#313 Norka Hernandez Nadal- Percussionist, Vocalist, Dancer, Educator and More!
This week’s guest is Norka Nadal.
Norka Hernandez Nadal, is a scion of one of the great Bomba families of the region of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. She is an educator, dancer, singer, drummer and drum maker. Co-founder of BombaWorksNYC, founder of Afro Puerto Rican ensemble Bámbula.
R.I.P.
Fred White, who played drums for the era-defining and genre-defying band Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at the age of 67, his brother and the band announced on social media. -Article
Modest Mouse drummer and founding member Jeremiah Green has passed away at the age of 45 following a battle with cancer. -Article
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Ivan Llanes! Ivan was born on December 30, 1985 in Camaguey, Cuba. At an early age, he began to show interest in music. He began his musical studies at age 10, at the Vocational School of art in his province of Luis Casas Romero. At age 13 he joined the orchestra "Estrellitas de la Charanga" participating in the "National Festival of Charanga Orchestra" in Palma Soriano on two separate occasions. Llanes then continued his studies at the Jose White Conservatory at the age of 15, were he received numerous awards as part of the competitive educational programs.
After the United States tour (2011) with Maraca, he began to focus on developing his musical career and decided to live in the U.S., he made his way to New York in February 2012, where he could evolve alongside a melding pot of the world's top musicians and artists. Since then, Llanes has become and indispensable member of the Latin and Latin Jazz communities, respectively. He has performed alongside numerous renowned artists including Descemer Bueno, Marlow Rosado, Carlos Vives, JenCarlos Canela, Xiomara Laugart, Raul Paz, Jesus Diaz, MTG ALL STARS, Franci Vazquez, Mario "Mayito"Rivera, Jose Pepito Gomez, Tirso Duarte, Michel Herrera, Jorge Luis Pacheco, Miguelo Valdez, among many others. Also started to collaborate in the American scene with Hank Lane Music and Production Company, Singing and playing percussion.
Happy Birthday to Nate Morton! Self-taught from age 5, Nate's formal drum set training began during high school with Grant Menefee in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his education in Boston, Massachusetts as a performance major at the renowned Berklee College of Music, studying with drummers such as Ed Uribe, Ian Froman, John Ramsay and Ron Savage. Upon graduating in 1994, he taught and played locally in Boston until moving to Los Angeles in 1999 where he has since amassed live performance and recording credits that include Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Richard Marx, Paul Anka, Paul Stanley, Pete Murray, Pink, Paulina Rubio and Thalia among others. Nate was also the hard hitting force, driving the house band, on the Mark Burnett shows, ROCKSTAR:INXS and ROCKSTAR:Supernova. He cites Animal from The Muppet Show as his first and biggest influence.
In 2010, he was the house band drummer on Bonnie Hunt's day time talk show, as well as performing with Cher for her string of appearances at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Now, you can catch him grooving during prime time on the NBC hit show, THE VOICE.
Happy Birthday to Victor Pablo! Victor Pablo Garcia Gaetan comes from a musical family from San Juan, Puerto Rico. At an early age, his father Victor Garcia - a pianist/composer - taught him his first rhythms: Puerto Rican plena on panderos, martillo on bongo, marcha on conga, cascara and campaneo on timbales, and songo on drumset.
In New York City Victor Pablo performs in Broadway pits, chamber concerts, jazz jams, salsa gigs, singer-songwriter shows, bombazos, plenazos, and is a member of contemporary percussion quartet Mobius Percussion, bomba/jazz group Fernando García Band, the TM Street Band, and is co-music director/composer/drummer for People of Earth.
Happy Birthday to Terreon “Tank” Gully. Grammy winning, musician extraordinaire, Terreon Gully is one of the most influential artists of his generation. Widely recognized for his creativity, versatility and authenticity, Terreon is in high demand. His innovative and distinct sound has inspired artists such as Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Stefon Harris as well as John Beasley’s Monk’estra to make him a member of their bands.
Terreon has mastered a variety of musical genres. He performs, tours and records extensively with a variety of artists. From jazz legends and modern masters to the hottest hip hop icons, Terreon has worked with the best: Kurt Elling, David Sanborn, Nicholas Payton, Kenny Barron, the Stones Project, Sting, Keyon Harrold, Queen Latifa, Yerba Buena, Charlie Hunter, Abbey Lincoln, Joe Locke, Marc Cary, Russell Gunn, Lizz Wright, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Maria Schneider Big Band, Jacky Terrasson, Eldar, Me’Shell NdegeOcello, Lauryn Hill, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, and Common as well as a host of other artists. In addition to live performances, Terreon is also known for his exceptional work in the studio, producing and recording for CDs, films, and commercials; including his first solo project “TANKTIFIED”.
Happy Birthday to Doug Perkins! Doug Perkins specializes in new works for percussion as a chamber musician and soloist. His performances have been described as “terrific, wide-awake and strikingly entertaining” by the Boston Globe and he has been declared a “percussion virtuoso ” by the New York Times. He has appeared at venues of all types including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Millennium Park, the Alaskan Tundra, Central Park Lake, and countless others.
Over the last 15 years, Doug has commissioned and premiered over100 pieces works and with such composers as David Lang, Steve Reich, Paul Lansky, John Luther Adams, Nathan Davis, Larry Polansky, Christian Wolff, Glenn Kotche, Sofia Gubaidulina, and Tristan Perich. He founded the percussion quartet So Percussion and the Meehan/ Perkins Duo, and performs regularly with Signal, eighth blackbird, the Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW, and others.
Doug’s critically acclaimed recordings as a soloist, conductor, producer, and member of the Meehan/ Perkins Duo and So Percussion can be heard on the Bridge, Cantaloupe, Harmonia Mundi, New Focus, and New World labels. They have been called “brilliant” by the New York Times and named to numerous Top10 of the Year lists. He produced John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit and it was named one of 2013’s top records by NPR, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the New Yorker, New Music Box, and Time Out New York. His latest record of Tristan Perich’s Parallels was named one of Rolling Stone’s 20 Best Avant Records of 2015.
Lately, Doug has been organizing large-scale events that encourage a sense of community and new ways of experiencing live music. His production of Iannis Xenakis’ Persephassa in and around Central Park Lake and John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit in New York City were named Top Ten Performances in 2010 and 2011 by the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Time Out NY. Alex Ross called Inukuit at the Park Avenue Armory, “one of the most rapturous listening experiences of my life”. He also recently directed the premiere of John Luther Adams’, Sila, at Lincoln Center. Most recently, Doug premiered Tristan Perich’s, Drift Multiply, at the Red Bull Festival in New York and recorded it for an upcoming release in the fall of 2020.
Doug is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Percussion at the University of Michigan. He is additionally an Associate Professor of Music at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Previously, he was the Founder and Director and founder of the Chosen Vale International Percussion Seminar, served with eighth blackbird as an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Chicago, and was previously on the faculty of Dartmouth College where he taught percussion and directed the Contemporary Music Lab and the concert series The Way to Go Out.
Doug received his Bachelor’s degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Masters and Artist Diploma degrees from Yale University, and his Doctorate from Stony Brook University. His principal percussion teachers were Jack DiIanni, Jim Culley, and Robert Van Sice.
Gig Alerts
The Peach Festival is happening from June 29th-July 2nd 2023.
You can check out the new music festival announcements on Jambase.
You can also search for music festivals on the Jambase Website by a number of different criteria.
Educational Spotlight
You can submit to perform/present at PASIC until Jan 23rd.
There was flooding at the Rhythm Discovery Center and you can help the Percussive Arts Society out by donating to the cause of helping to rebuild and repair the museum.
Friend of the show Ari Herstand has a new edition of his book, “How to Make it in the New Music Business”. You can preorder it and receive it on January 17th (the release date) along with some bonuses.
Iconic Recording
Norka picked out the iconic recording. It is “Mi Desengaño” by Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound, from the album ‘Apollo 7’.
Music News
Volume 1 and 2 of (friend of the show) Brian Frasier-Moore’s loop and 1-shot library with Yurt Rock is available now. Shout-out to friend of the show Ryan Gruss for making that collaboration happen (and also with Modern Drummer Magazine).
Friend of the show, Paulo Stagnaro and our friends at Conga Chops have released a new masterclass with friend of the show Gilmar Gomes.
Norka Nadal Interview
The song leading into the interview is “Finale” by Hurray for the Riff Raff from the album, ‘The Navigator.’
Damon deciphers Norka’s name and nicknames.
Norka was introduced to percussion by her father. She grew up in Mayagüez Puerto Rico.
Damon mentions Abakwa in Cuba, where males only play that rhythm.
Norka talks about the female’s role and some skills they need as a singer.
Damon asks about Oriza as a style of music coming out of Puerto Rico, the way Bomba and Plena are associated with the island.
Norka talks about the different styles and instrumentations of Bomba.
She also talks about the styles and instrumentation of Plena.
Damon talks a little about the marimbula which can also be heard in the Cuban style called Changüí with low tuned bongos.
Norka talks a little about the history of the Tango and some of its African roots.
Norka talks about some of the regional areas of Puerto Rico and the rhythms that are from each region.
A few places you can go learn Folkloric Puerto Rican music in the NYC area are: Bombaworks NYC, Los Pleneros De La 21, Bomba Yo with Dr. Drum, and The Bronx Lab.
Norka started working with Joe Santiago in teaching, but also building drums and maracas.
Norka also talks about the Coco Bale (or Coco Baile), stick fighting.
There is a book by Néstor Murray-Irizarry and J. Emanuel Dufrasne González called, “Puerto Rico y su plena: nuevas fuentes para estudio, Volúmen I”, and you can buy it HERE.
Norka talks about participating in the second Encuentro de Cantaoras. She also talks about the Encuentro de Tambores, started by Norma Salazar.
She also mentions the book, Ritmos Afro Puertorriqueños (Afro Puerto Rican Rhythms) by Dimas Sanchez and Jesús Cepeda.
Norka’s great-grandfather was a drum builder. She also talks about some other family members.
Norka mentions Christian Nieves & Herencia Musical de Puerto Rico will be at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Norka picks the iconic recording for the week.
Norka used to have a group called Bambula.
