La Negra Tiene Tumbao: 2nd E-flat Alto Saxophone
Música y letra por Fernando Osorio y Sergio George / arr. Victor López
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0015244_AX2
$3.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
La Negra Tiene Tumbao is the Latin Grammy® winner in the Best Salsa category. Cuban-born Celia Cruz is known as the soulful "Queen of Salsa" throughout the world and the arranger, Victor López, former lead trumpet player with the Miami Sound Machine, has performed many times with Celia. The repetitive rhythmic figures provide tremendous drive to this chart. Ranges are modest and the overall chart will take minimum rehearsal time. Optional auxiliary percussion plus all the usual additional parts make this a sure-fire hit with the band and the audience. It is hot!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, La Negra Tiene Tumbao: 2nd E-flat Alto Saxophone comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Young Jazz Ensemble
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
94
SKU:
00-PC-0015244_AX2
More about this title
Why we love this
Victor López's arrangement captures the infectious energy of a Latin Grammy-winning track while keeping ranges and part complexity within reach of developing ensemble musicians. The repetitive, driving rhythmic figures do the heavy lifting—they propel the piece forward with minimal need for complex articulation or dynamic shaping, freeing your students to focus on lock-step ensemble precision and Latin feel. This is the rare Grade 2 chart that doesn't sound simplified; it sounds authentic.
What to expect
Bright, propulsive, and celebratory. The piece radiates the warmth and vitality of Afro-Cuban salsa, built on interlocking rhythms that create momentum without relying on fast technical passages. From the first bars, the groove locks in and carries everything forward with infectious joy.
Who it's for
Jazz ensemble directors working with Grade 2 musicians who are ready for genuine Latin repertoire without the technical burden of advanced ranges or dense voicings. This arrangement suits ensembles in their first or second year of jazz study, or as a refreshing concert piece for developing groups looking to build confidence and audience connection simultaneously.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the clave early in rehearsals. Have the ensemble tap or clap the underlying rhythmic pattern before touching instruments so the groove sits in muscle memory, not just on the page.
- Balance the horn sections against the rhythm section; the repetitive figures work only when every voice stays locked in time. Use a metronome or click track in early rehearsals to anchor the ensemble.
- Let the auxiliary percussion parts breathe. These instruments aren't decoration; they're what makes this chart "hot." Feature them in performance and encourage players to commit to the authentic Latin timbre.
- Shape phrases by listening to recorded versions with students. Hearing Celia Cruz's own interpretation helps players understand where energy peaks and where the arrangement releases.
How to use it
Program this as a crowd-pleasing anchor for a jazz concert, particularly in the second half when audiences are warmed up and ready to move. Pair it with a swing standard or blues to showcase your ensemble's range across jazz vocabularies, or use it as a finale that sends the audience out energized.
Skills your students will build
- Playing with a steady Latin groove and clave-based rhythmic foundation
- Balancing melodic content against a driving repetitive rhythmic figure
- Performing with authentic Latin articulation and phrasing
- Listening across the ensemble to maintain rhythmic lock-in across multiple syncopated layers
- Reading and responding to optional auxiliary percussion parts