Still heading the conga line at 86

Candido Camero, the 86-year-old pioneer of Afro-Cuban percussion, limped onto the stage Thursday at the House of Blues in West Hollywood with the help of an ornate cane in one hand and his wife’s support in the other. He planted his frail frame, swimming in a loose suit, behind three white conga drums and assured the crowd with a smile that his arthritis would not hamper his playing.

“It makes me look like 100 years old,” said the conguero from Havana. “But when I play these three conga drums, look out! It makes me feel like 20.”

He may feel 20, but he doesn’t play like today’s twentysomethings who try to one-up each other in a testosterone-powered race on the skins. What Candido lacks in their youthful power and speed he makes up for in the old-fashioned qualities of finesse and musicality, which he amply displayed during the first of two hourlong sets.

(For an astonishing example of the new school of congueros, check out this dazzling display of technique by 20-year-old Jafet Murguia performing during a recent industry conference in Los Angeles, at https://youtube.com/watch ?v=xwNo-NvaSl8.)

Known mostly by his first name, Candido comes from a generation of Afro-Cuban drummers steeped in the dual traditions of modern jazz and African folklore and spirituality. During the concert, one tune evoked the memory of his recently departed colleague, the late Carlos “Patato” Valdez, who also moved to the United States in the postwar, pre-Castro era, joining forces with jazz luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, a seminal figure in Latin jazz.

This night was billed as a tribute to Candido, recipient of the 2008 Jazz Master Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The honor and the concert were in keeping with that saying so popular in the tropics: “Lo que me vayan a dar, que me lo den en vida” (Give it all to me while I’m still alive, baby!).

Charming and playful, Candido seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself with the Afro-Cuban Jazz Masters, a quintet of seasoned Latin jazz musicians formed for the occasion. The moniker is no hype. Each of these players brought the command of his instrument to the stage -- the intricate bass of Eddie Resto, the lyrical flute and saxophone of Justo Almario and the muscular drumming of Bobby Sanabria, who served as the night’s gregarious host. They were led by renowned pianist-arranger Oscar Hernandez (ex-Ray Barretto and Ruben Blades), who recently moved to Los Angeles from New York after launching the popular salsa revival band Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

At one time or another, all of these cats played with the late Mongo Santamaria, a leading exponent of the old-school conga style. He would have been proud of his proteges. Their exuberant and tasteful exposition of pure Latin jazz included the abakua chant “Ubane,” which Santamaria recorded with singer Justo Betancourt in the 1970s, and the classic “Mambo Inn,” an emblematic tune popularized by Machito, another great Latin jazz pioneer.

Candido’s solo in the first set showed that drumming doesn’t have to be serious. He elicited snaps, pops, thumps, thuds and flutters from the skins, using his elbows and fingertips at times. When he’d find a new pattern that pleased him, he’d bounce in place with joy.

At one point he even tapped out “Happy Birthday” to himself, about three months early. If I make it to 87, I hope I’m having this much fun.

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agustin.gurza@latimes.com