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Coffee Talk with Paquito
The legendary Cuban reedman sits down for an informal chat with students.
By Rob Hochschild
Berklee.edu Editor
(November 7, 2001)
There were several signs that something unusual was going on this morning. A table in the Student Activities Center was piled high with pastry and fresh fruit, and a crowd of students was squeezed into the hallway between the computer store and the student lounge. Meanwhile, in the student lounge, about thirty students sat in chairs in a large rectangle without saying a word, ocassionally looking toward the door with hope.
Moments later, legendary Cuba-born and New York-based musician Paquito D'Rivera strolled through the door as if it was an everyday occurrence and spent the next hour hanging out with students as if he was relaxing in his living room.
"I have a desire to learn every day," said D'Rivera, who frequently struck a tone that fell somewhere between professor and comedian. "When you lose the capacity to learn, as a musician, you are finished." He paused, then looked mischievously at his admirers. "Even from a singer you can learn!"
The coffee-infused session with the great saxophonist and clarinetist was one of the many highlights of the second annual Latin Culture Week, a student-organized celebration that has quickly become one of the college's most multifaceted and star-studded events.
Originated last year by students Sebastian Otero and Sandra Aran, Latin Culture Week 2001 features performances and clinics by saxophonist Ed Calle, veteran folk musician "El Negro" Ojeda, and guitarist Lucho Hoyos, as well as D'Rivera and several others. The coffee session with D'Rivera came on the morning after a concert in the Berklee Performance Center, where D'Rivera performed his compositions with Berklee's Afro-Cuban Ensemble, a group of students and faculty directed by Professor of Percussion Victor Mendoza.
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"I learned so much from (1971 alumnus and Brazil-born trumpeter) Claudio Roditi. He is a master improviser," D'Rivera said. "He is the perfect match between bebop language and Brazilian. Some people hear music and say 'That's too Latin to be jazz' or 'That's too jazz to be Latin.' But with Claudio you can hear both. You can hear Clifford Brown and Jobim together."
The conversation touched on many subjects, from movies to politics, but regardless of what D'Rivera talked about, he didn't let much time pass between jokes.
"I just heard heavy metal in the Berklee bookstore. I couldn't believe it! A music school bookstore playing heavy metal is like a cancer ward where the doctors are smoking cigarettes."
Midway through the session, Mendoza, a vibraphonist, entered the student lounge and told a few stories about how D'Rivera influenced his career.
"Your music appeals to everyone," Mendoza said. "Some music I hear is too complicated. It requires too much thinking. Everybody loves your music."
As he reflected on the perception of his own music, D'Rivera found few words to analyze his popularity. For the first time during the session he appeared almost pensive.
"I do what I love to do," D'Rivera said. "I play a song because I love it. People seem to like the music, too."
The room grew quiet as the master's understatement sunk in.
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Latin Culture Week
Berklee students and faculty present a week of concerts, clinics, and celebrations. |
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Bridging the Culture Gap
Ruben Blades, an internationally known singer, composer, actor, and political activist, turns heads at a Berklee clinic. |
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