals, conferences, conventions,
corporation events, and more.
Tel/Fax: 301-649-5217
Radio comments:
"Sacumba is lively! What a disc!" - Neil Bement, WBZC, Chicago IL
"Very bombastic and tribal! It really gets you fired up!" - House of Music, Chicago IL
"Luis Garay has some fire in him!" - Derek Rath, KPFK, North Hollywood, CA
"We are beating the drums of Sacumba!" - Christopher Albright, WTUL, Harvey, LA
"Sacumba makes a drummer skip a heartbeat!" - Judith Gill, WCNI, New London, CT
"Sacumba is a wonderful CD." - Jackie Sauter, North Country Public Radio, Canton, NY
"Sacumba is a fine recording by the multi-talented percussionist Luis Garay, and it's in regular rotation on KXLU's Groove Time here in los Angeles." - Chris Johnson, KXLU, Los Angeles
"Of course I am playing Sacumba; it's a great album!" - Avotcja Jiltonilro, KPFA/KPOO, San Francisco
" 'Sacumba' is a strong 'good vibe' CD, and percussive as can be!" - Jenny Kaybee, KEOL, Oregon
lo-fi: dial-up
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Sambazo |
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Afrodezia |
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Afro-Chin |
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| Dumbe | |
| Timbalero Dance | |
| Marimba Azucar | |
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Afro 11/8 |
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Martillo |
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Sacumba |
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Percumba |
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Tumba Coco |
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Chacara |
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Spirit of Maculele |
You can order the CD by credit card at:
Also in DC area at: DALE MUSIC 8240 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring area. MD, (301) 589-1459
To get a free autographed poster please purchase the CD by check or money order click here to order
SACUMBA REVIEWS
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Picture yourself right in the midst of thousands of dancing, squirming, half-naked celebrants in a Mardi Gras parade in Rio, with drums pounding fast and furious all around you in a half-mad frenzy, and you'll know what to expect from the title track of Luis Garay's Percussion World: Sacumba. It's so HOT! It just SIZZLES! (Do you have any idea how hard it is to type and dance at the same time?) Luis Garay leads percussionists Wilbur Wood, Leon Eynatyan, and Miguel Alfaro on kit drums, whistles, Argentinean drums, whistles, gongs, bells, ngoma, chimes, congas, djembe, colanuts, bongo, agogo, timbales, surdo – basically, if you can hit it and make rhythm, it's here! Sacumba is full of power and grace. Don't miss this one!
Sacumba
The Luis Garay Percussion World proves once again that percussion can hold its own. On the newly released Sacumba the group is lead by percussion legend Luis Garay. Other members of the ensemble include, Wilbur Wood, Leon Eynatyan and Miguel Alfaro. They perform on a variety of percussion instruments including, kit drums, whistles, marimbas, Argentinean drums, and a wealth of Afro-Latin percussion such as congas, surdo, bongo, agogo, timbales, tambourine, colanuts, djembe, ngoma, and if that were not enough, they also throw in gongs, bells, and chimes.
Garay who was born in Cordoba, Argentina, studied at the Cordoba State Conservatory of Music. He continued his education at the Catholic University of America, with advanced studies at the Escola de Musica de Brasilia in Brazil. The intense, yet organized percussion arrangements highlight Garay’s classical training. The variety of instruments used throughout every piece brings a liberal and verbose intensity to the arrangements.
Garay has received numerous awards and accolades over the years for his incredible use and understanding of percussion. The prestige and honor has not changed his dedication and willingness to experiment with new and innovative percussion techniques and sounds. This innovation can be heard on every track of Sacumba.
The addition of the incredible conga player Wilbur Wood adds a cohesive sound to each track. The combination of Latin American and African percussion beats is an exhilarating and ongoing barrage of beats, bangs, rhythms and phonic riots.
Percussion World rallies between the varied and irregular beats of Latin music to the constant and full tribal rhythms. On the track “Dumbe”, Garay, Wood, Eynatyan and Alfaro all play only Afro-Latin drums, including the djembe, congas, ngoma and bongo. The driving and weaving sounds created by the drum circle of musicians shows the power of the mighty drum. The puling beats will course through your body and direct your momentum.
To change up the drum circle vibe, the ensemble pulls together “Marimba Azucar”, which is a tribute to the beauty and vibe of the marimba. The marimba solicites memories of the pacific coast and the fresh ocean air. Garay refers to it as the classic surfer film feeling. It is the driving force behind the surf guitar.
Sacumba is an album that commands the listeners attention. This is
not a CD to put on at a party for mellow background music. This is a CD for the
musician and specifically, the percussion enthusiast. Drum lines, jammin’ drum
circles, the symphonic timpani solo, the guy in the subway playing the bucket;
if these are the sounds that appeal to you, then Luis Garay has created an
ensemble and a CD that will bring the beat home.
Visit www.luisgaray.com
for more information.
http://www.jazznow.com
Luis Garay, Wilbur Wood, Leon Eynatyan, Miguel Alfaro, drums, marimba, Argentinian drums, Afro-Latin percussion, etc.
This is an adventurous and highly enjoyable trip around the world of Afro-Latin percussion through the eyes, ears and hands of multi-instrumentalist Luis Garay. Perhaps most notable about Sacumba is Garay's fashioning a cohesive and satisfying musical ensemble from a unit of four players, playing nothing other than percussion instruments. It's a tribute to his leadership and artistry that his own individual virtuosity was de-emphasized in favor of the ensemble sound itself, and that the arrangements manage to sustain interest throughout. Even those not fanatical about drums and percussion will find something fresh and enjoyable here.
A native of Cordoba, Argentina, where he was highly accomplished both as a performer and an educator in symphonic, Latin and other musical fields, Garay has continued his successes since emigration to the U.S. Now based in Washington, D.C., Garay brings a special focus and orientation to percussion, and to "Afro-Latin" music. There is an exposure to Argentinian instruments and approaches (as distinct both from non-South American ones, and from those of neighboring Brazil) which is different from what might be heard from many or most such ensembles. Not to worry, as Garay also is quite adept and knowledgable regarding the Brazilian aspects too, so he is able to bring an original fusion of elements together to convey what he calls "the passion and inspiration of the drum."
A particular favorite of mine is tuned percussion instruments such as the marimba, a wooden keyboard played with mallets, and this instrument is used evocatively in a number of settings. It conveys an Asian flavor on "Afro-Chin," and just as effectively brings Mexico and Central America to my mind on "Marimba Azucar."
This release is one well worth seeking out, both for percussion lovers interested in a new twist or two, and for anyone else open to something crisp and tastefully different. Neither bombastic nor monotonous, Sacumba provides us a compelling introduction both to a noteworthy artist in Afro-Latin music, and also to the vitalily of percussion ensembles themselves.
by Eric Golub
http://www.smother.net/reviews/hiphop.php3?ID=91
Luis Garay Percussion
World - Sacumba
Luis Garay is from Argentina and is the former principal
timpanist with the Cordoba Symphony Orchestra and his skills I dare say are
unmatched. As a drummer myself I already have a predisposition towards
percussion but I’m quite critical of others. But this is like a study of the
masters all wrapped together as one. The sounds of Afro-Latin percussion aren’t
just complex and ornate, they’re able to literally write a song and melody line
by themselves. This is the best introduction to the wide world of solo
percussion and all its complexity.
- J-Sin
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SACUMBA
Luis Garay Percussion World
Percumba
Hey, back to South America - I mentioned Brazilian religions before and one of those is Macumba, which is on the black magic side. I have no idea if Sacumba bears any relation other than a similar name, Luis Garay being from Cordoba, Argentina and all, but the very first song on this album employs a two-note samba whistle, which I first heard in Brazil. Garay also plays a quica (spelled cuica in the liner notes), which is another instrument I first encountered in Brazil. It is a drum more or less, but instead of beating on it, one plays it by sawing at a hole in the head. There is no berimbau, but there are djembe, surdo, ngoma, agogo, marimba, timbales, and bongo and conga drums. Yep, other than that one little two-note whistle, it's all percussion, hypnotic and highly charged. I suspect that the time signature employed most often is like 16/8. Ah, here it is in the liner notes: in addition to the Cordoba State Conservatory, he studied at the Escola da Musica de Brasilia, which is in the capital of Brazil. He currently has a studio in Silver Springs, Maryland. He wrote the songs and recorded them with Jim Curtis at Omega Recording Studios in Rockville, Maryland. If you're into percussion, this is an amazing album for the variety of ritmos and instruments that you experience under one cover - and I was just kidding about the time thing
Sacumba with Luis Garay is an ensemble recording performed entirely on percussion instruments. Garay, along with Wilbur Wood, Leon Eynatyan, and Miguel Alfaro, (collectively known as Luis Garay Percussion World), perform on kit drums, whistles, marimbas, Argentinean drums, and a wealth of Afro-Latin percussion. These eclectic influences really groove together, with grace, style, power, and fire, whether you're listening to the melodic and breezy "Marimba Azucar", the hypnotically smooth twin-marimba rhythms of "Afro-Chin". or the blazing energy of "Sambazo."
Accent Tampa Bay
This Luis Garay character has been AROUND! He started out playing percussion in his homeland of Argentina and has since performed for the Pope, at the Kennedy Center, Constitution Hall... He has also founded numerous educational endeavors to help young people learn to be percussionists that can pull off this kind of record. This is a recording of exclusively drums and drummers, so if you put it on expecting an Afro-Latin jazz combo or something, you'll be surprised. There are 13 cuts here of extensive and highly technical polyrhythm. This isn't really sing-along music or driving music, obviously, but for a good idea of what some of the top Afro-Latin percussionists in the country, maybe the world, are up to, give this a spin.
Key track: "Afro-Chin"
After Mickey Hart whetted your appetite for drum planets, Garay picks up the stick and beats his own drum. Packing a raft of instruments that go beyond just the regular drum related instruments, Garay and his pals bang on everything in sight but take it much farther than something like "Stomp" or "Blue Man Group". With the added edge of adding international flavor, Garay opens your ears and handily beats a great time into shape.
- Midwest Record
Luis Garay is a world percussion virtuoso that combines
his talents with a playful spirit resulting in unexpectedly joyful concoctions.
For instance, take the Sino-African "Afro-Chin" with its exotic blend of tribal
beats and Oriental allusions. This percussion quartet employs an entire spectrum
of percussions instruments from kit drums to whistles and congas to chimes on
this instrumental CD. (5)
http://detroitmusic.com/outsight/
Listen to or Buy at Amazon.com
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LUIS
GARAY PERCUSSION WORLD: SACUMBA |
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©2004 Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media |
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http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=1087294465519547
Whistles, congas, timbales, agogos and shakers fill the soundscape of "Sambazo", a muscular piece with a powerful groove. Just when you feel settled by the music's metric phrasing, Garay and company shift gears, adding fills and syncopations that keep a sway in the dance. "Afrodezia" features more antiphonal interplay between the musicians; a top strand of busy activity is set against a heavy underlying pulse. Both of these compositions have something of a relentless demeanor, but at three minutes per song, this intensity doesn't wear out its welcome.
The Garay Percussion World also create material with gradual build-ups and more subtle shapes. "Afrochin" is an example: it features a wide array of instruments, both pitched (chimes, marimbas, gongs, whistles) and unpitched (congas, bongos, drums). The arrangement doesn't employ everything all at once, but brings different portions of the percussive palette in and out of the texture, creating a shimmering musical surface.
Polyrhythms and a complex meter are explored on "Afro 11/8", a duet between Garay and Eynatyan. Taking a fearsomely fast clip, the twosome alternate claps with performances on djembe, ngoma and congas. "Chacara" is another virtuosic duet between these two, who this time play Argentinian drums with authority.
My favorite piece here, however, is "Marimba Azucar". Both Garay and Eynatyan play marimba, while Wood and Alfaro articulate a Latin rhythm on drums, bongos, conga and shakers. Single-note solos and rolled chords juxtaposed against lively beats make an attractive combination of sounds. Still, picking a favorite wasn't easy, as Sacumba entertains throughout. Garay and company ably remind us that the oft-neglected percussion family of instruments can create a whole range of music in which keeping time is only the beginning.
Luis Garay Percussion World - Sacumba (Percumba)
Argentine-born and U.S. based, Garay is a powerful percussionist, joined by three others here to explore Afro-Latin roots, which they do in excellent fashion (and with pristine recording). The sambas crackle, but perhaps the biggest joy comes with the marimba pieces, which simply glisten.
http://www.globalvillageidiot.net
If you like drums and percussion instruments, you'll enjoy this quartet of master percussionists led by Luis Garay. Born in Cordoba, Argentina, Garay is an accomplished percussionist who held a timpanist position in the Cordoba Symphony Orchestra, prior to relocating to Washington, D.C. in 1992. In his 30-year career, this classical, jazz, and Afro-Latin multi-percussionist has performed throughout the world, receiving numerous honors and awards, including recognition by the U.S. Government as an "Artist of Exceptional Ability," the Gold Modal from the International Rotary Club, and the honor of performing for Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. A faculty member of several major educational institutions in Washington, D.C., as well as in his native Argentina, Garay enjoys teaching, solo performing, and leading his percussion quartet. This CD includes 13 original compositions interpreted in their totality by percussion instruments from around the world by a cast of four. Garay plays trap drums, Antillean percussions (congas, timbal and bongo), African percussions (djembe, shakers and bells), Brazilian percussions (surdo, cuica, whistles and agogo), Asian percussions (bamboo chimes, temple blocks and gongs), Argentinean percussions, and marimbas. Completing the quartet are Wilbur Wood on Latin and African percussions, Leon Eynatyan on ngoma, colanuts, Antillean and Brazilian percussions, and Miguel Alfaro on trap drums, Antillean and Brazilian percussions. Highlights include the opening track Sambazo (a Brazilian descarga of batucada and samba rhythms), Afro-Chin (a blend of world percussions that sets the scene for a duet of marimbas by Garay and Eynatyan), and Martillo (a 3/2 clave beat featuring both Garay and Wood on bongo.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Latin Beat Magazine
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FXV/is_9_13/ai_111402001
Luis Garay - Sacumba 3/4
O's Notes: The power and
passion of the drum is explosive. Argentine drummer and percussionist, Luis
Garay has assembled his 'Percussion World' to perform an entire session centered
on beats and beating. His band is Wilber Wood (congas, percussion), Leon
Eynatyan (percussion, marimba) and Miguel Alfaro (bongo, timbales). Songs like "Martillo"
will help get your blood circulating, as does the opener, "Sambazo" and the
melodic sounds of "Afrodezia" are intoxicating. Sacumba is a step away from the
mainstream and into the halls of Garay. It is an invigorating session.
--
D.
Oscar Groomes
O's Place
Jazz Newsletter
P.O. Box 2437
Naperville, IL 60567-2437
http://www.OsPlaceJazz.com
http://gazette.net/gazette_archive/2005b/200532/entertainment/musicfeat/288498-1.html
A passion for percussion: Luis Garay at BlackRock
by Chris Slattery
Staff Writer
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