Hello All:
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| Mandrill's Logo |
My dear sister/friend/producer/photographer & personality FIKISHA CUMBO emailed some exciting news that I'm sharing with you.
She is featuring a tribute to MANDRILL on CACE INT'L TV this Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 1:30 PM and 9:30 PM (EST)!!
Fikisha has hosted her own signature show now for at least 30 years - capturing the flavor of Brooklyn, the jazz and contemporary artist scene - and has a rich library of programs from Black in the day. You definitely want to catch this!!
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| Left to right: Carlos, Ric and Lou Wilson |
There are several opportunities to take advantage of the programs, regardless of where you live:
SHOW AIRS:
ON NYC CABLE TV including:
TIME WARNER (34),
CABLEVISION (67), RCN (82) &
VERIZON FIOS 42 (in all of New York City)
You can also go onlineON YOUR COMPUTER WORLD WIDE :
LINK: www.BRICartsmedia.org
click TV SHOWS & VIDEOS,
scroll down to BROOKLYN FREE SPEECH LIVE;
CHANNEL 1
Fikisha has a certain amount of bragging rights: "BRIC Free Speech Network was nominated for a 2016 Network Emmy Award. CACE INTERNATIONAL TV is a Cultural History show. Our excerpted shows increased by 2,307 views last week!"
click TV SHOWS & VIDEOS,
scroll down to BROOKLYN FREE SPEECH LIVE;
CHANNEL 1
Fikisha has a certain amount of bragging rights: "BRIC Free Speech Network was nominated for a 2016 Network Emmy Award. CACE INTERNATIONAL TV is a Cultural History show. Our excerpted shows increased by 2,307 views last week!"
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| On the left: Lou and Carlos harmonize while Lou plays an A-go-go and Carlos plays lead string |
In her message to me, she stated: "We captured MANDRILL LIVE @ CELEBRATE BROOKLYN a few years ago. Now Lou Wilson and my Associate Producer and BFF Jo Ann Cheatham , who worked 2nd camera on this film, have joined the ancestors. This show is dedicated to them."
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| Lou Wilson (Love of My Life) October 25, 1941 - January 7, 2013 |
JoAnn Cheatham was also a dear friend and associate of mine as well. Her love of Jazz led her to publish a monthly Jazz Magazine. She recently made her transition to the realm of ancestor/angel.
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| Jo Ann Cheatham publisher of Pure Jazz Magazine, Educator, Videographer, Photographer, Jazz sponsor Member of the CBJC |
Lou Wilson, love of my life, and the founder of Mandrill (along with his brothers) made his transition on January 7, 2013 - a day that I will never forget as long as I live.
I am really looking forward to this program and tribute to the group !!
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| Lou at BB Kings 2011 |
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| Lou and RA (son) |
Fikisha really did her homework on this one, and dug up some information fromWikipedia!!! (Wow! I didn't even know they were on Wikipedia - excellent!!):
Mandrill is an American multi-genre band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1968. Members of the band included three brothers: Carlos Wilson (trombone, vocals), Lou Wilson (trumpet, vocals) and Ric Wilson (sax, vocals). The brothers were born in Panama and grew up in the Bedford–Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. Other members included Claude 'Coffee' Cave II (keyboards, percussion, vocals); Bundy Cenac (bass) on the band's eponymous first album, replaced by Fudgie Kae Solomon (bass, vocals) in 1972; Charles Padro (drums, percussion, vocals) for two albums, replaced by Neftali Santiago (drums, percussion, vocals); and Omar Mesa (guitar, vocals), replaced in 1974 by Doug Rodriguez (lead guitar, vocals). This completed the Mandrill line-up from the Polydor years 1970–1975 which make up the Mandrill sound. Other members of the band in later years included Juaquin Jessup (lead guitar, percussion, vocals) and Tommy Trujillo (guitar).
Below is one of my favorite artistic renderings of the group from Black in the day:
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| Left to Right Rear: Charlie Padro, Omar Mesa, Lou (with the children in his hands - he was always about family), Ric with the raised fist; Coffee; Left to Right Front: Carlos and Fudgie (Fudgie hand the Third Eye in his hand) |
Their songs have been sampled by many hip-hop acts such as Johnny D, Public Enemy, DJ Shadow, Shawty Lo, Big L, Kanye West, Jin, Eminem, and 9th Wonder. They combined funk with many other styles such as Latin, salsa, rock, blues and soul.
Some of their songs have been used in the soundtracks of films: The Greatest (1977), directed by Tom Gries and Monte Hellman; and The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill. The band continues to perform live. Their signature song is arguably "Fencewalk."
Composite Truth (1973) was the band's most commercially successful album.
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| Carlos Wilson at BB Kings 2011 |
The contemporary version of Mandrill was comprised of the four Wilson Brothers who were the nucleus of the group: Lou Wilson, Trumpet Congas, Stick, Drums, and anything he could get his hands on - as well as vocals, composing, arranging, and serving as spokesperson for the group. Lou was 6'4 "Tall, Dark and Chocolate" - my nickname for him. He was the eldest of the Four Wilson Brothers. Sadly and tragically, the love of my life made his transition on January 7, 2013 at the age of 71.
Ricardo - Ric - Wilson - Saxophone and percussions - was also a cardiac surgeon - Harvard trained and educated - but music was his first love. Ric was also second in the family line - he and Lou collaborated on a lot of the essential direction of the group.
Carlos - Mad Dog - Wilson - The lead vocalist of the group - Lou always said that he wrote most of his ballads for Carlos' voice - Flute, Trombone, Timbales, A go-go; lead string guitar - among other things. Most don't know that Carlos was also a Viet Nam Vet - and being with the group helped him come through major shell shock.
Wilfredo - Wolf - Wilson - the fourth Wilson Brother - joined the group after having completed college at Morgan State U in Baltimore, MD- Bass Guitar and vocals.
In fact, all the guys were musical virtuosos, and played at least 30 instruments among them. Lou had a love for the snare drum and keyboards. Their Dad, Wilfred Wilson, was the original driving force and influence behind their musicality. He insisted that each one of them learn an instrument. Dad Wilson played the acoustical Guitar.
Claude "Coffee" Cave was one of the original founding members of the group and played keyboards - he and the guys attended Boys High together.
The guys got their start in a little night spot in Brooklyn called the Blue Coronet in the 60's.
The name of the group Mandrill came about because one of the members had been visiting the Bronx Zoo and happened to read the description of the Mandrill Ape - Family oriented, loyal, etc., and brought the concept back to the group. They immediately liked the idea and adopted it as their name. The rest is history.
"Composite Truth," the title of the third album was my idea because they were having conflicted views on what the best name should be. Each of the guys had great names because the content was so "heavy." So when Lou asked my opinion, I suggested that it was a composite of everyone's idea - the title "Composite Truth" was born.
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| Wunson Lyon RA (our son) |
Also pictured is our son, "Wunson Lyon RA" who is an entertainer and vocalist in his own right. He was raised listening to and watching his dad perform. Talented from the day he was born - he toured intermittently with the group, having taken some of their lyrics and set them to spoken word format.
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| Lou Wilson of MANDRILL - now a member of the ANCESTOR/ANGELS
So Wednesday, December 21, 2016, tune in and check out the tribute to MANDRILL either at 1:30 PM or 9:30 PM Produced and hosted by Sister/Friend Fikisha Cumbo -
ON NYC CABLE TV including:
TIME WARNER (34),
CABLEVISION (67), RCN (82) &
VERIZON FIOS 42 (in all of New York City)
You can also go onlineON YOUR COMPUTER WORLD WIDE :
LINK: www.BRICartsmedia.org
click TV SHOWS & VIDEOS, scroll down to BROOKLYN FREE SPEECH LIVE; CHANNEL 1 |
More info:
www.caceinternational.com 199.045 hits)
www.youtube.com/
www.google.com/
(current total views= more than 570,538; increased by 2,307 from last week).
Facebook.com/CACEINT'LTVSHOW
Twitter.com@fikishacumbo
Linkedin.com/fikishacumbo
NEXT WEEK: PETER TOSH
Now that you know - what are you going to do about it?
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
GloW.
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