David Peñalosa Percussionists – Artists
Author of The Clave Matrix (2009), according to timba.com the most comprehensive work to date on clave. David Peñalosa is a percussionist, batá drummer and teacher, and as a record producer re-released classic Cuban recordings.
About
David Peñalosa is an American percussionist and teacher, born in Los Angeles. He studied African drumming and jazz improvisation, and popular dance at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) in Cuba. He lives in Arcata, California, where he performs and teaches Afro-Cuban percussion.
- Musician: he formed and directed the salsa band Kachimbo, which played throughout Northern California. As a batá drummer he has played ceremonies and accompanied dance and song classes.
- Accompanying the masters: he has accompanied or worked with José Francisco Barroso, Roberto Borrell, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Lázaro Ros and members of the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba, among others. At the annual Afro-Cuban Dance and Drum workshop of Humboldt State University, where he is regular faculty, he worked with Francisco Aguabella and Lázaro Galarraga.
- Records: as producer at Bembe Records he re-released classic Cuban recordings, including Irakere's Babalú Ayé (Grammy nomination 1997). In 2000 he produced Drum Jam (Descarga al tambor).
- Advice: he gave conceptual guidance on the Tomás Cruz conga method, Kevin Moore's Roots of Timba Piano and Conor Guilfoyle's Odd Meter Clave.
The Clave Matrix
His book
The Clave Matrix: Afro-Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins
was published in 2009 by Bembe Books, with a revised second edition in 2010. Timba.com calls it "the most comprehensive work to date on the subject of clave". As the title says, it is about the principles of Afro-Cuban rhythm and their African origins, with clave as the key. More on the difference between son clave and rumba clave is on the Clave page.
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