Hi again.
Well, this is another long story. Last year, I decided to quit the tropical music band I was working in because I felt really tired of travelling (we are a 13-piece band that plays Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and other rhythms from my country and the caribbean). The ideal situation for me would be to play local (or not so far) gigs only, but I felt anti-ethic to get another bassist to do the "dirty job" and let me play the "relaxed" gigs, so that's why I decided to quit.
The band got another bassist who worked the whole year with them and, like four months ago, he got a job in another city and left. The owner of the band called me to ask me if I could fill the gap while a new bassist was found. I said, "sure". After two gigs, this guy told me that he wants me in the band again and I told him "I'd like to get back to the band, but you know why I quit and still think the same way". He told me: "It's OK. We'll get another bassist for those occasions" and I replied "OK" (it was his idea, not mine, so I didn't feel any remorse).
But then I found a problem: There's no competent personnel in this city! The few ones that can do it are already working and I need someone available full time to cover me when I don't want to play with the band. I have many great students at the university, but none of them are interested about tropical music. Two guys who are very good double bass students (my DB master is their teacher) told me that they were interested, but NONE OF THEM COULD DO IT! They went to rehearsals and both told me "please help me". I said "of course", but I'm still wondering what kind of help they were looking for. They never went to the gigs in which I played to see, hear, and record the band live. One of them went once to my house and he showed more interest on learning "impressive" stuff than the most important thing: The songs and how to play them. I was really pissed off. Most "classically trained" musicians here tend to overlook this kind of music. Hope these guys learned that such "easy" music also demands special assets from a player.
Then this girl appeared. A girl who started playing with an all-girls tropical band but quit because she felt the owner was exploiting her. Besides, there were not so many gigs there. She started looking for a place in different bands, but, after listening all what she passed through, I concluded that most people (bass players included) tried to "sink" her instead of helping her to make it. She called me and I told her "OK. Come home. I want to hear you playing".
And she's VERY GOOD! I mean, she has lots of technical limitations, can't play fast passages and her playing is very "basic" but she has GROOVE and TONE, and those are the most important things above all else. She already knew many of the songs we play and I told her about many others for her to find and learn. Also went to some gigs and recorded the band live. I've been working with her and, while we have lots of work ahead, I started feeling that I can trust her.
This weekend, the band has two gigs: A wedding party in the town last night and a trip today. Not so far, but classes at the university start tomorrow and I don't want to arrive from a trip almost direct to the classroom, so I told her: "OK. I want you to go to that trip, but I'm afraid that the band's owner doesn't trust you yet, so you're going with me to the wedding party and you're going to play everything you can. I'll be there just for an emergency. What I want is: Don't let the band's owner to turn nervous. Transmit security to the band and I know you'll make it".
And I've just arrived home after the gig! Better of all, I'm really happy because she did it really good. I only played like four songs during the whole night, sitting with my fretted Bongo behind a cab since the band's owner didn't like the idea of people seeing us switching places on stage (I did my regular backing vocals as well).
The result: She's going today to that trip while I enjoy my last vacation day at home sleeping, playing my basses and browsing TalkBass. Everybody in the band is really happy with her! Of course, my idea isn't to give her the "bad" gigs only. After she learns the whole repertoire, my plan is simply to share the gigs equally. Besides, I want her to be a really good player. My goal now is to make her understand that by learning a repertoire she's not necessarily learning how to play the bass guitar. She needs to work the proper way on technique and sight reading. I think she's very grateful with me since it seems that I'm the first and only person who has shown legitimate interest in helping her. Of course, I also had personal interests behind that (and she knows it), but anyway, I feel very satisfied and happy to help a fellow bass player. Currently she doesn't receive a big income, and I feel so glad to know that she'll start getting recognition and her overall situation will turn for better. I hope she won't disappoint me.
And of course I took pics! (No need to be sitting the whole night behind a cab)
Again, I feel so fine. I'm going to sleep now. Thanks for reading!
