Piano Malango
Pianist Navigates a Tributary of the Infinite River
Manuel Obregon is at it again. I
honestly don’t know when the man has time to sleep. A classically trained
pianist, Obregon founded Papaya Music in 2003 with the writer Yazmin Ross and
her husband, photographer/filmmaker Luciano Capelli. In the ensuing years, Sr.
Obregon has released “Simbiosis”, an album of the natural sounds at the
preserve in Monteverde with his piano accompaniment, three CDs with his group
Malpais, two with his Orquestra de Papaya project, one with the Calypso Legends
and another with Costa Rican gospel choruses called “Wade in the Water”. By my
count, he has also appeared on at least four other Papaya recordings, giving
him participation in a total of twelve albums in just five years. And that
doesn’t include touring with these groups or his other involvements, such as
Om, Cuarteto Esporadico, La Isla de Pasion and El Rio Infinito, to name a few.
Manuel’s newest CD, “Piano Malango” is a nearly seventy-five minute instrumental
odyssey that peruses Obregon and Costa Rica’s musical histories, not unlike a
small boat meandering along a peaceful river, an image used repeatedly in the
album’s artwork. The malango is an indigenous, edible tuber that grows along
the eastern shores of the Central America. The
actual word comes from western Africa and I think it is a nice analogy for a
project that pays tribute to Costa
Rica’s multicultural roots. The CD was
recorded live in San Jose’s
Teatro Nacional last October by Sr. Obregon and a group of his musical mates,
including four members of Malpais. But it would be a mistake to consider this a
Malpais project commandeered by the pianist.
 |
| The creative Manuel Obregon |
The spectrum of musical influences is broad-sweeping, from calypso,
bolero and Guanacaste folkloric to a traditional bullfight song and Yeguita,
one of the very few pre-Colombian musical styles to survive to the present
date. The comfort level among these musicians is apparent as they play off each
other and improvise their way along the musical sojourn. These guys obviously
enjoy playing together. The potpourri of musical instruments used in this
endeavor also demonstrates a passion for the provocative that these musicians
spur in each other. While most of these songs were written for guitar, marimba
and percussion, Manuel Obregon has transcribed them to piano, much as he did in
his pre-Papaya days with the work of the Peruvian guitarist Mangore. The other
musicians have followed suit with their own interpretations with instruments as
varied as saxophone and flute, double bass and accordion, ocean drums and a
variety of other percussive instruments, along with a curious collection of
children’s toys, for the more whimsical passages.
The music is based in traditional song but has been updated by the
musicians’ interpretations. This has been a continual theme of Papaya since its
inception: a tribute and preservation of historical music melded into a modern
mold. The result is a unique sound seeped in tradition with the signature of
these talented musicians.
In Playa Tamarindo, Quepos and Tilaran, Piano Malango and all Papaya CDs
are available at Jaime Peligro, where they will gladly sample the music for
their customers.
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