 Back
in the mid-sixties, Martin Cohen fashioned his first
bongo drums in a makeshift workshop in his home. Little did he know that, while
he was constructing a more durable and tonally pleasing instrument than he'd
seen in the New York City Latin jazz clubs of the day, he was laying the cornerstone
of LP, the world leader in innovative
percussion instruments.
Martin's story is the story of the American entrepreneur, a true “against
all odds” scenario. And of late, it's in demand on the lecture circuit.
Within the last few months, Martin has brought his unique slide/narrative presentation,
entitled “From My Basement to Bangkok”, to the University
of Michigan and, most recently, to Boston's Berklee
College of Music.
The Martin Cohen tale is a textbook case of triumphing over adversity. It
would have been safer for him, and, indeed, more palatable to his family, had
he stayed with his engineering day job. At first, the only ones applauding
his efforts were his peers in the Latin-jazz community. They were grateful
to have access to instruments that exceeded their flimsy old country counterparts
in every way: looks, tuneability, durability, stability, and projection. Accordingly,
since the sixties every major figure in Latin music has backed Martin's efforts,
making LP the largest and most reputed manufacturer of percussion instruments
in the world.
The fact that Martin
Cohen is a renown photographer, who, for decades has documented his forays
into the Latin-jazz milieu, serves him well on the lecture circuit. He can
speak credibly and in depth from two angles: his historical observations
dating back to his first encounters with Latin musicians in the fifties,
and his personal relationships with them. Students appreciate his unique
accounts of major Latin figures and musical culture. At Berklee, Martin's
presentations were well received by full houses.
An additional treat for Bostonians, Martin's extensive collection of photographs
of his longtime friend, the late Tito
Puente, were exhibited at La Casa de la Cultura, a show initiated by musician
Alex Alvear and the gallery's own Vanessa Calderon-Rosado. Martin's long and
close friendship with the man they called The King of Latin Music afforded
incredible photo opportunities. A good selection of Martin's photos is also
available on his website, congahead.com
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